Degoat is a modern Luxury British clothing brand that incorporates elements of Athleisurewear and Streetwear. In this Interview, among other things, Markeil Degoat, owner of Degoat Studios talks about the impact of Covid-19 on the clothing and apparel sector and the way forward.
Markeil, Thank you for talking with us, Kindly describe your journey as an entrepreneur so far.
Thank you for having me. The journey so far being an entrepreneur has been great so far, gaining experience in the fashion industry and expanding my knowledge has given me a new insight into life. Being able to create things that I would feel comfortable wearing and having others love my collection is an unexplainable feeling within itself.
How and when did you come up with the idea of DEGOAT STUDIOS. What were the initial challenges that you faced in your endeavor?
Degoat studios was created in March 2020, the name Degoat studios comes from my last name Degoat and the studios part comes from me calling the space which I get most creative was in my small studio. During the set up of the business, we faced a few issues during launch as we had so many product ideas we wanted to produce. However, we had to change our plans because of the pandemic coming in which delayed all our production and shipping which meant we had a late release.
Degoat incorporates elements of Athleisurewear and Streetwear. Tell us more about your inspiration. As a clothing brand, what inspired you to focus on streetwear as a segment.
The inspiration behind Degoat comes from being comfortable, the clothes which we make are designed for people to be relaxed in as we create our clothing with a baggier fit. Streetwear is a highly competitive segment. However, there is a lot of space for serious players to understand and produce clothing lines that resonate with the sentiments of young people. Through our streetwear, we try to come up with products keeping in mind young individuals who have a peculiar design taste.
The ongoing pandemic has thrown unforeseen challenges for the apparel industry. Several brands have been forced to shut down their business. As a brand, what has been your experience so far?
The pandemic has caused both negatives and positives within the fashion industry, our sales have increased quite a lot as more people are shopping online as they have more time on their hands but it being a pandemic, production times have taken a bit longer then expected.
What strategies can the clothes and apparel industry adopt to overcome the challenges thrown by the ongoing pandemic?
I belive this time can be utilised effectively for better planning of future collections. As an industry, we are bound to see some dramatic changes in the near future. However, at the core of everything is planning and we can use this time to plan our upcoming collections.
