One of the main things has been just sticking to designing what I like rather than chasing t-shirt or apparel trends. When I started Ugmonk 7 years ago the main trends were all-over prints and crazy illustrations. I wanted simple, clean, and minimal. There were very few brands doing things in that style, especially with a typographic influence. I thought it would be cool to design a few tees with that aesthetic. That same aesthetic is what Ugmonk is still known for today.
There are many other factors that go into creating an established brand (could go on for hours), but one of the other main things I've tried to do is just be personal and human. Rather than trying to position Ugmonk as some giant brand, I've kept everything personal with how I communicate with my customers and fans. I want that transparency to be something that is always core to the brand.
People will naturally talk about products if they are truly good and unique. I attribute much of my success to my loyal fans :)
One of the main things has been just sticking to designing what I like rather than chasing t-shirt or apparel trends. When I started Ugmonk 7 years ago the main trends were all-over prints and crazy illustrations. I wanted simple, clean, and minimal. There were very few brands doing things in that style, especially with a typographic influence. I thought it would be cool to design a few tees with that aesthetic. That same aesthetic is what Ugmonk is still known for today.
There are many other factors that go into creating an established brand (could go on for hours), but one of the other main things I've tried to do is just be personal and human. Rather than trying to position Ugmonk as some giant brand, I've kept everything personal with how I communicate with my customers and fans. I want that transparency to be something that is always core to the brand.
People will naturally talk about products if they are truly good and unique. I attribute much of my success to my loyal fans :)