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As an independent clothing brand, we know how hard it is to make it. You have to stand out. In a market that is saturated with t-shirt brands, it's important to have products that are different to what is already available. Couple that with high-quality garments and a strong brand identity, and you're onto a winner. Or at least, that's what we've done, and we've done pretty well for ourselves! If you're genuinely interested in knowing how we started from a simple website, a couple of hundred pounds and an idea, read on. Here's how we grew Deth Kult from a few designs into an alternative clothing brand with a loyal following.
Where Did It All Begin?
Deth Kult is a brand known for being "direct, and hard-hitting, but far from being dark as the name may suggest. It contains a good dose of humour, sarcasm, parody and positivity." Created by owner Matt Young in 2013, the brand started as a personal project. Matt is first and foremost an illustrator and designer and started the Deth Kult website and blog as a simple platform where he could showcase some of his personal work with anonymity and separation from his day job. Working as a graphic designer for a clothing/merchandise company at the time, Matt was keen to illustrate his own designs as a creative outlet. Matt takes influence from the occult, tattoo designs, and the alternative streetwear scene - which is where his designs are proving a success. Over the 4 years since its conception, Deth Kult has amassed an impressive social media following of over 47k+ followers on Instagram and 61k followers on Twitter. From an idea that started in a bedroom to a brand worn by many. This is the Deth Kult story.
Matt used the Deth Kult website as a platform for his personal work up until 2013. 2013 was when the brand really started to take shape, and where the Deth Kult you know today, began! The head designer of Johnny Cupcakes, Chris Delorenzo, was starting an online course based on ‘T-shirt brand design’, and using the ideas from his personal projects, Matt enrolled. He intended to learn some new tips about design and branding and developed loads of new ideas. He signed up using the name Deth Kult as he had been using it for all of his personal work. Never envisioning it as a proper brand before, the course made Matt realise there was genuine potential for the brand. He had his "eureka" moment and decided to commit to the brand and make it official. However, he never did finish the course.
An Official Brand
The brand started with Matt developing the logo and some new designs, and from then he has never looked back. With 2 t-shirt designs, 2 beanies and new stickers, Matt officially launched the Deth Kult brand just before Christmas in 2013. (Happy 4th Birthday to us!) The current site is both a platform for Matt's personal work and Deth Kult designs.
Over time, the label has evolved and cemented itself as an industry leader in the alternative streetwear scene. A more affirmed, punchier style has developed. Deth Kult has grown up and got even better over the years - or so we like to think! With sharp designs, high-quality garments and limited editions, the brand is making its mark on the independent clothing scene. Producing a variety of garments from t-shirts, to accessories and sweaters, the designs incorporate elements of pop culture and tattoo-alternative culture creating a unique melting pot of themes. Spot characters from The Simpsons, Rick & Morty and more classic designs taking inspiration from traditional or mandala tattoos.
Social Media Presence
As we are an online-only site, it's imperative our online presence stands out. We've got some great products, and we want people to see them! Aside from the website, we use social media as our prominent selling platform for Deth Kult. It has been amazing from brand awareness and exposure and vital for the growth of the brand. Without Twitter and Instagram, we wouldn't have made it as far as we have today.
Our social strategy involves using social media to create hype for new upcoming products, promoting their launch and raising awareness of the brand. We've been pretty fortunate to have had our clothing worn by some big faces in the alternative modelling scene. If you're a fan of ours, you will have certainly spotted a Suicide Girl or two around the site. We've previously worked with lovely ladies, Erica Fett, Rebecca Crow, Keshia, and Sophoulla. Our customers see influencers in Deth Kult clothing and want to be a part of our brand. With alternative and prominent models and influencers in our gang, we've created a 'Kult' you want to be a part of.
What Worked For Deth Kult?
