When we first started Bumpy Pitch we had absolutely no idea of what we were doing. Apparel was something we had worn, but had never thought much about making. It seemed pretty straight forward…figure out what you want to produce and go do it. Technically this is the case…but there is always much more to something than what is on the surface.
We’ve taken the approach of making our clothes from scratch. No pre-made items that we apply our touch to after the fact. This presents a whole new set of problems / solutions and detail that only gets figured out on the fly. With this in mind, there have been a lot of situations and scenarios that have happened where we have to make decisions that A: we never thought we would have to make, and B: that have never previously entered our mind. These situations sometimes require production to be delayed, issues with the sampling process, starting over from square one… all while trying to make sure that the original vision gets knocked out correctly.
All of our products (at least anything cotton based) start out as rolls of fabric that we have chosen. Choose the cotton, choose the weight, choose the feel of the fabric and then get to work. Going from this stage, through construction, design, color dye and wash is like raising a child. Do the best you can and then in the end, let it go free.
Earlier this week I had to pick out strings for an upcoming project we’ll be releasing, and the options were limitless. Another one of those moments in a long line of them where you realize that what is on the surface is only the beginning. Kind of like the whole iceberg thing, where the majority of the beast lies beneath. What is obvious at first, doesn’t always prove to be obvious in the end. So as I’m seeaching through mad string samples, I realize that what I’m looking for will only apply to part of the project. It’s a two part scenario and I realize that string samples are going to be a very big part of my day. I can unequivocally say that I never imagined when I was playing soccer that scouring string samples would be a major part of my life.
Zippers…I never knew there was so much to picking out a zipper. When we started designing the hoodie (which will drop in August…and they are fire!), one of the things that we found was that not only did we have to pick the zipper that would be sewn in, but that we had to source the zipper. When you decide to make something from scratch, things get interesting. We had an idea of the zipper that we wanted. At least we thought. As we were talking to zipper companies, it becomes apparent that like many things, not all zippers are created equally, and that there are more parts to a zipper than I ever knew. So we find a zipper we like…bong! Done deal. Wait, we can’t use that zipper? Doesn’t work with the fabric?…not PFD?…doesnt come in the lengths we need?…take your pick. Apparently, not all zippers are created equally. Like people they have their own identities and only work in select situations. But determination prevails, and when you know what you want…the only question is figuring out how to get it done. Kind of like life.
Which leads to this. A new limited edition shirt that we are preparing to release. BTW, the image below is only a small element that will be included in the release. We’ve stepped up and added some new details to not only the shirt itself, but to the packaging and what is offered with the shirt. There is a pretty amazing story that ties in with the shirt, the reason we did it, and the artist that we were lucky to work with. This shirt has been in the works for quite awhile, but like everything else, the details needed to be worked out. The story and the desire to produce the shirt was never a question. But making sure that the graphic communicated the message, while adding new elements to the final product took time and required more time than we had imagined.
We haven’t figured out the release date yet, but it’s going to be soon. There are a lot of products that we have in different stages of development, sampling and producing. You’ll see an increase in the products that we start releasing, but we promise that nothing will be released until all the details have been paid the attention they deserve.
