Enviart was the brainchild of a bunch of like-minded individuals who had been in the fashion landscape and wanted to do something more creative. We had a good feel for the market but became increasingly disappointed by the stagnation in the T-shirt scene. There was and still is a saturation of sports themed and branded logo based Tees. We wanted something different and unique, with a great cut,  good quality and consistency; so it was really a matter of pursuing the idea further.

The label slowly grew into my personal passion as I began to integrate my own influences and many experiences from living overseas and travelling the globe. I was inspired by the rich histories and cultures I encountered and the powerful way art is used for expressing beliefs and ideas. For me art was the ultimate form of individual expression, and I began to see Art as anything that you use to represent yourself in life and collective culture. And little by little the designs and philosophy took shape and Enviart was born.

 There's a certain vibe to Enviart vibe, what can you tell?

 In terms of our vibe –well the prints can be grimy and even a little dirty if they need to be in order to tell the story. We always try to maintain an eclectic style to our look and approach. It’s a sort of rendezvous with the past and the present, integrated with an urban taste for people who recognize quality and appreciate the little details in what they buy. It is Inherently a Sydney label in many ways. It’s also heavily influenced by a few cities that left their mark on me, steeped in the raw energy and attitude of NYC while taking cues from London in elemental style. The first collection drew inspiration from my time in New York and to a certain degree San Francisco and this is easily seen in the stylisation of the prints. I was influenced from the streets of The East Village, Soho, Brooklyn et al, where there was a distinct mix of street and skate combined with an overtly artistic vibe. What you wear represents who you are and Enviart aims to be the means to your expression.

What is the philosophy behind the design?

Overall we see the world through the lens of an artist and define our existence in these terms:

Art is Life,

You are the Artist

Let the world Envy your Art..

 The t-shirt is a canvas I use to tell a story. It’s not only a design or print but a little piece of history. The collections are inspired and shaped by the world of art and culture. Some designs are more than just a print on a t-shirt, but a living entity recapturing an event, a story or place in time.

Our designs set out to appeal to people who want to wear something that is intrinsically symbolic, meaningful and says a little about who they are. Some design wants to spike social awareness on important issues, like supporting Wild Tiger Conservation with our Elements t-shirt. Others are simply inspired by culture, politics, ideas and people or by collaboration with other artists and designers.  

Any big plans for this year?

We have a few collaborations in the pipeline with some emerging artists and NGO’s. We also have continued our partnership with 21^st Century Tiger to raise awareness on tiger conservation and we will be releasing a limited edition t-shirt with sales proceeds donated to support this work. This coincides with an important date as 2010 is also the Chinese Year of the Tiger so it’s a great opportunity to really drive support and attention to their plight. Beyond this we aim to continue to grow and diversify the collections adding more styles to the ranges and continue our push into New Zealand and Asia.

Will you be doing a line for women?

We actually released a limited edition range of scoops necks and singlets last season after we had a lot of demand from the girlfriends and sisters of the guys who wear our stuff. We had a lot of women asking for the same prints for girls so we decided to make a very limited run. The response was very positive and I think as we grow we will definitely look to enter this market but for now we want to concentrate on the Men’s lines as it’s really our strength and background. Sorry ladies.

So as you know by my endless facebook updates, I've done a bit of blogging, what do you think of bloggers and street-style snappers?

I think they are an integral part of the scene, people who live, breathe and eat fashion can deliver that passion and insight to others who are keen to listen. What’s more they can give a platform and a voice to emerging designers who are doing great work on the fringe but are not necessarily so well known by the mainstream, as they don’t spend a fortune on marketing.