Deezshirts: An Almagam of Culture and Style
Interviewed by Kenyatta D. Pious

What does the name mean?
The name 'DEEZSHIRTS' came about as a play on the phrase “these shirts”. One of our close friends jokingly made fun of the fact that we were selling shirts out of the back of a beat up van. Eventually the joke became catchy and the idea didn’t seem so bad. So we ran with it.

What is the inspiration behind the t-shirts?
Our inspiration behind our line is cultural awareness. We want to be able to represent different cultures by reaching deep and exposing the roots to everyone.

Who is the ideal client?
Young people, older folks, people from every persuasion and denomination. Our product exhibits culture. Whoever subscribes to a culture is who we envision wearing a DeezShirt.

Do you have a main competitor?
Competition is everywhere. It would be hard to single out one. The playing field is very broad and we feel that we’re doing a good job of differentiating ourselves in the industry.

What are classic pitfalls for young brands/designers?
Learning that quality will forever be a better option for you than the price per item. Many brands try to pass low quality goods for a high premium. Although, it may be beneficial in the short term. It will lead to a horrible failure long term.

Who started it the collection? 
Justo Garcia, a young artist from the city of Boston started DeezShirts with the force and inspiration of wanting to represent his culture in a better way. Born in the Dominican Republic and migrating to the US as a child, Justo always felt the need to represent where he was from just as others did. However, coconuts and palm tree t-shirts just didn’t hit home for him. So he started designing his own representations of cultural T’s and soon realized that others appreciated what he was doing… hence DeezShirts!

Where are the t-shirts sold and what is the price point?
The best place to purchase our line is on our official website, www.deezshirts.com . It’s very safe, fast and easy. Our prices range between $25.00 – $28.00.

What do you rely on for advertising/ marketing the brand?
For the most part we do a lot of online advertising as well as cross promotions with different websites, record labels and events/venues.

Can we expect to see the collection in fashion shows/ trade shows?  Which ones?
We just unveiled our brand new spring/summer collection in Miami during the first week of April at our first ever Market Launch Event. This was our first of many. Miami was selected as the inaugural place, because of the wonderful support the people of Florida have shown DeezShirts. We are currently in the process of finalizing some upcoming fashion shows in New York City and a few trade shows out on the West Coast. As soon as the plans are set in stone, we will inform everyone through our website and newsletter.

Is this a unisex collection?  What's next for the collection?
Yes, our line is unisex for the standard fitted shirts and by popular demand we also carry cute baby fitted as well for ladies.  We have a lot of surprises coming up. Plus we have unexpected designs that we feel will make people very proud. We’re working hard to change the game!

Any words of advice for like-minded people? 
The best advice we can offer those following in our footsteps is to take chances. As long as you believe in what you are trying to accomplish, those chances will prove fruitful. Just as important is to always surround your self with positive and likeminded people.

For more info: www.deezshirts.com