I started creating apparel while in highschool. I would draw shirt designs for the bands I played in with my friends. We would screen print them in the garage and eventually get them printed professionally. We would sell them at concerts along with printed patches and buttons. I went on to create more shirts selling them at skateparks and around town.
After college I became an illustrator at Fifth Sun apparel. There I illustrated and designed shirts for major brands such as Batman, Spongebob, Miami Ink, Looney Tunes, Hustler and more. My shirt designs were placed on the shelves of Hot Topic, Macys, Target, Urban Outfitters, WalMart and more. We worked with special inks, applique, cut and sew for sweatshirts, button ups and t-shirts.
Since then I have went on to create freelance dsigns for many other apparel companies including: Sk8mafia, Technine Snowboards, RiFF RAFF, Yosemite National Park, and many other independent campanies. I also have created my own clothing lines revolving around skateboard, music, and street art culture. I made everything from headwear, shirts, hoodies, pins and wallets. Recently I have created a line dedicated to cats and internet culture!
Below are just some of the shirts I have designed over the years. Some are for major brands, some are for private label and some are from different smaller brands and my own brands I have worked with over the years. Most are original illustrations, some were created using style guides, some were graphic designs.
© Mathew Held 2019