Today we’d like to introduce you to Will Curtin.
Will, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a designer and freelance photographer. Since I was little, I’ve always been the creative type, with my childhood years spent building LEGOs or drawing/painting anything that interested me. During this time, I spent it split between my rural seaside farming town and city life in Boston with my extended-family. Little did I know this would have a large effect on my life as a designer.
Eventually, once the peak Tumblr days came along in high school, I was introduced to a whole new world. I didn’t really know much about. My friend Alex put me on to a few blogs to check out and before I knew it, I was following most of the A$AP Mob and their crew before they were really a thing – people like Yams, Glyn Brown, & Stada. Through that, I got enveloped in that world including everything from the music to the fashion. “Streetwear” at the time was in its transition period from just graphic tees to the slow incorporation of higher fashion, with the idea of “youth culture” reaching its peak.
Eventually, I went back to Boston for college at Wentworth Institute of Technology majoring in Industrial Design. I learned and experienced more than I could ever have hoped and before I knew it, I was starting my senior thesis with my best friend Sam Owens (@sam.p.owens).
Entitled document via this thesis was very much the culmination of all my years of interest in art, fashion, and creative direction. We created document via as a brand based around quality, long-lasting, and multi-functional garments that aim create strong emotional connections with the wearer, thereby cutting down on the amount of garments one has in their wardrobe. Its essence lies in the tackling of the issue of overconsumption in the fast fashion industry and inspires environmentally sustainable business models for the future.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Of course, everyone has their own personal obstacles they must overcome but I would say the most challenging/testing thing I have found is the idea of exploring who I am as a creative individual. I am a designer by trade and by an extension of that a photographer too. However, I still am passionate about creating beyond the scope of what I’m trained to do. DJing, music video production, modeling, and painting are some of the other things I have experimented with and would like to continue doing.
Overall it’s just breaking through the constraints of a labeled profession and finding my creative identity – a process that I know will span much of my career.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with document via – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
At the moment, I have two entities set up: my joint-brand document via and my photography work.
As mentioned before, document via is a joint startup between me and my best friend Sam Owens. (@sam.p.owens). The name stems from the wearer “documenting” their lives “via” the garment that they are wearing – essentially meaning that your garments are your documents. Based around quality, long-lasting, and multi-functional garments, the brand aims create strong emotional connections with the wearer, thereby cutting down on the amount of garments one has in their wardrobe.
In essence, it lies in the tackling of the issue of overconsumption in the fashion industry and to inspire environmentally sustainable business models for the future. For that, we are proud to not just develop another brand that further propagates current unsustainable consumption cycles, rather, offers a better alternative. Currently however, we are working through changing the brand’s structure and ethos to better match both our current creative visions as newfound graduates.
In addition to this, I am currently a freelance photographer that specializes in film, portraiture, and prior to COVID-19, live music performances. I try to weave an aura of nostalgia and warmth into the story of each of the images I capture, never something forced. I think I’ve naturally been drawn to that concept of remembrance due to me being the type of person that sees value in fleeting moments that sometimes shouldn’t be forgotten.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
There isn’t too much I can reveal at the moment in regards to my near-future. But, I do have a few projects in the works right now that I am very excited to share in the near future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.willcurtin.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wbcurtin/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/documentvia/
Image Credit:
Will Curtin
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