Martin OLoughlin of Feast or Famine

Introduction and Interview by Kelsea Kosko

Martin OLoughlin is your quintessential New Yorker- the type of individual who’s creative pursuits and personality benefit from and align perfectly with the city’s relentless grind. OLoughlin also resonates strongly with Hip-Hop Culture because of its battle-esque nature, and without spilling too much more, we invite you to soak up some of his generous words of wisdom for aspiring designers, and to learn about how Feast or Famine came to fruition.

Kelsea: Tell us a little bit about where you grew up and where you currently reside. In
what ways does your environment inspire you to create?

Martin: I grew up in a suburban town called Seekonk Mass. Right outside Providence, RI. I went
to art school in Boston, then immediately moved to NYC after graduation. I knew I
wanted to live in NYC since I was 16. New York City is the mecca for creativity. The
best of the best come here to try and make their mark. That’s my inspiration…to be
better than everyone else around me in my industry. The reason I love Hip-Hop Culture
is that everything is based on competition. Whether or not the other guys know it,
everything is a battle to me.

Kelsea: What year did you first start your brand, and how did your relationship with Gridlyne begin? 

Martin: Moe and I didn't know it but we have a mutual connection in the fashion industry. I was having lunch with my friend Frank and I was explaining to him how I make my samples in DTG to save on cost.

Once he heard this he went researching and found Gridlyne. Oddly enough, Moe and my friend Frank went to the same high School....Small world. Anyway, Frank told me about Moe and his operation and I was sold. 

I reached out to Moe and he invited me to stop by for a meet and greet. From there the rest is history. I really like how Moe is trying to bring like-minded creatives together to share ideas and discuss culture and business.

No other print house does this.. Most just want to take your money and spit you out. In my 20+ years of working in the clothing industry it's refreshing to finally see someone come with a fresh approach.

““If there’s a way to flip a dollar and make more money I’m all about it… everyone says they hustle but do they really???””

Kelsea: What are some of your other creative outlets besides designing, and how do you
manage to incorporate them into your clothing?

Martin: I don’t really have other creative outlets… I’m all about my hustle… I’m the dude who
looks forward to Mondays. I have a full-time job working as the Design Director of a
licensee company that makes fan apparel for the NBA. I also have a freelance gig
where I am the head designer for a brand called Elbowgrease. On top of that I really
enjoy day trading the Forex Market. I love investing in currency and stocks. I wish
younger people were more about this lifestyle. My son is turning 5 this year but by the
time he hits college his UTMA account should have significant funds that will help him
get a jump start in his adult years. I have also partnered with a friend of mine and we
are creating our own brand of cartridges for weed pens. We feel this is a new market
and NYC needs a better product. Basically, if there’s a way to flip a dollar and make
more money I’m all about it… everyone says they hustle but do they really???

Kelsea: Feast or Famine is bicoastal; in what ways do you enjoy tying the LA and NY
aesthetics together?

Martin: Everything for me is based around street culture and attitude. LA and NYC have the
most dominant presence in the United States. I look towards the sub-cultures of these
two great cities, listening and watching the people and the music and/or art that they
produce or use to inspire themselves and others.

““[Hunting Culture] aligns with our aesthetic of survival-of-the-fittest, but I’m forever intrigued by Wall Street and capitalism. I like the idea of merging these two ideas at the moment.””

Kelsea: Top 5 favorite hip hop albums?
Nas, Illmatic
Wu-Tang, Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers
A Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders
Smif n’ Wessun, Dah Shinin’
Gangstarr, Hard to Earn

Kelsea: List one goal or dream you hope to achieve by the end of 2019. It can be
personal or professional, or both.

Martin: I need to get more eyes on the brand so if we can start getting more recognition for the designs we are pumping out that would be great. If Feast or Famine could find its way to
someone famous that would be cool. Definitely need to up them sales!
Ultimately, I just hope that all the decisions I make are the best for the company. To the
point where things just start to snowball and new and exciting opportunities start to
present themselves.

Kelsea: What is one piece of advice you’d like to give to aspiring designers?

Martin: If you want to start your own line understand that it is a long game. Design for you only. Do not chase trends. Be the trend. These larger fashion chains take from trends / emerging trends. If you try to keep up with an established brand that is owned by big money you will drown. This industry is very tough. I have been designing clothes for over 15 years. I have made a ton of contacts that range from factory owners, sales people, buyers, etc. At the end of the day all of these contacts are part of a larger system at work and will very rarely help out someone who is starting a new line. They want to work with companies that can move mass amounts of units. Do as much as you can without spending money. Get a name, start printing shirts by method of DTG. Set up an Instagram page. Websites are cheap. Stickers are cheap. Get out and try to pump your own brand as much as possible. Listen to the Rebel 8 podcast. They have been in the game for 16 years and the owner Josh is sharing his journey and it is so great to hear his humbling story. He drops a lot of gems that any up and comer should here. Limit your overhead. Do not create too much inventory that you cannot sell. Sell direct to consumer. Go knock on doors in your area that you think should
carry your brand. Seed product to influencers. But make sure you create enough of a rapport that
they honor your agreement and you get good quality posts that tag your brand.

Kelsea: If you could style one fictional character from a movie, TV show, or book, who
would you choose and why? What would they wear?

Martin: I like Harris Woods from Paid in Full. He plays Ace. I like his humble but Boss
demeanor. I would definitely dress him in the Sink Your Teeth t-shirt. Even though his
character doesn’t really wear too much flashy jewelry he wanted a taste of the game.
That was enough to lure him in. Also, he came to a point in his life where it was time to
make a decision. Either be broke or try to get a piece of the pie. It was Feast or Famine
time so that related to us big time!

Kelsea: Can you hint at (without revealing too much) one upcoming collaboration or product
you are excited to release in the near future?

Martin: Been in talks with thedrop.com to offer our products on their platform to expose us to a larger audience. Also, we have a couple more t-shirt drops for Spring/Summer 19 but
we’re really getting focused on Fall 19.

“I would definitely dress [Ace from Paid in Full] in the Sink Your Teeth t-shirt. Even though his 
character doesn’t really wear too much flashy jewelry he wanted a taste of the game.”

Kelsea: What are 3 places, people, or things that are inspiring you right now?

Martin: Animal Prints / Camouflage, Wall Street, & Hunting.
Right now I’m looking at hunting culture. The concept aligns with our aesthetic of
survival-of-the-fittest but I’m forever intrigued by Wall Street and capitalism. I like the
idea of merging these two ideas at the moment.

Kelsea: Can you list your social media handles and website below so our readers can
connect with you and purchase your clothing online? 

Website: Feastorfamineofficial.com
Instagram: @feastorfamineofficial

Kelsea Kosko- Department Of Happiness

“ I have here Kelsea with us and We get to sit down and discuss the D.O.H. story! I want to personally welcome you to Our Most Recent Entry into our Blog (and a truly special one it is too) because We focus our spotlight onto a fresh, up & coming Brand that is run by the most talented & cool Kelsea, & Gang at the Department Of Happiness Clothing Brand. Located on 265 Canal Street in the Canal Street market. We were lucky enough to both make time to sit down and have a one-to-one with them and pick their minds about: What exactly their Brand is about, and how it came together. There is so much to learn from their story.”

Department of Happiness

265 Canal Street, Canal Street Market

1.) Do you remember when you first became aware of Art

My father has always written notes in this old school, comic strip like hand style, like super fine lined, italicized, all caps, and he would draw Porky the Pig and other Looney Tunes characters whenever we got hooked up with crayons and the white tablecloth at a restaurant. That was the first time I felt aware of art I guess; that and typography. My dad has always been a huge inspiration to me as far as art, poetry, and entrepreneurship is concerned. 

“My dad has always been a huge inspiration to me as far as art, poetry, and entrepreneurship is concerned. ”

— Kelsea K.

2.) When did your love for Art translate into fashion?

For me it is actually the other way around. I was super into fashion in high school and started a magazine with some bloggers I met through the internet, who I ended up befriending when I moved to New York a few years later. I also was doing a little bit of modeling and got some real world experience and career inspiration from my time spent in that industry, but I still felt like I was exploring and figuring out what I really wanted to do. I met a lot of artists during the first few years here as everything is interconnected, and that is when my interest in fashion waned a little and I started to pay more attention to the fine art scene. 

3.) What inspired you to start your own business?

The business inspiration came while I was working for Matt Roberge of Vintage Sponsor. At the time I was feeling frustrated and unsure of myself with what I was doing career-wise, just selling clothes on the internet and stuff, when he told me he was opening a retail shop at Canal Street Market down the block from my apartment and offered me a job. Over the course of several months my role at the store evolved from sales girl to social media and marketing coordinator for Matt’s brick and mortar location. Because Matt was always busy traveling, thrifting, and running the e-commcerce site, he pretty much gave me and my colleague Kayla the reigns to run the Canal Street store, and over the course of eight months I felt I had gained a good basic understanding of how to sustain a small business. And I loved the people I met and friends I made at VS, and the level of responsibility Matt had bestowed in me, and I realized working a store might be something I might be able to pull off. 

4.) How did you get your start and what does fashion mean to you?

I made connections and many good friends and coworkers during my time at Canal Street Market. When Vintage Sponsor closed in November, I was offered the opportunity to open my own booth in January and went from there. I believe that fashion, or one’s personal style, is narrative in nature, and someone who is super stylish is good at conveying the most beautiful or pivotal moments of their life through their clothing. Also, fashion is never fast. There is beauty in process, quality, and time. 

5.) Describe your creative process.

I source vintage blanks and find or design production art that matches not only the era of each individual blank but also the colors and texture of the piece. One-offs are as exciting to make as shooting and developing film. It’s a surprise every time and only one person in the world can have your finished piece!

“One-offs are as exciting to make as shooting and developing film. It’s a surprise every time and only one person in the world can have your finished piece!”

I once found a burgundy vintage Champion sweatshirt with orange bleach streaks on it at Goodwill. I was looking at Project Pat album art for design reference material one night and came across the Layin’ Da Smack Down cover. I thought damn, the mood and colors of this album art and the Champion sweat would go perfectly together, because there are flames in the cover that match the orange bleach streaks on the sweat. And nobody could recreate this exact piece because the garment itself is truly a one-off. So I had my friend Jalil model it and he tagged Project Pat in the post, and Pat himself reposted it within five minutes.  But yes, if I could choose anyone to make apparel for, it would be Project Pat, being from the south, I love him, and he is one of my favorite music artists. I hope he liked the one-off we created. 

6) How did you find your way into production?

I was at an art opening at Magenta Plains and I ran into Jonny Gillette, an artist who was a regular at a barbershop I used to work at. We somehow got into talking about making tees for fun, and he referred me to Moe at Gridlyne. So thank you Jonny for hooking me up with the most wonderful printer I could have ever stumbled upon. 

7.) what makes the market different now then ever before?

Obviously fast fashion and e-commerce have completely changed the market. A retail space is basically a marketing tool at this point. Your shop is not something you can always count on as a primary source of income. But I still believe despite how easy it is to open an online store, having a public space elevates your brand, and transforms it from just another website to something that celebrates the idea of a local community and neighborhood.

8.) What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?

Be generous and show love to all your customers and colleagues, but remember to be fair to yourself too.

9.) What has been the most difficult aspect of getting your company off the ground and how did you overcome that?

We opened on January 3rd, basically the first day of the post-holiday season. My fault, my choice, and my risk. We overcame it by being patient and taking the slow days to work on marketing and product, and now things are starting to pick up. I’m grateful for my friends and colleagues for being patient with me, as well and encouraging me to keep it going. 

10.) What are two aspects of your business in which you believe a new brand should invest resources?

Department of Happiness is a product of a full service branding agency that offers design services, creative consultation, brand identity and key asset creation. Not only can we help build brand identity, but we use our shop and our site as an incubator space to sell new clients’ and collaborators’ products.

11.) If you could describe your brand philosophy in three words? What would they be?
Workwear/One-offs/Mental Health Awareness

12.) Is there a particular artist who inspires you? What notable creatives have you designed with?

Shay Semple, Aaron Ginsberg, Peter Sutherland, Stephen Palladino, Tommy Malekoff, sorry there’s a lot!! I have collaborated with two of my favorite artists, Jesse Edwards and Stephen Palladino, to make a few one-off limited edition tees.

Where can our readers follow your brand on social media and purchase your clothing on the web?

Shop IG: @department0fhappiness

Website: deptofhappiness.com

Website: kelseakosko.com

Personal IG: @kelseakosko