Meet Matthew Garrett

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Garrett.

Matthew, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
My life, like any artist, has been a conglomerate of highs and lows, and I’ve been fortunate enough to not let the lows get the best of me. Three key experiences come to mind when I think about my unique story. From experiencing homelessness, to losing $20,000, to working in film/television just to be discredited by someone I admired, I appreciate every facet of my story.

I dealt with financial issues that prolonged my time at Morehouse College at two different points; freshman and senior year. Senior year, in particular, I was kicked off campus while trying to stay caught up in class, gain financial eligibility, and find a place to stay for the first three weeks of the semester. From there I had no consistent place to live and nothing occupying my time for the next five months. “The conversation will change in a week,” was the tagline my father used that helped me through that era. I spent my time planning, and connecting with people outside of the college demographic. I was able to appreciate Atlanta without the worry of tuition or trivial studies but was unable to make the progress I’d hoped for. I went back home to Raleigh, North Carolina, after three months and was soon asked to assist a costume designer I’d worked with in the past on a feature film starring some pretty heavy hitters. I went back to Atlanta to work for an entire month (the duration of production for that film). The conversation did change.

The second experience shaped my appreciation for money and collaboration. I connected with a classmate to develop a full-scale clothing line in 2014. We partnered on some legal and illegal ventures to start an investment pot for our launch. After a while, we stacked up about $20,000 that ended up “lost to the game,” ultimately altering our relationship to the clothing line forever. I was torn because apparel design has been something I’ve done since I was in 5th grade, and couldn’t believe my run was so short-lived.

The third experience came two weeks ago from a fellow stylist who I admire out of LA. He works, specifically with NFL and NBA players, styling covers for ESPN, and has been a visiting stylist for GQ. He posted on his Instagram, “somebody outwork me,” to which I replied, “I’m working on it, but I may need your advice. Is that cheating?” I proceeded to ask how he’s fostered relationships with larger brands, and offered value proposition. His response was “Fam, get out of my DMs, you sound mad corny. Just do you, and I’ll be happy to see you do well, but this conversation is dumb.” It was discouraging that someone I considered “dope” would respond to me, someone I also considered dope in this way. It took me exactly two seconds to recollect who I am, my progress, and my purpose. I, then, entered kill mode!

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do? Why? And what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I’m the creator of 1967 a lifestyle brand that offers costume design, affordable personal shopping, affordable wardrobe styling services, and wardrobe replenishing (taking a client’s wardrobe from old to new by establishing an aesthetic and selling/consigning pieces that don’t enhance their style).

Although my creative passion rests in apparel design, it takes a level of quality, time, and resources to produce the caliber of pieces that I’m looking to create under my brand. In the meantime, I’m utilizing my knowledge of color theory, history of costume, swatches, and body type flow. I’m also introducing the balance of color, pattern, texture, and fit chemistry to the art of personal style.

It all starts with the client profile sheet, which flushes out a person’s body type, the color palette that works well with their skin tone, profession, aesthetic, measurements, and more. From that, depending on the service, we figure out what it will take to enhance one’s personal style. The message is simple: perfecting your personal style through balancing color, pattern, texture, and fit.

I want people to understand that it’s not impossible to have a great wardrobe. Like anything else we own, a quality wardrobe takes planning and time (money always helps). I’m here to offer counsel as a stylist, but also to be a voice of reason in the process of purging pieces of clothes that no longer serve you in your quest to become a better version of yourself. I’m here to be your aesthetic therapist!

Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
The role of artists has always been an interesting dichotomy of personal expression and response activism. The masses look to artists; weather lyricists, fine artists, filmmakers, designers, novelists, etc. as vanguards of voice, strategically liberating the people through thought-provoking works. The role of artists has not changed, but the role has become globalized, and readily accessible through social media. As artists, we owe it to ourselves to create from the soul, but we also owe humanity our talent, our ear, and our spirit for inspiration.

My passion deals with fashion, but my purpose is liberating the marginalized and disenfranchised, in particular descendants of American chattel slavery. There is a multitude of groups experiencing marginalization and under-representation, and I work diligently, every day to challenge and learn those systems in hopes of one day, soon, making them obsolete. Local and national issues such as mass incarceration, discriminatory hiring practices, criminalization of particular demographics, and lack of financial and real estate literacy are all factors that plague specific communities, and I want to do my part in combating those ills. My art will yield a voice for me to speak on these issues, and give me the platform to be heard.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work is posted on my website 1967 http://thedotflea.wixsite.com/1010 that could change at any point. I’m constantly working with other creatives on photo shoots, video shoots, short films, web series, etc., and my work could be seen in collaboration on my Instagram @FullPriceGee.

My goals for this year are to begin creating custom pieces conceptualized by me for individual clients. I have at least 200 sketches waiting to come to life, and now is the best time for me to begin that process!

People can support me and my work by simply referring anyone to me who may be ready to change up their wardrobe. I’m always looking for new clients to help bring a fresh eye to their current style, artists who want to take their looks to the next level, and people who dread the task of buying new clothes.

The next way to support me would be forming a strategic partnership as someone who adds value to my business as a stylist, a broker (funneling clients to specific services), or an entrepreneur creating opportunities around the affinity of styling and wardrobe replenishing.

My email address is thedotflea@gmail.com and DMs are always open on Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://thedotflea.wixsite.com/1010
• Email: thedotflea@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullpricegee/

Image Credit:
Profile Picture by @afrojenna on instagram

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