URB1 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH INTRICATE CONCEPTS

Article written by: Rodrick Rainey
Posted on: July 18, 2004

When it comes to major clothing companies, you never see the face of those who truly design what you are wearing. Ghost designers are who truly make these lines hot but rarely get noticed for what they have done. Read up on one of today’s hottest and most successful fashion design firms, Intricate Concepts. Doing work for labels from Phat Farm to And 1 to UNK, find the 411 on today’s emerging talent.

( URB1 ) SOME PEOPLE CONSIDER YOU ALL THE “GHOST DESIGNERS OF HIPHOP FASHION” OTHERS JUST SAY YOU PRODUCE SOME OF THE HOTTEST URBAN CLOTHING DESIGNS OUT PERIOD. WHAT ROLE DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE PLAYED WITHIN THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY? WHAT’S THE PROPER DESCRIPTION OF WHAT YOU DO BY YOUR STANDARDS?

(INTRICATE CONCEPTS) That’s a good question, we will continue to change the game by adding more flavor to the fashion industry. Our designs give the fashion consumer more options, not just the brand name, but some good graphics or a cut that makes the garment different. Titles are a little overrated, they’re just names and don’t mean anything. We are a graphic/fashion consultant firm.

( URB1 ) A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT COMPANIES LIKE YOURS EXIST – THE CONCEPT OF WHO’S REALLY DESIGNING CLOTHING. DO YOU FEEL YOUR SQUAD HASN’T GOTTEN DUE CREDITS FOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS? HAS THERE EVER BEEN ANY “BEEFS” WITH THE LINES YOU COMPLETED DESIGNS FOR?

(INTRICATE CONCEPTS) Although the exposure has helped us to get acquire more clients and make our brand more recognizable, we’re not here to out our clients. We’re here to improve our clients’ lines and offer them a fresh outlook on design. Once we design the line, the creative concepts belongs to them. Unfortunately one client did get offended that we were getting publicity. We mentioned in an article that we had “helped” them with their line and they were offended and felt that we were outing them which wasn’t our intention. The writer asked us specific questions about the design and we explained some of the changes which we made.

( URB1 ) URB1 VISITORS LOVE TO BE TRENDSETTERS, WHICH MEANS GETTING SCHOOLED ON CLOTHING LINES YET TO HIT THE MAIN STREAM. IF YOU WERE TO PICK OUT SOME OF YOUR HOTTEST WORK FOR UNDERGROUND LABELS, WHICH WOULD THOSE LABELS BE?

(INTRICATE CONCEPTS) Is this the props section? ( laughs ) – We would definitely say that each line we’ve worked on has something different, but most people see the brand first, instead of the art and creativity. That’s what’s wrong with the industry. We’re into a lot of European brands because they’re not afraid to try something different. Consumers don’t realize that a lot of urban fashion lines have been inspired by European brands.

( URB1 ) IN LOOKING AT YOUR PORTFOLIO, IT SEEMS MOST OF YOUR CLOTHING IS GEARED TOWARDS MEN. DID I PICK UP THE WRONG IDEAS FROM BROWSING OR DO YOU ALL ONLY FOCUS ON MENSWEAR?

(INTRICATE CONCEPTS) You’re right to assume that our clothing if geared towards men, especially if you’ve visited our website (www.intricateconcepts.com), but we’ve designed a lot of girls, women’s, and children’s lines.

( URB1 ) A FEW CRITICS WILL ASK “ARE YOU BURNT OUT” OR MIGHT SAY “YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BE BURNT OUT OF IDEAS”. BEING AN ARTISTIC PERSON MYSELF, I CAN DEFINITELY AGREE THAT GETTING “BURNT OUT” IS DEFINITELY POSSIBLE. HOWEVER, YOU HAVE A 5 MAN GROUP SO THAT HELPS A LOT.

(INTRICATE CONCEPTS) We’re usually pretty good with not gettin’ burnt out because each client and each line has a specific style and we share ideas, so we’re not just working on the same thing all the time. Having a 5 man crew from different countries and different part of the city definitely helps as well. New York fashion differs from borough to borough – Brooklyn fashion is different from fashion in the Bronx and vice versa in all the boroughs. So by the time we each reach the office, we each have a new inspiration from somewhere else or from our different ethnic backgrounds. Also we travel a lot. Joseph just came back from Africa and I just came from Japan. We also have different specialties and influences, all of us are strong in graphic design, one in graffiti culture, and the other web design. Our outside interests are also sometimes include our design – hip-hop, graffiti, oil painting, skateboarding, and travel. We have all the elements within our creative group not to get burnt out of ideas. I think that’s why a lot of fashion lines get stale season after season, because it’s the same in-house guy is working day after day on the same creative energy and around the same team, that’s where we come in with some fresh looks and ideas.

( URB1 ) ALRIGHT, NOW WE GOTTA GET DOWN TO WHAT ALL THE PEOPLE WHO RECOGNIZE YOUR WORK WANT TO KNOW. RUMOR HAS IT, INTRICATE CONCEPTS IS STARTING A CLOTHING LINE. IS THIS TRUE?

(INTRICATE CONCEPTS) Since we’ve been behind some of the most successful fashion brands, investors have approached us interested in financing an Intricate Concepts brand. When the time is right, we’ll launch it. Our design service for our clients is our priority, and we intend to keep the focus and attention on the people who have made us who we are – the clients.