the nogoodforme interview: Quiet Hero

Quiet Hero are a mysterious entity masking themselves as a new clothing line, but there is no mistaken how utterly beautiful their wares are. In a world where the t-shirt is ubiquitous and sorrow and uncertainty pervade the land, Quiet Hero's contributions to the genre stand out for the daring and sheer gorgeousness of their artwork. With a Quiet Hero t-shirt, quick glances easily turn into flat-out staring, much in the same way a work of art commands and rivets your gaze. Not only do Quiet Hero's designs prove that there are no gimmicks needed with artistry and beauty, but the fledgling company does the right thing by making some of their clothing eco-friendly, using a blend of super-sustainable bamboo and organic cotton. [Edit: actually, they make one t-shirt that is fully eco, and it is here and really lovely.] They also donate a part of their proceeds to various charitable organizations as well -- see, heroic all around. Trust me, if you stand for all that is good and true about the world, you would do yourself proud by wearing one of these magical beauties.

We had a chance to pose some questions to Lee Selman, the owner and brains behind Quiet Hero; Carla Naden art-directs the visual magic, while Nik Hawks does the heavy lifting. Being stealthy sorts, this is what we got out of these smooth operators. There are no juicy details about making out or beauty tricks that they'll admit to, but I have a feeling that Quiet Hero would want to you live your own grand adventure anyway.

How did you get started?
Really the whole Quiet Hero thing started almost 7 years ago today, in a sunny breakfast cafe on a cold and bright Indianapolis day. There are details beyond that, details within details, rather than bore you with tales of ocean storms and desert sands, sailors and nomads, food, fancy, and love letters, I'll skip around the high points and hit some turning points.

What is the inspiration behind Quiet Hero?
The designs I wanted weren't anything you could find. I wanted the best of roller-skating mixed with modern, a twist of politics and savage slashes of color. I wanted the kind of t-shirt you'd find in the back of Johnny Depp's laundry room in France; something you could throw on and look two parts pouty international model and one part happy free-range chicken; I wanted something with heart.

Who are all the players behind Quiet Hero and how did you all connect?
I had my own kick-ass background, but being a woman wanderer wasn't enough to launch a phenom. For that I needed a volcano-talent artist and a half man, half amazing commando. That was enough. I met those two characters in two different cafes under very different circumstances. I had a gut instinct that overcame my initial hesitancy with both of them, and as usual, my guts were right.

What's behind the name "Quiet Hero"?
We called this beast Quiet Hero after shifting and shuffling and stomping through a long list of almost-right names. We always manage to make an entrance more akin to a drunken yeti than a Quiet Hero, but then, it's a lot more fun to be loud. We do our quiet stuff...quietly.

What advice would you give for someone aspiring to start their own line?
Live hard and rest easy. This whole messy story dripping with bear fat and celery sticks came into being because each of the three of us are hell-bent on doing the things we like to do. As long as we do that, we know we're alive. Not safe against pain, or misery, or the death of a friend, but alive and burning our candle at all six ends as bright as a thousand suns.

Posted by Kat in Interviews
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