Anybody who knows me, knows I’m a total nerd for comic books and for that ‘one of a kind’ shirt! Now, imagine my amazement to find an Ottawa based clothing company that appeals to both of those needs? (yes I said needs). I had the opportunity to chat a bit with the wonderful duo (Angie and Andre Bellemare) of Demü, the Ottawa based clothing company launched in 2009 and growing fast!
When were you first interested in fashion?:
I (Angie) studied Architecture in University and have always had a passion for design. I love the idea of bringing a 2 dimensional idea to life. I have loved it since a young age. I was always building and creating things, the love for fashion came a bit later though. In a strange way, architecture is much like fashion. A lot of what i learned in school translated into the required techniques for our business.
How did you first get started in fashion?:
The idea of owning and designing for a clothing label really clicked for us when we attended the Magic trade show in Las Vegas in 2009. We were both still in school at the time. We quickly realized that to make it in this industry you had to have more then just a passion for art and design. We needed a business mind, and this is where Andre came in. As a business grad, he makes the perfect other half of our team.
Who is your client?:
Our client is the young adult who believes and respects that there is a story behind everything. He or she is loyal to brands based on what they stand for and who they are. Our customer embraces their inner nerd, and makes it look good while maintaining a humble persona. We constantly hear stories about how some of our customers ran in to other customers on campus, or at the movies, or in any social setting and sparked a conversation solely because they were both wearing Demü. As a smaller artisan brand, this is something we thrive to maintain; a sense of community when you buy a Demü piece.
What inspires you?:
Above anything else, I believe travel inspires us the most. It inspires new designs ,creativity, our way of thinking, but most our drive to succeed. We love traveling to foreign places and soaking up all that the culture has to offer. The people, food, art, architecture and obviously fashion trends can be a huge inspiration for a design or even a collection.
Are you constantly designing/making pieces or is it more of “when I am inspired”?:
Yes to both actually, I am constantly inspired and am therefore constantly designing. However, in terms of deadlines and final products, there is a strict schedule to follow. The fashion industry has buying and selling seasons which must be followed in order to have any once of success. As soon as our designs are presented for spring/ summer 2013 it will be right back to designing for fall/winter 2014.
With a lot of pieces/designs there seems to be a ‘comic book’ type of element, can you elaborate on that?:
Our two latest collections were entitled Vigil-Anti and Anti-Hero , respectively. Both , heavily inspired by comic books as well as famous superheroes and villains of all kinds. Both seasons were hugely successful and got a lot of attention. We fully immersed ourselves into the comic book world. With the help of a great photographer (Gord Weber) , hair and makeup, stylist and many helping hands we brought our very own Demu comic book to life.
Biggest lesson you’ve learned since you started?:
The biggest lesson we have learned is probably that nothing ever goes as planned. You always have to have a plan B or C … even D sometimes. Things also always take more time then expected. We quickly learned this lesson and we always make it our mission to fully plan everything out with a little extra padding for time.
Best piece of advice you can give somebody starting out as a designer?:
Many new designers don’t realize that being a talented pattern-maker , seamstress or drafter doesn’t automatically translate into a thriving business. If you are a one man (or woman) show make sure to school yourself or find a partner with a good understanding of business, marketing, accounting, production…and the list goes on. Also learn the art of negotiation ,it will no doubt come in handy.
How would you like to see DEMU grow/expand?:
Demü is growing faster than we can keep up with it, which is amazing! We are finding more and more people know about the brand and love it. We want to constantly grow, develop and change the what, who, where, when and the how. We want to grow our collections and WHAT we sell, eventually adding lifestyle products such as art,accessories and even collectibles. We are constantly striving to increase the people WHO know and talk about the brand. WHERE Demü is sold will eventually grow to bigger cities and foreign countries. Finally, we want to revolutionize WHEN people buy and HOW they shop for our product.
