Summer sale and new Keith tees!
6.30.2009
Hooray for summer! The time for beach outings, picnics, and, of course, a new closet-full of tshirts! Fortunately for you, it'll be a bit cheaper this time around due to a little summer sale I'm throwing for the month of July. So head on over to The LF Shop and grab some gear while it lasts! Believe it or not, I'm down to as few as 7 designs in certain sizes, so strike while the season's hot. Hey-oh!
As for the July offering, I'm happy to be re-releasing the popular Keith designs from last summer. This time around they're on purple and blue AA tees and are super comfy as always. The print is really soft, too, so you won't have to fret about sweating under the design...
posted by Eric Terry @ 11:04 PM,
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The Linty Fresh Webwide Hunt!
6.14.2009
So if you follow my Twitter you may have noticed a little tweet about an upcoming Linty Fresh game to be held tomorrow, Monday, June 15. It'll be hosted via twitter, so if you'd like to participate, be sure to follow me. I promise I'm not one of those people that tweet every five minutes. Honest!
I'm calling the game "The Linty Fresh Webwide Hunt", and basically it's an online scavenger hunt. Each clue will require participants to do a bit of web browsing, be it Google image searching, YouTube scouring, Wikipedia digging, and other general online meandering. The game will last for most of the day, with clues coming at random times, so if you're on your computer at any time tomorrow, you'll have a shot at scoring some points.
Points will be awarded to the first person to correctly respond to a clue by tweeting it with "@lintyfresh" at the end of the tweet. Points earned correlate to a percentage discounted in my shop at the end of the game. In other words, if a player earns a total of 10 points, I will provide them a 10% coupon for use in my store. To protect myself from someone getting 100 points and then getting my entire stock for free, there will be a $100 limit on orders purchased with game coupons.
And yes, if you score 80 points in tomorrow's game, you can walk away with $100 worth of LF gear for 20 bucks. Pretty sweet, eh?
So be sure to tune into the Linty Fresh Twitter tomorrow and try your web skills in this kickin' online community game!
posted by Eric Terry @ 10:55 PM,
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Feelin' the stress
I feel like all the relaxation of the last 3 months has been quickly reversed in just 3 weeks since being back. It feels like this spring in my chest that's being wound a little tighter every day, and it's the worst!
Part of it, of course, is all this travel. just got in from New York (a weekend of 1800 driven miles), and in two days I fly out to California to see some relatives. Since news of my plans to move back got around, a lot of family wants to see me before the summer's out. All this travel means that I still have clumps of luggage that I haven't opened since my return from China, which makes me feel unsettled and annoyed. I work well when things are organized and neat, and having to rummage through piles of stuff is really annoying to me.
The good news (for me, anyhow), is that a lot of stock is moving this summer, which means that I can focus on a few new releases before I leave in late August. The unfortunate side of this is that I'm running out of a lot of sizes, specifically guys' smalls and mediums. Same goes for belts, of which I only have 1 or 2 in most styles. So, hopefully some new belts this summer too, but no promises.
Starting production in China means that I'm having to figure out the balance of financing production on two fronts. The current plan is to have the Chinese Linty Fresh website up and running in July (which means some income on that end). But until then, LF USA is paying for all the operations there. Ahh, the headaches of going international.
As for China, the fabrics for my first line are finished, so now it's a matter of me seeing some samples to confirm the colors and quality. Next, using my measurements, they'll sew up a spread of sample blank tees for me to wear and wash. I'll have to make sure the fit is right (measured to my current line here in the US) and the collar isn't too tight, etc etc. Finally we'll move on to the printing, tagging, and bagging stages. It's a lot to get done in just a few weeks, but if there are any delays with our timeframe, it'll be the fault of the postal system, not me or the factory. Countdown!
posted by Eric Terry @ 9:50 AM,
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Back from Brooklyn
6.09.2009
Whew. What a crazy week it's been.
Last Thursday morning, at 6AM, Vincent and I hopped in the van and embarked on the long drive up to Brooklyn, New York, from Marietta Georgia. We were scheduled to stay at a hotel/apartment on the South side (Chinatown, incidentally) of the city that night, so were pretty determined to get there as soon as possible, making only the 3 or 4 absolutely necessary stops along the way. At 10PM, we made it, making the whole 900-mile trip about 16 hours. Not bad!
After checking in and taking a few moments to enjoy the luxury of laying down, we realized how hungry we were and went looking for food. We found a Chinese restaurant just around the corner, and it felt really great to be able to use my Chinese again. Although I didn't feel at first like the 3 months in China did a whole lot for my language skills, it's become certain that my comprehension and basic communication speed has increased a good bit, which is hugely encouraging since I don't consider myself to be all that great with foreign languages.
Then we went home, had some beer, and crashed. Friday was just a rest day and a bit of exploration, but when the weekend finally rolled around, it was time to get to work. That meant driving to McCarren park, finding our spot in the labyrinth of booths, parking, unpacking, and setting up. All told, it took the full 3 hours to get settled in and ready for business, which began promptly at 11AM.
Unfortunately, I have to say that I wasn't too impressed with how I did that first day. Although the crowd was steady, it seemed like there were more browsers than buyers, and a lot of people were clearly looking for bargain purchases. Although I still made more than enough to cover my expenses and make it all worth my while, it wasn't exactly the business boom I was hoping for. But what made up for all that, as always, was the people.
Included in the people were folks like Kyle Crawford, the owner of Electric Zombie (the guy I poke fun at in my first Vimeo video), Rob Dobi, the founder and artist behind Fullbleed, and Ray Masaki, the guy from Lowdtown, another clothing line. Aside from them, there were a handful of other reputable designers and illustrators that came by the booth to introduce themselves and say hi. It was awesome to get that kind of welcome. So if you guys are reading this, thanks!
And in addition to those folks, there were other vendors there like the mighty David Murray of Seibei, the trio of John, Mike, and Justin of Fuzzy Ink, and the incredibly inventive Jon Wye. At the end of the first day, Vincent and I went out to eat with the Fuzzy Ink guys and Jon Wye and his apprentice, Jeff. It was great to relax a bit, talk business, and strategize for the next day.
As it turned out, the second day was a lot better for me. I'm not sure exactly what the reason behind this was, but the sales were much more constant, and at the end of the weekend, I was satisfied. Not thrilled, but not disappointed. We packed up, crashed hard, and headed out on Monday for Raleigh. Vince had friends there with couches and floorspace, so we crashed there for the night and finished the final 6 hours today.
All these shows and events are really taking a toll on my energy, and it kind of feels like I'm making up for all the work I didn't do while I was cruising for 3 months in China. In any case, it's pretty cool to be able to see so much of the country before going back for good, and the summer always lends itself to travel. Now for a few days of rest before I visit family out in Cali... Time to sleep for like 17 hours or so. G'night.
posted by Eric Terry @ 10:48 PM,
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You've probably noticed...
6.02.2009
Yeah, so... No tee this month. Apologies! I was supposed to have a special new product out for this month, but it got held up and I'm still waiting on it... Aside from that, things have been a little hectic dealing with both the upcoming show I have in Brooklyn and the back-and-forth with China. Last night I was on a business call with my translator/adviser for a couple of hours sending files back and forth and trying to figure out what the heck an .SHS file is. I'm super thankful to have the help, though. I know for a certainty that if I didn't have this particular contact, I'd probably let this opportunity slip by. If all pans out, I'll likely be hiring her full time as a secretary/personal assistant. She's excellent at chasing down information and getting things done, and has an uncanny sense for business and marketing.
Case in point: last week while trying to come up with a Chinese transliteration for "Linty Fresh", she sent me a mini report which included a bunch of insights into the Chinese language and the following suggestions:
1. 灵T匪思 (ling2 T fei3 si1): I decided to use alphabet T in the name. I think it is funny and everyone can read T and know it means Tees. 灵T means smart, active and bright Tees. 匪思 is from a Chinese ChengYu 匪夷所思， means fantastic and unimaginably unique.
2. 灵T斐思 (ling2 T fei3 si1)The last part is changed, 斐 means colorful and brilliant, so斐思 means colorful and brilliant ideas or thinking.
3. 灵T斐世 (ling2 T fei3 shi4) The last part is changed, which is more close to the pronunciation ‘Fresh’. 世 means the world, so the whole image of the name mentions the awesome tees will be brilliant in the world.
I went with option 2. Keep your eyes peeled and you should see it start popping up as I catalog the adaptations I'll be making for Linty Fresh in China...
So the show this past weekend: good, and gratifying, but a little strange for me in certain respects. I mean, I guess it's natural that as the brand grows, the site and this blog also grow in popularity and readership; still, it was funny to have people come up and mention specific details about my life, or me, or ask how China was. My mind would reel for a second with, "Huh? How the heck did..." and then the "Oh right, I broadcast every detail of my life through Twitter and my blog" realization. Oh yah, the internet. Huh.It's great to see all the hard work paying off though. Seeing repeat faces, or hearing about how a certain customer always got compliments on his LF gear is something that never gets old, and genuinely feels good. Of course, a lot of this is due to me being based here in Atlanta, and having done a few local shows. New York should be interesting. Although a lot of tees go there, it'll be the first time I'm showing in person.
Either way, I'm looking forward to it. My friend Vincent will be tagging along and helping out with the show. If you watched my 3rd LF chat you'll know him as the web guru friend that cohosted with me. Should be good times.
posted by Eric Terry @ 10:17 PM,
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This summer is going to be crazy
5.29.2009
I knew it leaving China, and I'm feeling it now. But crazy is good! The last 3 months were pretty laid back, so it'll be nice to have a change of pace and make a bit of cash before I head back in August.
Today I tried to get everything ready for the big show tomorrow. I really love what the Indie Craft Experience people have done with their shows so far, and weather permitting (it was incredible today, hopefully it'll behave again tomorrow!) I think it'll be pretty killer.
There's a couple of things I'm doing differently this time around that should be interesting to see in action. One new feature is the "Linty Fresh Styleguide", which is basically a laminated menu which will serve as a quick reference to perspective customers. As my inventory has expanded, it's become impossible to display everything, so it's crucial to come up with new ways to show a customer all the goods without having piles of junk on the counter. (If you've seen my video on doing tradeshows, you know I like keeping things tidy.) The styleguides are also nice because they tell a little bit about each item, which is a reflection of both the website and the brand itself. I've really tried to set myself apart from other brands by putting a lot of meaning into each product, and it's important to me to convey some of that to attendees at a show.
Another new feature this year is a discount rack that will have items dating back to December 07. I debated for some time whether or not to do this, but I think it's good to have low price points for people who are there to bargain shop. Of course, they won't be getting what full-price-paying customers get. In some cases, these discounted tees are simply so old that they're no longer congruent with the LF brand. In others, they've got either printing or manufacturing flaws. Either way, they're $10, and I hope to move them all if possible.
In other news, tonight I was reconnected with a Chinese business contact from last year (no connection to this new one). He wants to partner up with the brand and take it into the world of custom sneakers. A year ago I felt this was a pretty far-fetched notion, but now I'm feeling adventurous. We're meeting next week. Who knows?
posted by Eric Terry @ 8:02 PM,
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Here I am
5.25.2009
My last day here, sitting in the Pudong airport in Shanghai, waiting on my delayed flight back home. It was funny to watch the other passengers' reactions to the news of the setback. The flight seems to be about 25% senior Americans, who were on the verge of lighting torches and storming the check in desk. When the announcement came through in Chinese, the locals looked at one another, shrugged, and started reading or sleeping. I couldn't think of a more appropriate setting to illustrate the fundamental difference between these two cultures. After three months, I've learned to chill out a LOT. It's the Chinese way. It's probably why they live longer.
When I got up this morning at 8:00 I packed up a few things, got dressed, did a bit of work in preparation for my shows, and headed out for the airport. There were a number of options to get here, the most obvious being hiring a taxi. But at 160¥ I decided to try something else, something more... adventurous. And cheap.
Those two options were a airport shuttle and the Maglev train. Since the shuttle was only 23¥ I went for that first, but couldn't find anyone that knew where the nearest stop was, and the directions online were sketchy. Since I was lugging around over 100lbs of my crap, I decided to just go for the Maglev. That meant braving the subways with luggage and a couple of transfers, but I went for it and relished the fact that it was a good way to end the trip.
I finally got to the Maglev station, bought a 50¥ ticket, and hopped on. I wish it took longer to get to the airport since it was so comfy, but at 430kph, I was only sitting for about 6 minutes. Boo.
Anyways, the trip ends here, but I'm going home feeling so different about things than I did 3 months ago. The opportunity to open up Linty Fresh here and the countless adventures it'll bring is absolutely irresistible, and I can't wait to get back here and go crazy with it. The contract's first draft will be written up tomorrow once I send in one last file I'm working on, and from there they'll start on production. The website goes up in a couple weeks, too. Craziness.
Aside from business stuff, I've learned a ton about Chinese culture and the people behind it. I've made some stellar friends, and we'll be keeping in touch as I tour around the US for the next few months. What an incredible 12 weeks it's been!
posted by Eric Terry @ 2:46 AM,
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A concert in Shanghai
5.24.2009
Before coming to China, I did a little research online about the indie music scene here. I'd had conversations about it with friends prior, and we'd all surmised that the underground Chinese music scene was like the US scene a decade or so ago. There, and growing slowly, but not thriving. The radio sufficed.
Upon doing some poking around online, that hypothesis turned out to be pretty accurate. In this article written by Chinese indie musician and writer Wan Li, a very detailed explanation is given for the current state of the indie scene here. This quote pretty much sums it up:
What controls circulation is capital. The distributors' only thought is to make money, fast, so they have no interest in nurturing a market, building for the long-term. They'd rather spend millions to snatch up Dao Lang's latest record rather than spending ten thousand to buy a record of rock music.
Interesting, but not surprising. I think the same thing could be said of practically any young indie scene. Too much risk for the labels, too little money, and too few listeners. But China is a big country, so there was bound to be some good indie bands, and some good venues to showcase them. Most of them, it turns out, are from up north in Beijing, but there's a couple of places in Shanghai that they occasionally come to play at, so I made it a goal to check one out while here.
So yesterday, after lunch, my roommate (who decided to come join me for the few days in Shanghai) and I navigated our way across the city and found the venue, which was strangely situated in the corner of a public park. From the outside, it seemed very Chinese, but as soon as we entered through the hanging plastic-strip doorway, it was all very familiar: black walls, photographs of previous shows on display, a billboard littered with band flyers (all in Chinese except for the band names, which were all English), a thin bar lined with stools, a slightly elevated stage, and the band that would headline that night in rehearsal. So. Awesome.We asked about tickets and were told they'd go on sale at 8:00 at night, and that they'd be 40¥ (about $6 US). Score!
So after a day of shopping and dining at some of Shanghai's many sprawling malls, we caught a cab and slid our way back into the venue, grabbing a Qingdao beer and settling into a spot in the back just in time to catch the opening band.
They were just ok; a punk cover band that did a bunch of 50's and 60's American rock classics with a faster tempo and more distortion. The levels were kind of out of whack so it was just noise a lot of the time, but what made it cool was that the lead singer and drummer were Americans, and the guitarist and bassist were Chinese. For me, it's just cool to see how music can bring people together like that, even on stage.
I think one of the most interesting aspects of the show, though, was the mixed crowd. There were a ton of American ex-patriots, and you got the feeling that they were there all the time, missing home and looking for anything that felt familiar. So you had your middle-aged, middle-class couples, your hippy backpackers, your weird guys dancing by themselves in the corner between songs, and your foot-tapping, brooding wallflowers. Normally, I doubt they'd all be found at the same show back in the states, but here they were, smiling and getting along. But the crowd was far from just American. Between songs I could hear people speaking French, Russian, and Japanese. And aside from foreigners, half the crowd was local Chinese, representing every possible cross culture in existence from your post-emo technicolor kids to plaid-jacket v-neck hipsters, B-box boys, and would-be club DJs. And then, randomly, you had a handful of upper-crust Chinese girls in velvet-y dresses who appeared to have mistaken the venue for a wedding reception. The headlining band, Casino Demons, were all Chinese, and much better than their opener. Their music wasn't groundbreaking, but it was well rehearsed so their sound was very tight and there were some catchy riffs that had everyone dancing and cheering. And on top of that, all the lyrics were in English! I'd almost forget where we were for awhile, and then the song would end with some banter in muffled Beijing Mandarin, and only half the crowd could laugh.
Then, when they were finished, a line of new musicians filed in from a side doorway, carrying cow-hide drums and various other percussion pieces. They were dressed in what looked to be traditional African garb, and sure enough, that's what they played and sang. I'm no expert on African music so I'm not sure what region it was specifically, but suffice it to say, it was awesome awesome awesome.On the way out, we asked the bartender if the music was usually this varied. He shook his head in a look of amusement that mirrored our own, and it was obvious that he dug the music as much as we did. We finally left the building to find that some locals had set up a little grill and were cooking up chuars (meat skewers). What an amazing experience. China never ceases to amuse me.
posted by Eric Terry @ 6:09 AM,
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I. Am. Exhausted.
5.22.2009
Flew into Shanghai today at 9:30 in the morning, and got into a friend's house an hour later. Crashed till 11:30 in the back room of his apartment. He's on the 17th floor, so there's a nice breeze that comes in through the window and it was perfect for a nice, long, nap.
When I got up we went to grab lunch in an area called XinTianDi. I swear, I have had some of the best food of my life in the last three months in China, and today was one of the highlights. There was this amazing spicy peanut noodle dish, dumplings, dim sum, duck egg soup, and on and on. Incredible.
But I gotta say, Shanghai is so different from other Chinese cities. Where I was previously, no one really spoke English, so knowing a bit of Chinese was really useful (though I wouldn't say really necessary for a visitor). But in Shanghai, a LOT of locals speak English, and they speak it well. At the table next to us in the restaurant, everyone was using English, even with the waitress, and they were all Chinese! It sounded good, too. I was impressed. On the other hand though, it's a weird feeling to be around so much English again.
Thing is, there are TONS of foreigners in Shanghai, including lots of Americans. It's weird to say this, but I have to admit that now I feel like a foreigner when I'm around them rather than around Chinese people. I've gotten really accustomed to the Chinese styles of interaction, manners, and behavior, and to be back in the company of Americans is a strange, almost jarring experience. I've got this feeling that adjusting back into US life is going to be really difficult for me.
One of the things that I find exciting about life here is the challenge of it all. Whether it's speaking, reading, or simply understanding the local culture, it constantly feels like there's something to be discovered, something to be conquered. It feels SO GOOD to be able to try something new, visit a different place, or have a conversation with a local and know what's going on, and it's a huge motivation to keep working on it all. And with the innately encouraging nature of the Chinese people, it's less of an uphill battle and more fun.
But back home, life is life as life has always been. There's not a whole lot to be discovered, not a whole lot new. I'm not saying I can't learn anything from it, but I just feel... restless, ya know?
The funny thing is, I knew this was coming. When I was 13 years old my folks moved our family from Hawaii to California. As you can imagine, I was bummed about it and pretty resentful of the whole situation for a year or so until I realized all the benefits that came from experiencing a new life for a change. Two and a half years later we moved again, this time to Atlanta, and this move was instantly better than the last. It was here that I finished high school, started and dropped out of college, and started Linty Fresh. I've loved it since arriving, but poking at the back of my consciousness was the realization that one day I'd move again.
And here I am!
posted by Eric Terry @ 10:21 AM,
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Putting the cart before the horse?
5.20.2009
Ha. Probably!
In any case, things are moving quickly, so I'm just hanging on and seeing where it leads.
After doing the factory tour they asked me to show them thumbnails of the designs I wanted to print so they could get a quote to me. Once that was out of the way, I got them measurements for the tees since they will be producing them from scratch (!). This was something that I think is especially important here, because often times the tees are cut too short or the sleeves are fit weird on Chinese brands. This way I get to specify everything that I want. It'll be the same for hoodies, jackets, and anything else I produce down the line.
With that out of the way it's just a matter of opening a webstore, which is even easier here than in the US, so that'll be up right after the tees are printed (early July, it looks like). I'm a little apprehensive about being overseas when all this happens, of course. Kind of feel like the dad that misses his kid's first steps... But all should be well. I really trust the folks that are going to be running it for me till I get back. I actually met with one of them today, who helped me get a bank account set up locally. How will I ever pay back all these favors? I have no idea.
Anyhow, with all these wheels in motion, I realized that getting a bigger place was pretty essential. The place I'm in now is roughly 1,000 square feet, which is actually big for China, but still not quite bit enough to run a storage facility and shipping operation, even a small one. So we (my roommate and I) put the word out to some friends and today arranged an appointment with the owner of a former cigarette factory that is being renovated into a small community of lofts, restraunts, and shops. Unfortunately it was a bit far from where I want to be, but the rooms were absolutely massive. We checked out one 2,000 square foot place with a 20ft ceiling that was amazing, and super reasonable. We'll see. I've always wanted to live in a place like that, and now I have the perfect excuse!
After touring around we grabbed a quick lunch and then got a massage at one of the nicest places in the city. Private room, giant flat screen TV, someone dedicated to bringing us fresh tea, and super nice masseuses. Does it get any better? Um, no.
So here's my plans for the next few months - on Friday I fly down to Shanghai and kick it with some friends for a few days. I'm actually catching a concert for a Chinese indie band I heard about in the states, too. Stoked! Then on Monday I fly back to Atlanta and have exactly 3 days to prep for the Indie Craft Experience on May 30th, 31st. After that I head up to New York for Renegade Brooklyn and the next week I'm in California visiting family and friends. Then it's back on the road for a couple of shows in North Carolina and New Jersey. Then, if I'm still alive, I hop on one final one-way flight back to China, where I begin the next chapter of both my life and Linty Fresh.
It's crazy how much has happened in the last 3 months since coming here, and I truly never expected to love it this much. Every day is a new adventure. I know it sounds cheesy, but I really feel that way. I've met some great people here, too, some of whom have really made everything possible for LF to this point.
Man, I'm gonna miss it here.
posted by Eric Terry @ 3:03 AM,
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