In this episode of Chats and Tatts, host Aaron Della Vedova interviews Co-founders of Sullen Clothing, Ryan Smith and Jeremy Hanna. Streetwear has come a long way since its early days in the 1980s and 1990s, and Sullen is here to ensure tattoo-inspired clothing that blends and highlights everything unique about the art of urban apparel.

Originally founded as a collective of driven, talented tattoo artists, Sullen Clothing has its roots in the SoCal beach culture of the early 2000s. Already a well-established tattooer, co-owner Ryan Smith began blending tattoo art with new fashion trends, and from that Sullen’s urban streetwear brand was created.

Far from simply reusing “cool” graphics or following the trends, Sullen became a trailblazer producing unique, original art that it then transferred to streetwear like premium t-shirts, boxers, hoodies, and hats.

Today Sullen is still one of the most popular tattoo apparel brands in the world, offering a wide range of expressive designs and wearable art pieces for tattoo lovers everywhere.

Today, our guests share their stories of starting from the ground up and building their brand without relying on venture capitalist money. Tune in to hear about their journey in the notoriously difficult apparel industry and their take on the world of AI.

Chat Breakdown:

[00:01:47] Building a successful apparel brand.

[00:04:30] Starting a tattoo apparel company.

[00:06:22] Starting from nothing and growing.

[00:10:13] Cost vs. quality in apparel.

[00:15:35] The evolution of tattooing.

[00:16:57] Traditional tattoo apprenticeship.

[00:22:47] Tattooing as a brand.

[00:26:45] Tattooing constantly evolving.

[00:29:35] The power of tattooing.

[00:33:09] The healing power of tattoos.

[00:42:12] Maintaining a successful marriage.

[00:45:43] Balancing work and family.

[00:49:26] Putting the damn phone down.

[00:50:33] The future of technology.

[00:54:05] Tattooing with Midjourney.

[00:57:24] The impact of technology on tattooing.

[01:00:01] AI-generated website design.

[01:03:21] Clothing design collaboration.

[01:06:55] They want art.

[01:09:35] Keeping the podcast alive.

Stay Connected:

Sullen: http://www.Sullenclothing.com

Sullen IG: @sullenclothing

Jeremy: @unclejeremy

Ryan: @colorcrimes