Grape Soda is the project of moi! Berlin, tattooer, Guen Douglas. (www.guendouglas.com)
After years of struggling to make 'tattoo merch' and not feeling like I was representing myself in an authentic way I found myself finally wanting to make things that I just wanted in my life rather than things I thought would sell and look like a tattooer made them. Though tattooing and my tattoo career is a big part of what I do creatively it's not what describes me in totality and I don't think being tattooed or being interested in tattoos defines the humans that are drawn to the art that I do either. Through Grape Soda I can also pull from the full spectrum of my interests in music, lowbrow and comic art, arcade culture, iconic, vintage and subculture fashion, gastronomy, wine and spirits, plants, cute shit, belle epoch and art nouveau as well as history and social causes to create things that I want to wear or use.
You might notice that I run a lot of pre-orders. That's because I am mindful to do my part to not contribute to fashion waste. I don't want to take risks on large runs that don't sell only to have things languish in a store room until they end up as a give-away or sold at a huge discount only to end up in landfill. I want to make things that are sometimes fun and funny and sometimes beautiful, but that they are well made and durable. I want to make your favourite t shirt and your favourite mug, not just one that gets an instagram post, a laugh now and then ends up in the bin. Running pre-orders means I get a better sense of what people want in terms of sizing, fit and colour it also gives people of all shapes and sizes and skin tones to order what is right for them. In pre-order I can sometimes offer xxs-5x in sizing. I want people to be able to order the shirt of their choice without being left out or creating waste by ordering sizes that might not sell. I do my best to offer clothing in an inclusive size range but being a small one-woman operation means I can't alway invest in large runs of every size, which is why I offer the pre-orders! It's then important if you wear or want a size that is on either end of the spectrum to take advantage of this moment, because for webshop stock minimal amounts of those sizes are ordered.
I am trying my best to move towards exclusively printing on ethically sourced and eco-friendly garments and moving towards eco-friendly, recyclable and/or biodegradable products. I'm not all the way there yet but know I'm working in that direction. I usually write what garment I am printing on in the description to make it easier for you to look up sizing and info on the manufacturing of said garment. If you have more questions I am happy to answer questions via email. [email protected] or via my socials.
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