Impressions - March 2022 - 29

have the country's third-largest number of apparel fashion companies,
behind New York and Los Angeles.
Mark Bilentnikoff, owner, First Amendment Tees, Erie, Pennsylvania,
got his start in the retail T-shirt niche with the launch of
fat-tee.com, which specializes in humorous designs. He now runs five
high-volume direct-to-garment (DTG) printers and has branched
out into screen printing, embroidery, vinyl cutting and heat transfers.
His experience starting his own line now allows him to assist other
entrepreneurs and designers in creating decorated-apparel brands.
Like Leber, Bilentnikoff saw a need for higher-quality shirts and
printing need that wasn't being filled. " I wanted to offer T-shirts that
were durable, soft and more form-fitting than traditional T-shirts. I
wanted thinner, softer necklines; longer length; and rich, vivid colors
that wouldn't easily fade. I sought after a product that wasn't junk
- a shirt that was better than what competitors were offering. I did
a lot of research and compared different materials, equipment and
technology. I asked questions and listened to customer feedback. "
Todd Moen, president and CEO, Kreativlaunch, Phoenix, specializes
in apparel; streetwear; retail; promotional and consumer products;
and packaging. " Most of my business is large, bulk orders, " he says.
" We also do small jobs, but most of our work starts off in quantities
of 15,000-20,000. We've got a couple of orders now that are running
at more than half-a-million shirts. Some of what I do is overseas, and
I'm also a partner in four shops here in the United States. "
Clients Who Want More
The typical buyer in this niche may require more guidance and direction,
but you'll also find it rewarding as you become a part of the
customer's team.
" I have found that my typical customer is someone who has ordered
apparel before and didn't like the quality of the garment or
the print, " Leber says. " It may have had a bad feel, a bad look or it
didn't drape, and it didn't fit the way a high-level, fashion-quality
shirt should, and that's what they want for their brand.
Moen has found that customers really value the ability to meet
deadlines. " Delivery time is really important, " he notes. " I pick
up a lot of business from companies that may have done a pretty
good job on the shirt, but they can't deliver. If you don't deliver
on time and do what you say you are going to do, no one will
stay with you. "
One of things Leber loves best about this niche is working oneon-one
with customers to help conceptualize clothing lines and bring
them to life. " Oftentimes, we create a line from scratch, and generally
we get to have a little bit more say, " he says. " If [the customer has]
something already, we may tweak it to make it print ready, drop out
a color or change things to lower their cost. Most importantly, we
optimize their designs for print. That is probably one of our greatest
values to them. "
A sub-niche in the fashion retail
market for KreativLaunch, Phoenix,
is the cannabis industry. Pictured is a
custom, overseas flatbill snapback hat
along with a custom-branded hoodie.
Photo courtesy of KreativLaunch, Phoenix.
MARCH 2022
P.29
http://www.fat-tee.com
Impressions - March 2022

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