Glyph Cue Interview (with Matt W. Moore)

Matt Moore (MWM Graphics)  introduces us  to  his  recently launched brand “Glyph Cue”. Find out more after the jump!

-There are several definitions of what Glyph Cue stands for on your website, what’s the story behind the name? When and how did you come up with it?

Quite literally, the word Glyph means a graphic symbol or sign, and Cue means to give direction or guide someone. So the name Glyph Cue translates to “A visual dialog. Providing information through the use of graphics that are meant to be deciphered.” It took us a long time to decide on a name. We wanted something unique, a name we would own, and a name that would truly represent our mission with every design. We’re psyched with the response so far. It is memorable and fun to say.

-How many people are involved in the Glyph Cue brand and what is their role?

Thus far, it is a core crew. Kris and I are partners, he handles new business, fulfilling orders, and overseeing production. I handle the graphics, the website, and PR. Our homie Dom is doing all of the printing, right here in Portland, Maine. It’s nice to be able to pop in and be hands on with that end of the process. Mixing colors, testing placements, and experimenting with different inks. We also have a large extended family of industry folks and boutiques in our circle helping us accelerate this first season’s visibility and availability in choice shops. We definitely enjoy the grassroots business model, and being involved in every step of the process is very rewarding.

-With the market oversaturated with t-shirt brands and an economic crisis, do you think this is a good period to launch a new brand?

Definitely. It is the perfect time for us to launch. It takes years to get a solid infrastructure going and a solid list of Stockists. Right now is a great time to build with the right people. Lots of shops will flop, but we strive to build relationships with the shops that can sustain and evolve. Lots of brands will flop. The old guard is scrambling to stay on their feet; the younger brands that blew up in the past 3 years are trying to figure out how to maintain. We are an agile new brand that doesn’t have thousands of S/S 09 tees sitting in a warehouse. We don’t need to do 50% off sales of current offerings. We can do whatever the hell we want to, and when the market swings back, we will be front row, and in a healthy position to continue growing. How’s that for “Great Depression Optimism”? Haha.

-Is Glyph Cue strictly a t-shirt brand? If not, what else should we expect in the near future in terms of other products? I think your patterns would look great on board shorts/swimwear and beach towels.

For now, we are focusing on core apparel. Tees, Hoodies, Sweatshirts. We are definitely open and eager to grow into other areas of apparel and products. It is only a matter of time. I agree, doing a collection of beach gear would be fresh. Maybe that will be our debut into the ladies market. Bangin’ bikinis!

-Any chance we will see designs from your Black & White Bangers and Alphafont series printed on shirts?

Not verbatim. But these ideas will be cross-pollinated into the Glyph Cue aesthetic in coming seasons. Designing for this line is my artistic playground, so over time I plan to use every arrow in my quiver. One thing we are very firm on is keeping the line cohesive, as sets of designs each season, and as a whole library over the years. The Debut Collection is exclusively vector illustration, but I am definitely looking forward to doing a season of all hand painted graphics. Same ideas, different medium.

-As a buyer & a graphic designer what kind of t-shirts do you like? What’s the recipe for the perfect t-shirt?

Man, there are so many different styles and recipes for perfect tees. It’s like food, one day I crave Mexican and the next day I must have Thai. Fashion is just like that for me, one day I’m all bold black and white, and the next day I’m rocking some crazy full spectrum gear. One thing I will say though, for a tee to be on my top shelf, regardless of color or design style, it must have a message. Not literally a message, I’m not a fan of tees with only text. But the design must have a deeper meaning that evokes a thought in the viewers mind and forces them to think about it. These are my favorites. Not the See/Say, or Visual Fluff tees. I prefer the ones that have a visual narrative going on. A story to tell.

-Anything else you would like to add?

Support the independents. Keep this industry strong. Keep pushing things forward. Quality over quantity. Big thanks for having us through. We’ve been fans of your sites for years. Have a great Summer!

Links: http://glyphcue.com, http://mwmgraphics.com