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We recently did an interview with Hit The Floor magazine to discuss our opinion current trends, some of the hurdles we've overcome so far, and the highlights of running a brand. A big thanks to Julia Powney for putting the interview together. You can read the full interview below:
Interview with Julia Powney from HTF magazine
Emblazoned with sharp sillouettes and outlandish slogans, Dream But Do Not Sleep are a UK street wear brand that have firm roots in the electronic dance music scene. Founded over two years ago, the brand specialise in creating original designs that are premium quality and pay special attention to detail.
Having just debut their spring/summer collection, 2014 has seen the brand venture into new areas and release a womenswear line. Eager to learn more about what else is on the horizon for the edgy label, Hit The Floor caught up with founder and designer Max. Here’s what he had to say.
HTF: Over the last two years you’ve really taken off, but what inspired your passion for designing in the beginning?
MB: My passion for designing initially came from learning graphic design at college. I’d create all these t-shirt designs hoping that one day they may get printed. As I set up the brand and saw what all the more established brands were doing I quickly progressed in to thinking about fabrics and cut and sew as well. These days I find I’m more passionate about the cut and sew side of things, because of the excitement when seeing a vague idea transform in to a physical garment which you can wear.
HTF: Did you feel there was a niche in the market for electronic/dance music clothing?
MB: There are a couple of other UK brands who have roots in electonic dance music, but it was never something that was highlighted as a niche when setting up the brand. It was a lifestyle which we represented so it was a lifestyle we wanted to be associated with. We’ve had support from a fair few well known UK DJs which is great, and we’re also going to be expanding our mix series over the summer to provide an improved space on the website where people can get to know some new music and enjoy some mixes.
HTF: How do you approach creating new designs? Does it come naturally or do you aim for a specific concept/look?
MB: At first it was really tough to design new collections, because there are so many different directions to go in. However, after two years we’ve found our style and we know which direction we’re going in. For our spring/summer collection we tried to get a nostalgic hip hop feel for the collection and look-book. I find a lot of my inspiration comes from 90s/early 00s hip-hop videos and look books. The whole look, feel, and sense of authenticty of these early brands is what appeals to me, and it’s what I try to portray in Dream But Do Not Sleep.
Source: DreamButDoNotSleep.com
HTF: Does the range reflect your personal style or are you more inspired by looks different to your own?
MB: My personal style definitely has a big impact on the brand and the products we drop. If you look back through the older collections you can see how the style has changed and improved, and this is something which reflects how my individual style has developed along side it.
HTF: What’s your favourite part about the brand?
MB: My favourite part of the brand is definitely when everything starts to arrive for the next collection. Seeing months of hard work and all your ideas come to life is always really exciting. Getting everything photographed is also lot of fun as well!
HTF: Different stereotypes seem to develop across different musical genres, do you feel there’s a particular ‘look’ to the electronic dance scene?
MB: A few years ago I would have said yes there was a pretty clear look accross most of the electronic dance music scene, but this has changed a lot in recent years. Most of the people who listened to electronic dance music three or more years ago were in to the uderground scene and everything that went along with it. I remember being on a boat party at Outlook festival in Croatia three years ago and pretty much every single person on that boat was wearing a t-shirt from some independent brand that you would have never heard of and you will probably never hear about again. I really like that vibe because it gives the clothes a sense of meaning and authenticity. I’m not saying this is something of the past, but it has been heavily diluted by all the Topman lads that go out ‘on the pull’ to Hot Since 82 nights.
HTF: What trends are you favouring right now?
MB: I’m feeling the bucket hats and jerseys most of all this season.
Source: DreamButDoNotSleep.com
HTF And any you’re really hating?
MB: All of the imitation HBA/streetgoth collections which UK brands are putting out at the moment. People just seem to be blindly following this trend and I just don’t get it. Let’s see some more original ideas coming out of the UK!
HTF: What’s been the biggest struggle for Dream But Do Not Sleep to date?
MB: Getting the brand off the ground is the hardest part. I started the brand two years ago with no idea about how the industry worked and a collection of pretty average designs. It’s hard to know where to go from that point, and it takes a lot of time learning which things do work and which things don’t work. For anyone thinking of setting up a clothing brand I’d recommend getting some industry experience first to find out how things work. Even if it’s just a couple of years in a shop, it’ll definitely help.
HTF: What’s the next important step for the brand?
MB: The next important step for the brand is probably when we move our studio to London which will be sometime within the next 12 months. We’re currently based in Exeter so it’ll mean we’re a lot closer to everything going on up there.
HTF: You’ve stated you’re keen to pursue designing more womenswear. What styles/key looks can we expect to see?
MB: Yeah we definitely want to expand our womanswear range. It will mostly include sport inspired looks with tight fitting pieces and more colours/patterns then our current womanswear range. Maybe some reversible bombers at some point too.