WORK IT ™: August 2008

I recently stumbled across the T-shirts of I LOVE BOXIE an independent label with a story.

Meet Moxie, the girl behind the brand, based in London via LA, She has most definitely been there done it and is now making the T shirt. The personal words of her life transcended into the T on her back, now she is on a mission to hear your story and create the T shirt of your life.

While in LA I received an email introducing me to the brand, I couldnt think of a better time to find out more about the story behind I LOVE BOXIE.

'I Love Boxie' create more than just T shirts, what is the concept behind your brand?
To meet everybody in the world, hear their stories, come up with a great line and put it on a T shirt. Eventually, we will all make one big story.

What inspired the idea?
A couple of years ago, I went out with a T shirt maker. When we broke up I wrote 237 pages saying goodbye. He made a T shirt saying the same. The T shirt was better.

A couple of days later, I got on a plane to LA and met a friend who was making T shirts. He asked me to write some stories about his tees. Then someone else said I should write a script about T shirts. So I did, and in it, I mentioned the word 'Boxie.' I sent the script out but started vibing off what Boxie was. I made 23 I Love Boxie tees and then went on tour with a band across America. I gave the tees to random people I met on the way who seemed interesting. Everyone said 'what's Boxie?' and I'd say 'I have no idea, you tell me.' They'd say 'I don't know, but it's nice!' I felt the same.

I went back to London and started figuring the whole thing out. The idea was a half real/half fiction story. Then I went into business.

What does your t-shirt say?
My T shirt is 'my daddy was a revolutionary, I can't get a job.' That is my life on a T shirt. But most days I wear 'So High and Solo'. Today I am wearing Echo Park Is Alive which is about an LA neighborhood.

What's your story, what were you doing before 'I Love Boxie'?
I worked in the movie business developing scripts for a good while. About 2 years ago, I needed to stay in one place, so I came back to London and got a job as a creative writer at an ad agency. I left that about 6 weeks ago to do this full time. It's funny because I always wanted to write a successful script or novel and now I think I'm just here to write a few good T shirts. Which isn't bad at all.

What is your Hollywood connection, how long did you live in LA and what did you do there?
LA is a strange place. I have mostly been broke there. I went to university in California and have enjoyed sporadic intervals of working on movies over there or trying to make dreams real.

Has being exposed to style on both sides of the Atlantic influenced the brand?
Yes. The T shirt was born in America. There is also an openness in the States. You can walk up to anyone and talk to them. That fits in perfectly with what I do. But London feels wild at the moment. Like I imagine New York did in the early eighties. There's so much danger and creativity coming out of here. The city feels like it lives so precariously, it might tip over the edge at any moment.

How long have you been working on the brand?
A year, but when I think about it much, much longer.

Are there any other elements to I Love Boxie?
Yes, we're also making a movie along the way. We're broadcasting some stuff but not all of it. That will come very soon. The website is weird and interesting and changes everyday and there are lots of photos of people wearing the tees. They are all people we met on the street.

What are your influences?
Most recently, probably Spike Jonze has been the biggest influence, because you can't hear his voice too loudly when you watch his work. So many film makers shout but it feels like he gives up the space so more can happen there. Which is what we're trying to do with the T shirts.

Do you have plans to develop any new lines?
Every time we meet someone we get a new line. After getting your email about the 90s' I printed a flourescent I Love Boxie. I never even thought of that before.

Who wears I love Boxie?
Only 32 people in the world have an 'I Love Boxie' tee. I don't know what that means. Something important I hope. The others are worn by people on the hills, and the ground. Which, for me, is what the T shirt is all about - being an egalitarian piece of clothing.

From all the stories you have received from people which one stands out the most?
The first T spoke I ever did. There was a guy skating down my street. I asked him if he'd tell me a story. He was French and said that life was tough for him in London so sometimes he stole stuff to get by.

He said that was cool, because he was a graffiti artist and he painted for free, so his stealing was okay with the universe. He wanted to print the line 'I Always Feel Like Shoplifting'. I told him I'd teach him how. He arrived at the studio the next day with 2 bags of stuff. One was full of T shirts stolen from the place I paid for mine. The other was full of stolen inks. These were the materials he came to print 'I Always Feel Like Shoplifting On'. He did and left. We arranged to have a drink at 6 that night. He never showed up...

The next day I bumped into a lady at the swimming pool who says 'oh my lord! There was such a ruckus outside here yesterday. This young man was getting held down by all these police officers...'Her description fit him exactly. And my heart sank. Because even if he hadn't stolen anything, the police would have looked in his bag and found a bunch of tees saying 'I Always Feel LIke Shop Lifting...'

With all the indie T shirt labels around how do you think you stand out from the rest?
You get an experience with us. You will never forget where that T shirt came from.

How can I get a T shirt made about my story?
You call us up/write and tell us a story. We then figure out a line.

How much will it cost?
£32 for a customized T spoke, £23 for one that already exists. I am a pushover so I usually cut nice deals.

More info visit: www.iloveboxie.com

Contact Moxie:
T: +44 (0)20 7924 9536
E: moxie@iloveboxie.com

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