Zak Sutter and his partner Danny Loiacono decided to change their path in life. As a designer, it is very similar to becoming an actor/actress, musician, professional athlete, it is a task that only the strong hearted should go after. It’s not going to be easy, but who said, “following your dreams was suppose to be easy? Check out their interview below…

 

“Danny Loiacono – Founder and Chief Craftsman of DPTR”

 

Please describe your position at your company.

I Co-Founded Departure with my partner Danny Loiacono in 2012.

My focus in the company is sales and outreach. Danny is our lead designer and chief-craftsman.

 

How long have you known you wanted to do what you are currently working on?

I finished my internship at the Chicago Board of Trade going into senior year of college at UIC and it finally hit home. I needed to stop following the pathway society/parents/media lays out for you and do something you can be proud of.

Danny has always been super creative and came to me and asked what I thought about producing a T-shirt line. I was so attracted to his artwork and obsession to do better that I didn’t have to think twice about it. 

Danny and I didn’t start DPTR because we though it would be “cool” to have a clothing line. We started it because we were obsessed with creating pieces to show the world. 

Why are you passionate about what you do?

My drive comes from knowing that your time on earth is limited so while you’re hear do something you love. Do something that people say can’t be done. It’s not a myth that hard work while working smart will lead to results.

 

How did you overcome your own doubts and the doubts of other people?

Results. In the beginning stages it was tough but if what you do is a choice and not a chore results will come. Reading books on successful entrepreneurs lets you know that everyone started somewhere to build what you now see.

 

 

What were some bumps you hit to get where you’re at now?

Lots haha, first was capital. We were young and needed money to pay for manufacturing. We landed an investor after a year and cut ties the next (still our mentor and consultant). We had to start over, we had to find our voice, define DPTR, find our market, produce products.

Finding manufacturers for clothing/accessories in Chicago is difficult. The talent and resources flock to LA and NYC. Overseas minimums are not small, shipping and language barriers makes it even more difficult.

Balancing my job and my obsession proved to be difficult. Danny and I decided that there would be no plan B, having a back up plan would only distract us from our end goal for DPTR. We used the money we made from our last line and money from our jobs and went all in. The decision to focus on DPTR 24/7 and throw ourselves into Departure with no exit strategy made it real and it worked for us.

What is one thing you did wrong in the past that you can share with people?

Just “start”, fix the kinks while you’re doing business. All the planning in the world isn’t going to make you ready for a trade show/fashion show/wholesale deals. You need to be involved in your business to fix them, not planning from your computer.

 

What is a way you got your name out there?

Work sessions. Danny and I had a vision that was no good if we didn’t work to make it real. I would spend Friday and Saturday nights emailing fashion bloggers/stores/makers/influencers introducing myself and DPTR. I would then set meetings during the week. If you reach out to 100 people 2 days someone is going to take a meeting.

 

Is there anything that almost stopped you from doing this?

No, the brand has evolved in all aspects since 2012 from our logo, site, products, to name abbreviation. You could say we stopped to re-evaluate the brand but never lost sight of our goal.

Is there anyone in your profession that you admire and/or model yourself after?

There are countless people who have laid the foundation for what makes a successful person/company. I recently read the Mark Ecko book “Unlabel” which was very informative. Its great to read about your niche market and what the people before you have accomplished and how they did it but my job is in sales and operating a company, not design. Mark Cuban who most know and admire is someone I try and emulate. The reason being because he treats business like a sport, you have to. You have to be practicing all the time, you have to perfect your new move, stay a head of competition, if you’re not your going to get smoked.

 

How do you continue to perfect your craft?

My partner Danny is a perfectionist. If you read on great film makers, designers, musicians, artists they share that trait. You can’t settle, every product can be made better the more you learn.

 

 

 

How do you envision the future of your product/services?

Retailers like Burberry and hugely established brands are going to be making the in store shopping experience look like a scene from “Total Recall”. Which will be different and different is cool until everyone does it.

What’s some advice you can share for anyone who wants to pursuit what you are doing?

Work really hard, not kinda hard. There are so many people is the fashion space so you need to constantly be learning, connecting, sourcing, selling.

 

You have a nice online website. How much of your business is driven by online buyers/clients?

Super important, when someone asks you on Facebook or twitter where they can purchase a hat they saw in a pic, you need to capitalize. Being able to direct them to your site while people are interested results in sales

Where can people go to find out more about your awesome products/services?

We host a blog series at www.DPTRclothing.com, the best way to hear new things DPTR is //. If you’re in Chicago we’re always running around trying out gorilla techniques and hanging, always down to kick it with anyone looking to learn more about Departure.

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