After enlisting the help of a digital printing company in Thailand to transfer the images onto deadstock straight-cut jeans, the designers gained quickly began gaining a modest but loyal following on Instagram. “We went online with the first 20 prototypes we had,” says Boss. “It wasn’t like we had a whole lot of pants sitting at home waiting for the customers, it was more a case of trying it out and seeing what people thought of it. We were really surprised by the reaction.” Since then, the pair have continued to distribute their pieces solely via direct message, a sales model which suits them just fine. “I think Instagram gives you so many opportunities that we were not aware of before we started the brand,” says Hartmann. “It’s easy for them, but it’s also nice for us, as through these direct messages you end up having really close contact with your customers, which is actually quite cool.”
So what’s next for Ebony Tylah? “After all this feedback and seeing people get into it, and moving on from this kind of mysterious atmosphere we tried to create, we want to focus more on working with some contemporary artists on limited-edition pieces,” says Boss. Watch this (meticulously screen-printed) space.
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