History buffs, look no further than Vicious History, an independent T-shirt company grounded in historical symbolism. After more than a year and a half, the brand has found its niche — bold, simple and vibrant tattoo style designs that made the clothing popular, said owner Chaz Matses on the company’s website.
“I get most of my inspiration from esoteric history, events and individuals who people may sometimes forget about,” 24-year-old Matses said.
Vicious History’s upcoming fall line includes about six new T-shirts and hoodies. One piece, which Matses said he’s most excited about, features a pheasant with a skull head, in which Matses drew inspiration from tattoo artist Ron Henry Wells.
The designs cater toward a large demographic, Matses said, whether it’s tattoo enthusiasts who enjoy the design style or those who enjoy the historical allusions behind the designs. A Napoleon Bonaparte T-shirt became most popular simply because people knew who the figure was.
However, it took two releases before things picked up for Vicious History.
“It happened after my second release,” Matses said. “The first release we were still learning, but after late 2010 and early 2011, that was when things picked up … We took things more seriously and had good photo shoots. People then really started getting attached and we grew from there.”
Matses drew inspiration from everything he set his eyes on, he said. Though a designer sometimes draws up his ideas with him, he prefers scouting for designs with hidden symbols and history on his own.
“I do a lot of antique shopping in Boston, and I get a lot of inspiration there, especially through books and illustrations,” he said. “When I find what I like, that is when I take that idea and mold it into something that will look like our brand. I like something contemporary and bold that people will like to wear.”
With his eye on design since high school, Matses became a T-shirt collector and a fan of Johnny Cupcakes and Electric Zombie.
“After becoming such a big fan and collector I thought to myself, ‘Why can’t I do this?’” he said. “I figured I would give it a shot, and it hit me that I should combine my passion for clothing design and history. No one else was really doing it at the time and I just went from there.”
Though the brand has grown, Matses continues to ship out his clothing on his own and “stick with his roots” as a local company, he said. He is a one-man show, but looks forward to potential expansions.
Vicious History is finalizing a relationship with a store called River City Social Club in Omaha, Neb. that will be selling the line.
His passion for history extends into educating, and Matses set up history trivia on the Vicious History Facebook page to spread awareness about a birthday or death of a historical figure.
“With this being my brand, it is basically my life,” he said. “I just wanted to share that although not everyone is a history buff like me, I want to educate people on subjects that I particularly enjoy. It’s my passion and I think that is what makes part of our success.”
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