By KC Santos
CEBU CITY, CEBU – Multimedia artist Doyle See started out designing shirts for local brands until he decided to start his own indie clothing line so he could pursue his own unique designs.
Doyle started Killapinas in 2009, after spending a few years designing for local brands. On the side, he was also designing shirts for local bands.
Most of his shirts carry designs inspired by classic horror films (think Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Goth-looking characters).
Doyle acknowledges the resurgence of many indie designers like him making T-shirts. But he says he tries to keep his designs unique from what's available.
“I try and get inspiration from anything so I can produce more diverse results. I know that if you restrict your ideas to only a single or maybe just a few territories, you'll definitely run out of good ones,” says the Cebu-based entrepreneur.
But having unique designs in mind won't really pay off unless it appeals to the intended buyer. Doyle believes there are enough people out there who can relate with his designs.
“It's like a mash-up of evil, distortion and a bit of humor. It represents a bit of the darker side of everyone and overcoming that fear of emptiness and of the dead,” he says.
Doyle mostly works from home, perfecting his designs. When he doesn’t feel like getting “in the zone”, he goes back to when he started Killapinas with practically nothing but his talent and passion.
“At the end of the day, I tend to evaluate myself if I have been productive. If a few hours had passed and I haven't done something worthwhile, I try and change my mindset and force myself to concentrate on a single project,” he says.
Doyle currently shares a merchandising space and collaborates with like-minded Cebuano indie designers. He says Killapinas has evolved into something bigger than he originally planned.
“It was actually something more personal at the beginning and something I wanted to call as an achievement that increasingly became a responsibility. I also started to view things, share other people's views about the future of the local apparel industry,” he says.
Doyle calls on Filipino consumers to support local brands so that the indie clothing scene can continue to flourish.
“Keep supporting the local apparel industry and always be open-minded. Enjoy and be proud wearing those threads because they are products resulting from hard work, blood, sweat and tears of a fellow Filipino.”
