For the final yr and a half, State Champs singer Derek Discanio has been constructing his personal model exterior of the band.
That’s to not say that the New York-based pop punkers are going to be slowing down anytime quickly, however quite that Discanio’s streetwear line, Steez, received’t be relying on the band’s present success or seeking to experience its coattails. As an alternative, Discanio is seeking to develop Steez exterior of his present platform to succeed in streetwear followers who’ve by no means heard of his band earlier than — reaching followers new and outdated via each on-line drops and an in-person merch tent for festivals and occasions that will or might not contain State Champs.
With Steez now wanting into retail distribution and increasing into internet hosting its personal occasions and different endeavors, SPIN spoke with Discanio about the place the model has been and the place it’s heading.
SPIN: How did you resolve you needed to launch a streetwear model?
Derek Discanio: It’s one thing that I’ve been keen about since highschool. When it got here time to resolve what I needed to do throughout my senior yr, Ii was a kind of guys that was all the time a jack of all trades. I used to be a jock child who performed hockey, I used to be a skate punk child who preferred to skateboard together with his buddies, and I’d simply began a band with my buddies and purchased a van — so I didn’t know what the heck I needed to do. The one faculty I used to be accepted to was a graphic design college close to New York Metropolis, so I ended up going there for one yr and discovered rather a lot about design earlier than dropping out as a result of my band was beginning to acquire some traction. Then I began working for a merch firm as the top of the artwork division whereas State Champs began touring. I used to be all the time designing my band’s merch and doing lots of our graphic stuff, which I nonetheless do at the moment. But it surely’s sort of onerous to have whole artistic freedom if you’re in a band with 4 different guys, so the thought behind the model was to make one thing that’s completely mine, and that I’ve whole management over. It’s been actually cool to precise myself in my very own manner and construct a separate neighborhood from State Champs that I can maintain true to myself, make the final word selections on, and simply preserve constructing on the aspect whereas my band is occurring as effectively.
What are a few of the similarities and variations for you between the band and Steez?
There are lots of similarities for me. Once I design for State Champs, it reveals lots of myself, however I’m taking in different individuals’s perspective — and my bandmates and I are completely completely different individuals — so there are lots of completely different kinds that come out in State Champs designs. We’d like all kinds of kinds, as a result of we’re all the time on tour and have the webstore and such. What I’m actually making an attempt to hone in on with Steez is to search out its personal aesthetic and get a little bit bit extra particular with what the branding is, as a result of it does have a little bit of a broad perspective proper now. With State Champs, it’s like “Right here’s this pop punk band, and it’s obtained to be edgy and appear like a band tee.” However with Steez, I’ve been capable of do some extra fascinating stuff within the vogue trade and give it some thought extra as a designer model and a streetwear model extra than simply band merch. I’ve been experimenting with issues like making patterns for button-up shirts and making particular objects like varsity jackets, baggage, socks and stuff that simply usually wouldn’t occur with a band. It’s cool to be taught a little bit little bit of that, as a result of I do know nothing about vogue — I didn’t go to highschool for that or something — however I do know rather a lot about branding, type and design.
Other than making merch, are there any abilities that you just discovered via the band that you may now incorporate with Steez?
What’s been cool about Steez is how it may be carried out into what I do with State Champs. After we do large festivals or Vans Warped Tour, you make your personal merch tent to promote your merch all day. So I can implement Steez into these festivals and different issues that aren’t essentially even the pop punk world — like hip-hop festivals. I not too long ago designed a Steez model competition merch-vending tent, and we simply did our first large competition on the So What?! competition in Dallas, the place State Champs additionally performed. It was actually cool, as a result of I obtained to arrange for the entire weekend, not simply the day State Champs performed. Clearly, I already know the way that type of merchandising works as a band, however it was cool for it to be my private model arrange for the weekend. I obtained to fulfill some followers and make some new followers of the model as effectively. I’m constructing a neighborhood on the aspect from State Champs, and it’s simply extra of my mind itself. I can reap some advantages from being in a band and having a platform like I do, however it’s cool to only be beginning recent with one thing that’s completely mine and rising it.
What sorts of issues did you be taught from beginning Steez that you just didn’t anticipate?
In the event you actually care a few enterprise and being an entrepreneur, it’s not an prompt cash machine that’s simply going to pump out cash for you. Whatever the dimension of your platform, it’s important to make investments lots of your time and funds into making it higher each time. I sort of misled myself considering “Oh, I’m a cool pop punk singer, I’m simply gonna get wealthy off of this aspect hustle” — however I used to be additionally actually invested in spending the time on it. Fortunately, I’ve certainly one of my greatest buddies since childhood, Justin, as my enterprise companion with Steez. He’s been the voice of motive in relation to not simply pumping out stuff to make use of my platform to earn cash, however investing ourselves within the model to see how far we will truly take it. A lot of the cash and success the model has seen has been put proper again into the model to do even cooler issues. After every drop the place we made some cash, that success and revenue has gone proper again into the following drop or factor or occasion we need to do. The following factor we’re doing is throwing these events known as Steez Home Events, the place we hire out venues, have visitor DJs — together with myself — and promote merch all evening. We’re making an attempt to assume exterior of the field and do issues that ordinary manufacturers don’t do.
Is there the rest that you really want individuals to learn about Steez?
The title got here from my outdated AIM and Myspace display screen title, DerekSteez, so it’s been with me for thus lengthy. Aside from that, we’re going to maintain releasing stuff on a regular basis, and also you’ll most likely see us at an area competition or a tour inside the pop punk neighborhood. The following factor we’re engaged on can also be on the lookout for retail offers, and we’ve already been in talks with shops like Zumiez and PacSun and stuff, so don’t be stunned in case you see us there quickly.
