Check out the full shop at: lessthanpositive.bigcartel.com
BC: How did you get the idea for Less Than Positive and where does the inspiration come from for your products?
LTP: Less Than Positive is a brand born out of disenchantment with the status quo. It was originally an outlet for my ‘pessimistic creative expression,’ and I started printing T-shirts with my designs after discovering that most people could relate to them.
BC: Can you explain the concept behind your brand and your messaging?
LTP: The brand aims to provide a cynical response to certain people, feelings and situations in life, regardless of whether it is politically-correct. It’s like a mouthpiece of sorts for the quiet rebel that manifests inside most of us. Hence, the messaging is intended to be provocative and raise a few eyebrows.
BC: How does living in Singapore influence your brand?
LTP: Singapore has an environment and mentality that used to be a lot more rigid, serious and conservative. That has changed, and we begin to see a much more assertive and vocal younger generation constantly trying to push the boundaries of self-restraint in creative expression. My brand attempts to reflect this shift in mindset.
BC: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned since starting Less than Positive?
LTP: The biggest thing I’ve learned is to just get started, because there is no perfect timing and there never will be. It also means having to silence my own inner critic at times, as there are always 101 ways to improve something - it will never end. Just make sure that what you’re designing isn’t something half-baked, launch and listen to any feedback from customers and fans in order to improve.
BC: Can you talk about your experience customizing your store using Big Cartel?
LTP: Big Cartel offers me complete control over the design of my store. With the help of some CSS, I was able to go all out in achieving the look and feel of what I wanted. Setting up the store and populating it with products was also done with relative ease. Overall, it has been a great experience, and kudos to the Big Cartel team for this.
