Style 43

Segment just dropped us a line to let us know of a few additions to their range, and here they are…

The new items for the range are the Alphabet, Enemy and MultiS2 T-shirts (And hoods!), and they’re looking pretty fly:

Segment have also told us they’ve now got tailwhip guru Robin Fenlon on the team. I was properly impressed by Robin’s riding in the United Megatour re-edit they put out recently, so expect big things!

Finally, as a bit of a bonus post, here’s a Q&A with head honcho Ian Gunner. This was supposed to get posted a fair ol’ while ago, but a combination of explosive laptops and missing photos meant it didn’t get posted, ’til today, so here’s the entire post that was supposed to be running months ago. Sorry Ian! (Bear in mind some of this info may be slightly inaccurate now, as it’s an old interview!)

New kids on the (clothing) block Segment have been making waves with their fresh line of clothing, and their strong media presence. We hadn’t seen much of Ian for a while, so we took this opportunity to ask Segment head honcho Ian Gunner a few questions about his new venture.

S43: First thing first - where’ve you been for the past few years?

Ian:Hmm, good question! Ive been in the woods, at the track, down the park
or in some dark, bass heavy nightclub [and also a bit of work for a
well known shoe brand, a not so well known clothing brand and a few
very well known magazines!]…

S43: Segment appears to have hit the ground running, with a widespread marketing campaign featuring Myspace Bulletins, blogs and appearances in magazines - how long was the preparation for Segment going on for?

I have actually been working as the ‘Marketing Manager’ for various
brands for the last 12 years, so I suppose I have been preparing to do
my own thing for sometime! And then recently, due to various
circumstances, it just seemed like the right time to finally give it a
go…

S43:You’ve used online advertising pretty extensively, do you feel the time has come that magazine/hard copy advertising doesn’t offer a good enough rate of return to justify the costs of it compared to online advertising?

I basically used what ever I had available to me at the time, and with
the influx of ‘free - social network/marketing’ sites, it made sense
to use these to my best advantage. Online coverage is all good, easier
to moniter and reaches the masses, but I still feel there is a need
and want for a good old fashion print magazine [after all its not that
easy reading the web on the toilet!!]…

S43: Who did you work with to build the brand, and come up with the brand identity and style?

I pretty much built the brand myself, as I already had a pretty good
plan of what I wanted with regards - market, design, style and
product. Its never easy starting a brand, especially with little to no
budget, but fortunately I had my previous years experience to help me
out a little. I have also had to bring in other peoples ‘technical’
knowledge for projects like website design and various logo ideas, but
I have had good friends that wanted to help, which has been a huge
plus…

S43: Who designed the T-shirts, or were they collaborative efforts?

Most of the tee/hood designs are my own, but being an early
Illustrator novice, I also asked a few friends if they wanted to
submit a few ideas too. Two key people who really helped out were Leo
Forte and James Brooks. Both these guys had some real good ideas, they
are good at everything they do and understood what I was trying to
create, so it all worked out good…

S43: How did you go about selecting the Segment team, and are we going to be seeing any web-vids/DVDs/media from them some time soon?

Surprisingly enough selecting the team was one of the easier projects
so far, as it almost selected itself. First up was Scott Edgworth, one
of the most stylish, underrated riders in the UK today. Scott killed
it at the Red Bull Empire of Dirt week sessions, and helped push the
brand name ‘Segment’ to those who didnt know. Darin Read and Arrash
Saidi were also part of those sessions, so it made sense to pull all
these guys together and both Darin and Arrash were stoked. The two
‘youths’ on the team are simply there for style, skill and there
overall attitude towards BMX, and you will be hearing a lot more of
both Matt Priest and Rikki Gunner in the next few years..

Web clips have already been produced by Dan Dolan for Matt Priest,
Arrash Saidi and Rikki Gunner [all currently on the website], with
Scott Edgworths being produced as we speak…

[it feels good flowing product to riders who you really respect and
look up too - for both riding and attitude…!!]

S43: How did you find setting up the company? Was it easier/harder than you were expecting?

Setting up is never easy and as I found out there are numerous
‘hidden’ costs and extras to contend with. What makes it all worth
while is seeing your product on the shelves or on someone in the
street…

S43: What can we expect to see in the new year from Segment? Do you have any fresh ideas or lines for the Spring/Summer period?

I have a few ideas up my sleeve, with some new applications, colours
and branding, but the biggest change is the selling structure. I now
have a 6 month plan ready, with a ‘new’ design launching each and
every month, but in limited quantities. This also lends itself to a
more effective marketing plan, showcasing something ‘new’ on a more
frequent basis.

Team wise, there will also be a lot more web based content [clips,
randoms, goings on], a Summer DVD project and a possible UK Tour
planned, as well as some limited ‘rider’ product.

My biggest goal is to keep building the brand, experimenting with
designs, products and applications, to try new marketing channels
through web, guerilla and print…..and to keep enjoying it.

S43: Lastly, would you like to thank anyone?

Lots of people…the whole BMX team [Scott, Rikki, Darin, Arrash and
Matt] and the rest of the guys who are supporting the brand through
Moto X [Billy Mackenzie] and DJs [Bailey - 1Xtra and Loxy - Renegade
Hardware]. All the Segment crew [NW9, Deanos, Bow Wow and Comer].
Brooks and Leo 40 for help with design work. Sammako for the web
design and build. Dan Dolan for all the multimedia content. Kelly for
being post girl and pa. And most of all, everyone who has clicked on
the site, taken time to look or bought a tee..Thanks!

You can check out Segment’s website here

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