Pictureplane's Travis Egedy has always been known for his tour shirts, and the interest always expands well beyond his live events. Recently Pictureplane has been working on his own brand, Alien Body, as a collaboration with New York-based label Mишка.
What’s going on right now with Alien Body?
Pictureplane: I’m working on another collaboration with Mишка. They do all of their stuff a year and a half in advance. All the stuff I’m making now people won't see for another year.
Do you have any plans to make shirts on your own?
Yeah, well, I’ll always make Pictureplane shirts. Alien Body was just this idea of expanding the Pictureplane shirt to a whole different dimension. It isn’t like a band shirt, it’s a brand. I was realizing that the Pictureplane shirts were already becoming their own brand. It says Pictureplane on it, which is the music, but it was its own expression of design. Mишка took interest in the Alien Body.
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Were you making Alien Body at all before Mишка?
I did a few shirts that said Alien Body. I always printed them with a company that makes them for me. I have silkscreened shirts myself years ago on some of my first tours. You have a lot more control that way but it’s so much more work.
What is your overall inspiration for the Alien Body brand?
I’ve always been into conspiracies, and like, extraterrestrials, or hidden history and suppressed ideas. Whether it's from the government, or any sort of establishment. I think that’s always been a huge influence on everything I do but I wanted to really play on that visually. The existing Alien Body stuff isn’t as like that, it’s more cute or whatever, but the new stuff I’m doing is really playing into to those ideas. They’re more dark.
What was your intro to design?
I always really liked designing and I actually entered into art school as a graphic design student but immediately switched to painting. I remember debating with my parents and stuff because they were asking how I was going to make any money. I’m really glad I did that because in my opinion my fine arts training was way more beneficial to any design that I was doing as opposed to the other way around. I was always playing with Photoshop and making weird posters and stuff long before I ever thought of making clothes.
Where is your design process headed?
I want to make all sorts of things like backpacks and skateboards. I’m definitely influenced by rave wear and that type of stuff. The all-night vibers.
How does your music and experience with nightlife come into play with the designing of the shirts themselves? Are there ever ideas with your music that overlap with the clothing?
It might not be as much nightlife as subculture. I’ve always been interested in the underground and the youth of today that are trying to think differently and be different. The music and the clothes are a little different because I’m not going to make a song about aliens I don’t think, at least I haven’t yet. The messages are still the same, though. Just about thinking for yourself and being your own power.
What brands are you into?
Whatever 21 is doing cool stuff. And Cyber Boy Unlimited. We’re sort of all contemporaries. Trends are moving so fast right now and getting adapted. I’m trying to do something a little different.
