‘Dirty Rat Garage’ is a new trade marked Biker & Rocker street-wear brand, selling graphics tees, created and owned by Richy Baldwin, a graphic designer, biker and musician.
Richy has a long standing relationship with John Robb and Louder Than War, having designed the branding and identity for the first ‘Louder than War Live’ festival this year. He also designed the original cover for John’s best selling Goth book, The Art of Darkness.
Having spent a very successful ten years in the fashion industry in the early noughties as graphics director for an incredibly successful high street brand. Here his love of vintage Americana and motor culture was realised in the prolific output of hand rendered imagery that adorned best selling tees and hoodies. A hugely influential, and oft copied archive of iconic ‘garage-land’ graphics were created in his studio, and were consequently sold all over the world in vast numbers.
After some years out of the industry, the time seemed right to launch his own brand, after realising there was a gap in the market for an innovative and quality biker and rocker apparel range.
‘Dirty Rat Garage’ was born out of a desire to produce a disruptive, original and highly covetable biker and rocker culture apparel line. To be better in every way: with a real back to basics vintage approach, that inter-grates hand rendered imagery, period typography and stark minimalistic illustration. Taking inspiration from and paying homage to, the golden age of American commercial art – the 50’s and 60’s. This has given him license to create a distinctive, yet restrained and coherent visually cool brand aesthetic, that harks back to the best of the past, whilst offering new cutting edge appeal.
Biker and Rocker culture is a huge and enduring scene in the UK and, of course those countries of ‘cool’: America and Japan. All that is pervasive and significant in off-beat 21st century culture was born by the free spirited mavericks who shaped the alternative American dream; a real hip, Brando, Steve Mcqueen, Jimmy Dean coolness, a timeless and steadfast style that has defined the rebel look for generations.
The first DRG collection consists of the go to rocker staple – The ubiquitous and classic T-shirt dyed and brushed 180gms organic cotton in sump black with a discharge dirt white print to the front, back and sleeves. These DRG tees are called the ‘Garage-land’ collection and it consists of ten original and unique designs.
This collection has recently been endorsed by rock icons, Skunk Anansie, and stage worn on their current European tour. This has also led to a distribution deal in Germany and beyond.
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