Ten Minutes with Nate Koach of Suburban Riot
March 3, 2009 by mexicachica
I have to admit, I have a tiny crush on Rob McElhenney, who plays Mac on Its Always Sunny in Philidelphia. So it comes to no surprise that I’ve also gone gaga for Suburban Riot, who regularly dresses the cast of the hit TV show. This “subtle but strong” t shirt company was founded by Nate Koach, whose innate sense of style and knack for observations have served him well.
If you love what you see, then you may want to take advantage of Nate’s generosity. Be sure to use promo code “Olig1″ during checkout for a 25% discount off your entire purchase!!!
Oligoville:Tell us about your brand and how it is different from you competition.
Nate: Our difference is in our approach to art and design. Nothing we do is too overt in its message. It’s subtle but strong at the same time, like the people who wear our clothes. Our ultimate goal is actually not to have the designs be about us at all, but to have it be about the nuances of the person wearing them.
Oligoville:How did your career or interest in design begin?
Nate:It began when I was a toddler and wouldn’t let my parents dress me. I guess it was just an attention to the aesthetic that I’ve always had, but it took a while to figure out how to turn it into a career. I’ve always paid attention to the little things, which I used to think was just a compulsive side of my personality.
Oligoville:Whom or what inspires your designs?
Nate: Inspiration comes from typical moments in everyday life. There is humor and absurdity in the most mundane day to day things. We try to harness a little of that humor and absurdity in every design, but blend it with very basic fashion concepts. We’re inspired by people who take a chance and create a unique and individual life style. It’s the one-off types who really keep the world moving in the right direction. We just try to tap into that spirit and deliver a simple progressive message.
Oligoville:Describe a typical day for you?
Nate:Exercise, eat, wheel and deal, contemplate, pay bills, eat, question organized religion, eat, age, read the newspaper, eat, question my observations of the day, observe. Our best ideas come when we are sitting around the office talking about something that we saw that day; observed at some point. We constantly question what we see, and why people do the things they do. The result of these shared observations and questions is usually a couple of ideas. The ideas my not be directly related to fashion, but they are ideas spawned from day to day observation. Some of them become inspiration for design, some are just good fodder for future conversations with people. We’re an idea driven company, so we dedicate time, and allow for the exchange of ideas all the time. It’s the foundation of our success so far.
Oligoville:Describe your fashion style.
Nate: My style is comprised of clownishness in small doses, combined with classic basics, fun shoes and some vintage balance. I don’t feel the need to walk into a room and be noticed for my ridiculousness but, I also don’t want to walk into a room and blend in with everybody else either. The whole concept of suburban riot was born from this idea. Make a statement, without having to scream it. It’s the idea of being bold yet subtle at the same time.
Oligoville:Tell us about some unexpected setbacks you have faced since starting your business and what you learned from that.
Nate: I wasted/spent ungodly amounts of money “learning” the industry the hard way. There was a lot of trial and error. I came in as a novice with no experience and went straight into cut and sew production. I chalk it up now to paying for my apparel industry education in lieu of a more classic post grad education. The most difficult aspect of the business has been managing the production process. I can have a great idea, that if not executed properly, turns into an unsellable waste of fabric. Apparel production is still a very antiquated process. There’s not a lot of innovation happening at the production level. The innovation comes from the product developers and designers. They are the ones who force the production world to develop their innovations. It requires a lot of arm twisting, and steadfast quality control to get a new and innovative product put on the market.
Oligoville:What has been the most rewarding part of your career?
Nate:My boss is the consuming public. If they pick up what I’m putting down, I have a job. If not, I don’t. That alone makes it all worth it. It’s like answering to a collective consciousness instead of a boss. A boss you can lie to, tell them you don’t feel well, tell them you’re “working on it”, etc. When you answer to a consumer base, you can’t lie. Smart consumers have a way of sniffing out charlatans and punish their insincerity quickly. It’s an exciting way to live/work. It’s scary, but exciting.
Oligoville:Tell us where you expect to see your business in the next 5 years and what are some goals that you have for your brand?
Nate: As I mentioned before, it’s not as much about my brand as it is about understanding consumer psychology. It’s easy to make things smart and obscure, or fancy and complicated, but very hard to make things both smart and simple. As long as I can deliver a smart and simple product to the marketplace, I will be happy. It has taken three years to get my message simplified to a point where people are starting to get it. Another 5 years and I should be getting pretty close to having it nailed. I also want to develop an umbrella company that introduces small art inspired brands to big stores, and helps them avoid the pitfalls that put many small artist driven companies out of business. I also want to pursue investors down the road to develop a lifestyle store that will help drive new life to malls; basically a progressive lifestyle store aimed at middle America. Something that will help make malls cool again (if they were ever cool to begin with).
Oligoville:What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Nate: Don’t try to be a one-stop-shop. Unless you have tons of cash and too many ideas, stick to one basic concept. Find all the people you can who fit that one basic concept. If they buy in, you are in business. If you go for too broad an audience, you will end up lost in the noise.
Oligoville: What song never fails to make you happy?
Nate:Midnight Train to Georgia. I tried singing it at a karaoke bar and got booed off the stage. No American Idol tryouts this year.
