Trinity Fussel Interviews Andrew Clark, owner of Broadway Local for ShopLocalDesigners.com
Host Trinity Fussel Interviewed Andrew Clarke, owner of Broadway Local (@broadwaylocal), for ShopLocalDesigners.com. Scroll down to view the video interview and transcript where Trinity and Andrew talk about taking inspiration from New York City, owning a business during a pandemic, and what’s to come for the brand.
Shop Local Designers is a platform providing visibility and promotion to local shops and local designers from all over the world. Check out and Shop at www.shoplocaldesigners.com Follow us @shoplocaldesigners and @findyouridnyc on Instagram!
T: Hi, everybody, welcome to shop local designers.com. Today I'm doing an interview with Andrew Clark, who is the owner of Broadway Local. Hi, Andrew.
A: Hey, Trinity, how are you doing?
T: Good. So good to see you as well. So glad that you're on this platform and we're so excited to have you.
A: Yeah. Happy to be here.
T: Yeah. So just a little bit of background on Andrew. He is an NYU graduate. Congratulations. So excited. Yes. And he's been working on his project for about a year or so. And it's, it's coming alive. And we're seeing so much going with it. So we definitely, yeah. So the first question I wanted to ask you was basically just describe yourself as a designer as a, you know, business owner creative.
A: Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest priority for myself is creating clothing that I want to wear. And if other people like it as well, it's great. But you know, as long as it's something that I'm interested in, and the people immediately around me, like, that's, that's really important.
T: That It is one thing to make things for others, but I feel like you really have to love it yourself to be passionate and continue going on with it. Okay, so the next question I have for you is, how would you describe the aesthetic of your business? How would you describe it to somebody who may not know about it?
A: Um, yeah, I'm definitely super influenced just by New York City. Whether that's like, what I see around me today, or just, you know, the history the past couple decades, stuff we know, through movies, music, you know, through my family's, you know, tellings of things. So I'm definitely super influenced by that. And I think as well, I probably best described it as streetwear. I think the term can be kind of an umbrella term, but I think it works best for what I'm doing.
T: Yes. I feel like the term could definitely be extended to a lot of other things. But yeah, yeah, definitely, saying like you're branding your product. It's a great shoot wherever. And I definitely
A: And I really try to get away from like, logo centric stuff, because I think that's like the downfall of a lot of street wear things. Yeah. Focus more on like, the designs itself, or like workwear, things like that.
T: Yeah, really, really love that. Especially with everybody trying to be a streetwear brand. You really have- you really have to make sure that you stand out from the rest that everybody's claiming to be so yeah. Okay, so the next question I have for you is, do you work with a team? Or is it just you, how does the flow of your business go?
A: So when it comes to, like, leading everything, and making decisions, is pretty much on me there. But I just have a lot of people helping me out, my girlfriend helps a time, she's always there helping with the screen printing and a fair amount of stuff on printing on vintage. So like, you know, it's hard to find good pieces, I'm not describing anything. So like, it takes a lot of time to dig through. And she's helped me a lot with that looking for sourcing that stuff. Also, a lot of friends have assisted me with shoots, whether that's like modeling photography, lighting, like doing makeup and hair, because, um, there's a lot of people have skills, and I think it's important to rely on your friends who can teach you stuff and like even with screen printing, like, um, when my friends who graduate fit and also my girlfriend's older sisters, so the printmaking, they both taught me a lot about it, which really enabled me to do it myself. And like I would have been waiting, intimidated if it wasn't for their help. So I think ultimately, you know, leading things and making decisions, but like, I have an army of people helping me out.
T: Yeah, no, I definitely love the phrase that it takes a village because it's so true. It really takes a lot of people to make a whole entire vision come to life. But that's really great to have my friends that can really help you successfully. And they love doing it. So that's really good. Yeah, that's very good. Okay, great. So the next question I have for you is, what is your favorite part about being a business owner?
A: My favorite thing is probably just the ability to come up with an idea and execute it completely on my own timeline. So with my standing room only collection, I was focused on the vintage workwear, like I had made the screen for that probably a year prior to putting out so like, that was something I had thought and planned for an entire year. Then I have some other products that I'll think of that week, you know, come up with an idea, figure out how I can actually manufacture it, do a quick little, you know, competent, creative or do a quick shoot for it and like release it in a couple days. So I think it's really cool to be able to, you can do this long term planning and really put a lot of work into something. Or if you know, I just have a great idea, I can kind of turn it around. And I think because it's ultimately my decisions, it gives a lot of flexibility with that. And that's what I really like.
T: I definitely agree, I feel like you, you basically make your own schedule, based on what you want to do, the timing or your time code. That's really, really good. I definitely agree. That's the probably the best part about being a business owner, you are the boss.
A: And you're actually like, This isn't like my main source of income by any means. So it's like, I think when you're entering the workforce, you know, you're always coming at the bottom of the totem pole. So I think it's really important to keep both a creative outlet to have and also just something where I can be autonomous and make decisions. I would definitely say with everything going on, people are trying to figure out like, okay, I can't have one source of income. So it's good to have multiple things going on. But definitely have your you know, your passion and the main thing that you like to do as a breadwinner, you know?
T: Great answer. Okay, so the next question I have for you is basically how or where do you find your inspiration for your collections?
A: Um, you know, as I mentioned a little bit earlier, definitely influenced by New York City, like a lot of, I'm really interested in the stuff that like, as you know, neighborhoods change things get gentrified new buildings and the high rises pop up, I'm really interested in the stuff that kind of stays the same. So like, I think the subway was my very original inspiration because like, you go down the platforms, it looks identical to did in the 1980s, you know, some new ads, but like the actual cars and the infrastructure, mostly really influenced by tourist traps, and like the stands that sell the I heart, New York t shirts and things like that, that was like the original concept for the brand was taking other cities, tourists merchandise and printing, I art New York over it is kind of like an act of disrespect, and also like new ownership. So I definitely look around at that. And in terms of like influences, super influenced by Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, like the general aesthetics of that music is kind of like grittier New York is something I really like to call back to in terms of design. I'm definitely and a lot of ways influenced by Helmut Lang a lot. I really like the idea of workwear. Yeah. Just like really staple things like, like shirts, you know, your parents kind of like muted colors. And although I do a bit more like graphic graphic work than them and stuff like that, I definitely find inspiration from that.
T: Oh, wow, that I actually really, really like that. I love that you kind of, uh, not the touristy side of New York, but take down the true true side of New York is great. And I feel like a lot of people looking outside and kind of see, oh, Time Square, the touristy part. But when you actually go there, you're like, there's so much to it. And so much history here.
A: It’s easy to be like, you know, oh, I only only hang out downtown like or, you know, uptown and like, don't get me wrong, I'm not hanging out in Times Square. It just really doesn't care about appearances or aesthetics or things like that. So in some ways, I think it's a lot more resistant to change in that sense, because it's not trying to be cool. It's not trying to be trendy is this like, people are just trying to make a buck.
T: Exactly. And that's, that's the thing that I love about New York. I'm from Georgia, so I'm kind of an outsider looking in. But I've been there enough where I really do appreciate what New York is for itself versus the touristy part. So I definitely agree. Like there's a lot more to it than I will kind of see like in movies and songs. I love the true part of it. So I love that the heart of New York versus you know, just what it looks like on the outside. I really do. The next question I have for you is how has covid 19 affected you as a business owner?
A: It definitely made me shift some plans I was working on to the release I plan to do in the spring, the spring of 2020. I was really focusing on making bootleg and why you merge a whole idea with like, you know, I think doing physical in person things are so important. And obviously, as soon as there's a pandemic that kind of goes out the window. So I have actually sourced college march from like vintage for like an entire year, and I had acquired like 50 or 60 pieces. Now, I was planning to do this whole release, and all of a sudden, you know, NYU is like, going online, no one's at their apartments anymore. And I was like, What am I going to do with all this stuff? I have? No, I ended up, you know, kind of scrapped the original plans, but I kept the idea. And, you know, just went ahead and printed everything myself. Um, you know, I had a couple of friends still in the city. One was a photographer. And as my roommates, I had them model, she did the shoot, and I just did, you know, kind of a smaller online release. But at the end of the day, I was able to move some stuff and keep it from just like, you know, spitting on you, which is like, the biggest thing to me, it's just getting it out there. And I think now, you know, there's more guidelines, people understand what's going on a little more, so I think it's a little better. But yeah, it's definitely tough in the beginning.
T: Yeah, I definitely agree is definitely like how you said shifted a lot of business owners and just the world in general, it kind of caught us all by surprise. And it's like, Okay, what, what do we have to do now to keep being successful and having our businesses and thrive? But yeah, I love that you kind of have this whole plan, and you basically had to rearrange it. Yeah. But, yeah, we really do appreciate that, because we definitely see the work that people are doing, and working really hard to make sure that they don't kind of sink under, because a lot of ways of struggling have dropped even. So yeah, I definitely applaud you for that, because it's been a long, long 2020.
A: Yeah, it certainly has, it still feels like March, in many ways the days are blurry, every day is different. You never know what you're gonna get. But yeah, we definitely apply business owners like you who are making sure you stay above this.
T: Okay, I'm almost done with our questions. So this is kind of, um, I guess, a big one. What is some good advice for fellow business owners and others looking to become business owners in these very uncertain times?
A: I think the biggest thing is like, don't worry too much about trying to have like a massive audience or a massive following. Because, you know, at the end of the day, if you have, if you yourself, really appreciate what you're creating, and people around it, and that could be your friends, that could be your family. Like, I think as long as you have that immediate circle around you, the rest will follow. And I think it's way more important to have an engaged 100 people following your brand, whether that's on social media, or purchasing things, just giving you support anyway, then to have in touch with it or don't appreciate it at all. So I think as long as you like I said in the beginning, as long as you're creating stuff that you like, and you know, the people around you appreciate and support you, I think people take notice of that, and the rest will come with it.
T: I definitely definitely agree with this. I have seen small business owners too, you have to make sure that you have those people who are really loyal and dedicated to your brand. And that speaks a lot more volumes than having a million followers and only with you or supportive of each other to like, if I see anybody I know it's a close friend, or even like a mutual who is putting out artwork or releasing music, you know, trying to buy something I'm trying to, you know, at the very least go comment on their thing or share it on your store. And I think like people want to help each other out. And I think right now, people want to support local businesses and local designers.
T: Exactly, yeah, exactly. Yes, please check out more designers, both designers, as well, as we all got to support each other. There's some great great businesses and great creatives. And like I said before, it's a village and sometimes that village doesn't have to be right at home. Sometimes that village could be in a whole different state or a whole different timezone just support where you can for sure. So yeah, that was a great answer. So the last question that I have for you is basically what will be what will we be seeing in the future from you and your business?
A: Yes. So really excited to have this little collection coming out in the shop, local designer stores that were definitely a big milestone for me. And also been working on cutting stuff. Like I traditionally was working A lot of vintage and printing on blanks and things like that. But I've been moving into manufacturing a little bit, which is a little bit of uncharted territory for me, but I've been really using this time in the past couple of months through quarantine and all that to learn and kind of, you know, reach out to people to figure out how that all works. So some curtains so pieces come in, and I'm looking to do a pop up shop again, either probably at the end of the fall, maybe in the spring, or we did one last October and it was super fun. And it's just always great to have people come out and, and I think it's really important, like physically feel stuff and see clothing. Yes. In person experiences. Yes.
T: I think a lot of people especially nowhere craving that with everybody trying to shop online. They're like, okay, I kind of missed that real Billy can touch it and be like, Yes, I love this. pair of pants.
A: Something like a pair of pants, I feel like you really need to try that on.
T: Yes, I'm I it's so hard buying me now you can't really like be there physically. But I guess we're making our way.
A: And I think the pop up shop model is pretty good. Because like in today's uncertain economy, like you don't have to worry about paying a month's rent or multiple month's rent, just like you know, a couple days creating an event out of it, you know, and so that's coming and also working on a video project as well too.
T: I'm so excited for all the things you have coming like I thought it was gonna actually surprise me. It's so many things. I'm really excited to see what you guys come up with next.
A: Thank you.
T: Yeah, no problem. This is very exciting. Well, thank you so much, Andrew for your time. We really do appreciate you and can't wait to see all the amazing things you do next,
A: And thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. I really appreciate it.
T: I know thank you so much. You guys please go check out Andrew Clark from Broadway local on shop local designers.com follow him check out his website all that's up and yeah, you might want to stay connected because you have some amazing things coming up. We're so excited for so thank you so much for everything and yeah, we can't wait for more from you.
A: Awesome. Thank you check out at Broadway Local on Instagram as well.
T: Yes. Thank you guys. Bye