Screen Shot: Dogs In Paradise

City Based: Bristol, United Kingdom

What inspired the brand name?

Funnily enough I drew the logo design before coming up with the brand name, we don’t use it anymore but it’s an ambigram that spells out D.I.P. After several ideas I came across the name Dogs in Paradise, which is actually a pretty good reflection of our brands ethos of travel, adventure, and good times.

At what moment did you realize you wanted to start a brand?

I was working for a start-up designing tees for the Fifa World Cup, and after 3 months there I felt like I could do a lot better (and original) work myself. It’s just a hobby for now but I feel like we’re doing a lot better!

What helps you get over creative blocks?

A lot of brands wouldn’t admit this but you can’t beat a bit of inspiration from other brands in the scene. I often flick around Instagram and online marketplaces to see what my competitors are doing. That or a good old walk down the dog park.

What is the biggest mistake you have made?

We scaled up a little too quickly during our Spring/Summer drop this year, releasing a few too many products then we maybe should have and diversifying our line too quickly. If there’s too much range then it’s hard to get decent numbers of sales in any one product. But hey as long as you learn!

What is the biggest success you have had?

Our most successful move has definitely been with the local Ski Club at Bristol University. We designed them 3 tees back in 2018 for their ski trips and got a whole lot of buzz from that. Tap into a audience that’s already been established and it can be a winner!

A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION PEOPLE MAY FIND WEIRD?

Creating our company bio and story I did a whole lot of research into Taoism philosophy and Heaven/Hell teachings, it’s kind of weird when the focus of most of our designs is a cartoon dog but it fits our brand really well.

Favorite color to use?

#E65540

ARE THERE ANY RETAIL SHOPS YOU WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU BRAND IN?

Blues Store in Bristol, Bankrupt in London, any dog-friendly pub.

ANOTHER BRAND THAT INSPIRES YOU AND WHY?

Braindead. Love how experimental their pieces are and really inspires me to try different routes with my designs.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AND THE BRAND IN 1 YEAR AND 5 YEARS?

1 year - to grow following in the local community, to collaborate with more artists and organisations.

5 years - to be on a distribution network and stocked in multiple countries.

IN 5 WORDS OR LESS DESCRIBE YOUR BRAND?

"Showing beauty in the mundane”