Michal Nicolas launched teamm8 from his living room four years ago with two styles of underwear. At the time, he operated and managed every facet of the business on his own. That quickly changed as his designs acquired a large following, especially in the USA. Today, the line has grown to include a wide range underwear, swimwear, and now, athletic wear.
“Our customer wants stylish gear that makes them stand out from the crowd,” says the out designer. “We offer fashion forward clothing that guys can take from the gym to a lunch date, or just hang around in all day.”
The company adheres to strict rules. All gear must be timeless, stylish, of top-quality, versatile, sexy, athletic, masculine, and must project confidence. According to Nicolas, teamm8 produces ‘clothes that guys wear, not clothes that wear guys.’
What the hay is up with teamm8 this season?
(Laughing) Yeah, we’ve gone all country this season. I wanted something a little different. I also wanted a feeling of nostalgia for this campaign. I really love what we’ve come up with.
What are you most excited about this season?
I’m really excited about our new Patriot collection. We’ve stepped it up from our previous underwear collections. We now have waistbands with a deconstructed flag of countries like the USA, Canada, Brazil and Australia. They look fantastic and I think our guys will love them.
Why did you name your fall collection ‘Dream. Love. Live.”?
Teamm8 has always been about aspiration. It’s what I founded the brand on. So it’s really just an affirmation of where we came from and how we adhere to those brand values. We see life as something to throw yourself into whole heartedly. This collection is designed to dress you while you do that.
Would you say that you embody that message?
This is going to sound corny but founding teamm8 and watching it grow into the brand it is today is my personal example of having a dream and being fortunate enough to live it.
Was building your dream everything you imagined it would be?
Make no mistake about it, it didn’t come without it’s share of blood, sweat and tears. But anyone with a dream they are working towards can tell you that and it’s definitely worth everything you go through to make it a realization.
How have you incorporated ‘love’ into your life?
I wear my heart on my sleeve. It doesn’t always produce the best results but it’s the only way I know how to operate. I also think with my heart, even when it comes to business. Again, not always with the best outcome but it’s never been about money for me. Of course I wanted teamm8 to be successful, but just doing something I love is what drives me.
What do you do to bring ‘life’ to your life?
For me, it’s that old saying that if you love what you do, then it doesn’t feel like work. Anyone who knows me can tell you that the last five years of my life have literally been teamm8. I knew going into this that I had to commit myself 100% and I was prepared to do that. But I have made a decision this year to spend more time with my loved ones and enjoy that part of life more. Without it I would have no inspiration and not much to offer creatively.
Does the founder of Teamm8 play hard?
I’m not boring but I would be lying to you if I said I party hard. Don’t get me wrong, I love switching off and having a good time. I especially love my down time, but I’m not a burn the candles at both ends kind of guy. Give me great company, great food and wine and I’m the happiest person in the world.
Will Hoodies be all the rage this fall and winter?
Hoodies have become a staple for teamm8. I started off doing a cut off hoodie a couple of seasons back and now it’s one of our best sellers. This season we’ve introduced the Goal and Touchdown Hoodies which have such a great sporty look and will look great layered up in cooler weather or look really sexy worn solo in summer.
Where do we get the teamm8 bandana that the model is wearing in the shoot?
The bandana has become an accidental addition to the teamm8 collection! We created it for the photo shoot but didn’t intend to produce them. But we’ve had such a great response to it that it is now be available for sale. Such a cool retro look, I love it! It’s also available in Black.
What’s a typical day like for you?
The thing I love about my job the most is that every single day is completely different. Mostly I am working on design, marketing and brand direction. A lot of time is also filled with model scouting and photo shoots. So on any given day I can be doing any one or all of those things!
Do you get to rest a bit before launching into next season?
The design, sampling and production process is a long laborious one. There is no time for much rest in between collections. I’m well into the design of the 2013 Spring/Summer collection and I’m thrilled with the way it’s looking so far. Expect the unexpected!
Select teamm8 styles are carried at Boy NextDoor. For more information, visit www.teamm8.com. Click here for the entire teamm8 photos from the Fall Collection.
