The Hatman meets…Percycute clothing.
Hello again and welcome to the second in the series of ‘The Hatman meets’
This time it’s the turn of Percycute Clothing yet another UK independent clothing brand fighting for its place amongst the big corporations, who are flooding our high streets with substandard product.
Click on this link Percycute clothing and you will see a website of true imagination with some quite brilliant graphic designs.
The design genius ( I use that term loosely !…only joking) is not what you’d expect from this ‘street style’ indie brand.
In fact, this man (who shall remain nameless!) has managed to create a brilliant alter ego, he is faceless, he is the ‘Charlie’ to the angels, he is almost as elusive as one of his main influences ‘Banksy‘…until he decided to make contact with myself that is…
To add to the enigma that is Mr Percycute I will not be referring to him by name, nor will I post a picture of the man behind one of the most exciting brands out there.
No, it will be a closely guarded secret to myself and his family, of course.
“I like the idea that people think I’m the guy in all the pictures on the website” he says.
He fooled me.
You see, we can judge far too quickly at whom we think represents a brand or what they should look like. Something I feel the high street does all too often.
“My designs are worn by all sorts of people, men, women, and all ages too…we shouldn’t ‘pigeonhole’ people”
Very true Mr Percycute…very true.
You intrigued?
I met Mr P, in his home city of Leicester.
We were both easy to spot each other as we were both wearing one of his designs (there’s something very satisfying about not seeing anyone else in the same top as me!) so no need to wear a flower!
It wasn’t that type of meeting anyway!
The interview began…
Where does the name Percycute come from?
“It’s a play on words…to persecute is to oppress, I’ve been oppressed in my work for years, oppressed that I couldn’t do what I love to do…design”
Ok, with us so far?
“I’ve always been a doodler, it’s my way of expression, clearing my thoughts, I used to draw for myself, not really thinking about an end product”
“My drawings used to lie around the office, and people would pick them up and ask me if they could have them!”
So what led to the clothing range?
“I had sketches everywhere, then someone said, that the designs would make great t-shirts”…lightbulb moment.
How can someone go from doodling to creating brilliant graphic designs…simple, you go to college and get a diploma in graphic design, then further your knowledge by learning the latest design techniques on Photoshop…easy eh?
Technique is one thing, having the creative mind to keep reinventing and churning out exceptional images is completely different.
This guy does both in abundance.
So what are his influences…I see David Hockney, Banksy, graffiti art, street art…
“One of my biggest influences is actually Salvador Dali (never saw that coming!) and I love all the religious art from the renaissance”
Dali?
Actually yes, look at the below design…tell me you can’t see a bit of Salvador in there!
‘Madness’ yet to be released…sneak preview for you!
So how do you conjure up these designs…
Mr P smiles…
“I think of a word, then visualise the image…then start to draw”
That’s sounds easy doesn’t it?
He then shows me his phone ‘notes’ pages…
Mr P writes down potential titles for designs, so they don’t disappear out of his mind!
I have the same issue. I have to write what is in my head, otherwise it’s gone!
That’s the creative mind for you!
Like me, Mr P finds himself waking at silly o’clock to sketch or write down at least a few words to prompt his creative juices!
Looking at some of the designs I wanted to find out what they meant, or represented…
Again Mr P smiles…
“I like people to make their own minds up on what the design represents…I know, sometimes I’m influenced by current affairs, sometimes it’s as simple as a song I listened to whilst doodling…and then, my best work has been done during my toughest times”
He’s deep too!
‘Dag Nab it’ influenced by a ‘Rizzle Kicks’ song!
“I sent a picture of the t-shirt to the ‘Rizzle Kicks’ on twitter…they loved it, re-tweeted it and my twitter account went mad!!”
“That’s when I realised that there was an appeal for my designs!”
‘Dirty Cash’ born from the song of the same title, but influenced more by the corruption in banking, the design pictures a banker in chains
One of my favourites…
‘Spaceman’ I’d had a heavy night…my mate walked in and said I looked like a spaceman!…the design was born!
‘Urban Hoodlam another design influenced by current affairs, the London riots to be precise…the image shows a face with a gag…don’t say this, don’t do that, the arrows resembling an Indian headdress represent the paths you could take…wow
A typical creative, he’s self critical, and keeps tinkering with designs.
“Sometimes I overwork a design and ruin it. So I take pictures now at different stages!”
The designs are all limited editions, again you aren’t just buying an item of clothing, you’re buying a piece of art.
He retires designs, in fact, he reworks them and releases newer versions of them.
“I like to keep reinventing myself and my designs”
As with a lot of our wonderful UK indie brands, Percycute is a real labour of love, they rely on sales to further the production and growth of the brand.
“I have at least 500 designs and ideas I want to get out there, it would be great financially to be in high street stores, but I’d lose my identity, I want my brand to be loved for what it represents, creativity is more important”
He doesn’t want to stop at just clothing either, he has plans to go in to different accessories too.
Trust me when I say that having spoken to the man and seeing some of his as yet unreleased designs, this is a brand going places.
“I’ve been trading for about 15 months, it’s going well, I just need the next big push…”
As with every indie brand, there is passion, belief and a really great attitude towards his customers.
Check out these unreleased designs…exciting times ahead!
Top to bottom ‘Devilish’ ‘Resurrection’ and ‘Tsunami’
I love them all!
Please visit the website Percycute buy some stuff, so that the new designs can get produced!
Big thanks to the creative mind of Mr Percycute for letting me in to his ‘headspace’ (one of his designs!) and allowing me to share his vision.
Is this Mr Percycute?….I’m not saying.
Until next time…
Peace and love.
The style Viking 