For those of you who are not yet acquainted with the word “Ambigram” it’s time for you to get “schooled.”
An ambigram is a design that may be read as the same word or phrase (or sometimes two different words or phrases) when oriented in two different ways, usually when reflected in a vertical axis or when rotated through 180 degrees.
If you haven’t already heard of Red Chapter Clothing chances are you’ve seen it. With stars like Jamie Foxx, Chris Jaricho (Dancing with the Stars) and NBC’s The Voice’s, Jared Blake rocking the Red and Google labeling them as the “next big thing,” Red Chapter Clothing is impossible to miss. Red Chapter, a name created from a play on words, is the world’s first and only premium line of clothing and accessories based entirely on ambigram artwork. With 450 stores worldwide so far, this cutting edge company prides itself not only on its California-made products but the motto: “Handcrafted with love and rock n roll.” I recently caught up with one of the owners and front man for Paperback Hero, Bryan Hopkins. He walked me through the creation of Red Chapter and how he balances his life being a rock n roll God and designing, manufacturing and marketing a clothing line made just for them.
How did you meet Mark and Ryan Palmer and when did you decide that you wanted to start Red Chapter Clothing?
“I met Mark and Ryan three years ago. I was on tour with Alice Cooper and I was making my own clothes. My roommate at the time, Toryn Green, the lead singer of Fuel, had discovered Mark’s artwork on a tattoo site online. He got one of Mark’s designs tattooed on him during the finale of LA Ink season one. I ended up meeting Mark at a Fuel show and two days later he designed a tattoo for me. We became really good friends and three months later we started Red Chapter. In the beginning Mark did the artwork, Ryan handled the manufacturing and I was in charge of marketing and sales but we all learned how and were doing everything. We’ve just recently gone back to the original prototype.”
Who came up with the name “Red Chapter” and what does it mean? When I think of the name, I think of red carpets and lights; a period in your life you’ll want to remember.
“Mark came up with the name. The words Red Chapter make the perfect ambigram. The name is really just a play on words like Angel/Devil, Saint/Sinner, What Doesn’t Kill Me Makes Me Stronger. Red chapter could reference a bible or a biker gang; whatever you want.”
When and how did Mark start designing Ambigrams?
“Mark was in church one Sunday and he wrote the word PRAY on a piece of paper. Then he wrote it upside down and showed his brother Ryan. Ryan asked him do his name and shortly after started giving him assignments. The more he did it the better he got at it. They ended up starting WOW Tattoo’s. That was seven years ago. Now Mark is Mark the most sought-after ambigram artist in the world. He’s created about 20,000 ambigrams for tattoo collectors all over the world.”
How do you balance designing and marketing your clothing company when you’re a full time rock star?
“It’s sleepless here. There is never a day off and we’re always trying to stay ahead of the game. A typical day is a little bit of rock n roll, a little bit of clothing and about one hour of sleep. I write at night, do shows during the week and yet I still have to do my part with the clothing line. Owning Red Chapter has opened a lot of doors and sometimes it even helps me book shows. Ryan and Mark have WOW Inc in addition to Red Chapter so we all stay really busy. We’re adding three new stores a day so things are about to get even crazier.”
I heard you recently hooked up with Jared Blake, one of the contestants on NBC’s The Voice. Can you tell me a little bit about how you got him to rock one of your designs on national television?
“I met Jared during one of the tapings of NBC’s The Voice. When we met he said he loved my shirt. It was a sample and I didn’t have anymore so I took it off and gave it to him.
So, you literally gave him the shirt off your back?
Yes and that’s the exact shirt he ended up wearing on the show. For Mark and I, the most enjoyable thing about owning Red Chapter was watching Jared on national TV wearing our shirt. That moment solidified everything because we are truly a rock n roll clothing line!”
If you could describe your company in two words what would they be and why?
“Creative and hardworking. When we first started out we were paying people to try and get it right and they weren’t getting it right. So, we went out and bought the equipment, started in a garage and taught ourselves how to do it. In the beginning we could only make 30 shirts in 2 weeks and to have it be at this point now, it’s amazing. It’s how I make my living. This is a very creative company. All three of us sit around and talk about concepts of artwork and 2 words that we would want to wear on shirts. We stick to what we love and if we wouldn’t want to wear it then we don’t make it. We designed some shirts trying to trend and we found ourselves struggling so we said lets go back to our roots. Let’s make stuff that we love and those have become are best sellers.”
I know that you guys are getting a bunch of hype from the general public and celebrities alike. Are you planning on adding to your collection anytime soon?
“We actually just created the fall line and spring line of 2012. Next spring we’ll have denim. We’re always putting out new things. I’m really excited about LUCK/ FATE and AMERICAN/FREEDOM Jared Blake signature shirts. Rock n roll and fashion are just two things you can’t get away from.”
CONTACT:
Red Chapter Clothing
Bryan Hopkins
bryan@redchapterclothing.com
www.redchapterclothing.com
Article by Krysta Youngs for Trust Marketing Agency trustmarketingagency.com
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