Today we’d like to introduce you to Alec Merlino.
Alec, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
It all began with my years of travel. I backpacked through Southeast Asia for five months, then Indonesia for three months and onto Europe for three months. I was so inspired by the culture and this idea that the local people would take on a craft that became their livelihood. It was business at its finest. Getting a Bachelors in Business I knew I wanted to start something and work for myself, I just wasn’t sure what.
Like all of the people, I noticed among my travels I knew that I just needed to pick something and see it through. I just needed to go for something. Stick to something no matter what hardship it brings is what I would tell myself. Clothing for me is something special. Everyone knows that feeling of buying a new garment and saving it for that Friday night out or that special occasion.
Growing up in San Clemente and surfing I was always buying shirts that would fit great for a week or so and then next thing I knew I was wearing it to the gym because it shrank or lost its shape. That being said, I wanted to make clothes people would cherish.
Something that you can wear on that Friday night out, to the beach or on that Sunday bike ride. I wanted to start with, but I had no idea where to begin. Ironically enough, I majored in business but didn’t know what the first step was. I started to just call people and ask them what they did. I bootstrapped it and did everything myself from the website build out to incorporating the business.
Finding the perfect product proved to be difficult. Inspired by the coastal vibes, I wanted my shirts to have a vintage look and also be the best quality. I began ordering wholesale shirts off of Amazon and soaking them in Salt Water. Why salt water you ask? Well, let me explain. I was recently a contestant on the CBS TV show Survivor David vs. Goliath.
We were given one outfit the entire time out there. I had this button-up shirt and by the end of my time on the show became soft and faded. It felt vintage to me, and I loved it! I continued to order shirts that I believed looked cool and would try to distress them myself, but they just didn’t meet my expectations.
It wasn’t until I was with a friend in Laguna Beach after a surf when I cruised into a surf shop and noticed some tie-dye tees that caught my eye. I got in contact with the owner of the shop and asked him where he got them from. I told him I “owned” a clothing brand and was looking for a new wholesaler.
I called his wholesaler and told him I was “great friends” with the owner of that same surf shop where those tie-dyed shirts were. He agreed to a meeting, and I picked his brain about the fashion world for the next two weeks. I eventually got the wholesalers connections for dye houses, screen printers and eventually a guy who made shirts in Los Angeles, CA.
Around October, I met with a really awesome guy in LA who agreed to take on my tiny order compared to the rest. I finalized the design of the tee I wanted, and we began cutting an order of 500 shirts. The shirts are cut by hand, sewn by hand and then taken to a dye house where we add the abrasions (distressing) by hand and then dye them to the desired colors.
I then took them back to the factory where we added the trademark nuance red stitching in the collar along with the embroidered logo and the screen printed neck label. On January 11th, 2019, I finally launched what is now known as Head and Hart, premium coastal threads. Since then, business has been great! I’m learning more and more each day and really learning every facet of the business.
From website tweaks to email marketing, running the Instagram account and fulfilling orders. Today, I sell my clothes at flea markets such as the Abbot Kinney market in Venice, CA and the San Diego Vintage Flea Market here. I’m currently working on getting into boutique stores such as Pangaea Outpost in Pacific Beach (stay tuned) and some stores in my hometown of San Clemente.
I’m learning each day that running a business is all about relationships and it’s all about just “doing!” When I have new obstacles to face I either search how to do it on the internet, or I call someone who has already done it themselves.
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?
No, it has been a road full of ups and downs. People may not admit, but there have been times where I say to myself “what am I doing?” With all the clothing brands out there it’s hard to stay motivated and not get caught up in the thinking of “I’ll never be a Patagonia or a Pura Vida.” The one thing I do know that separates a business from one another is the face behind it.
I know deep down that everyone who’s started a business has dealt with the same emotions I am grappling with. That’s what set’s a great entrepreneur apart from the rest. The tenacity to not give up. It’s why I named the Business Head and Hart. I said that when you have the perseverance (what sits inside your head) and the passion (what lies in the heart) you can do anything. I spelled it HART because it’s all artist driven. We’re doing hand-drawn artwork on each piece.
I’ve had to swallow some big costs because I made mistakes in the beginning. One begins that the first order of shirts I cut (450 shirts) was messed up due to the screen printing. I had to postpone my launch by a month and recut the entire order, starting from square one. People told me to just launch and that if you try and attain that “perfect product” it will be too late.
However, I wanted to break into the market with a product I was proud of. Some days I have no sales. Some markets I only sell a few shirts, but it’s only the beginning. My Grandma always tells me to not give up. She’s a real estate agent and always relates things back to knocking doors. She said to me
“Alec, some days I knock one hundred doors, and I get nothing. But then, there’s that time I knock one hundred more, and finally, I get something.” That’s how I treat each day. It’s another door to knock, another person I get to show my awesome tees to.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business is a clothing company that makes vintage-inspired premium coastal threads. I work hard to ensure that the highest quality is used and my hope is that people notice the difference every time they feel it, see it and try it on.
I’m proud that I am doing something that means so much to me and I am just going for it. I don’t like to live a life of being comfortable. I always say, “If you’re not nervous about something then you’re doing something wrong.” That was my motto while traveling because it’s not traveling until something goes wrong.
I am currently collaborating with artists to have one of a kind pieces. I have hopes that with proceeds from my sales I will one day be able to host art driven outreach programs locally and abroad.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up as the middle child, I was always the one who was rebellious and willing to take on risks. I have an entrepreneurial spirit and love doing things for myself. Traveling solo for almost a year scared the hell out of me, but it was the best thing I’ve ever done. Along with my travels and Survivor, life continues to teach me that it’s all about the experience.
Keep going outside of your comfort zone and get into some uncomfortable situations now and then. Like the time I had to talk my way out of getting thrown into Balinese Jail for riding scooters around Bali with my English mate Josh. Keep living life on the edge!
Pricing:
- Classic Black Tee $58.00
- Classic Natural Tee $58.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.headandhart.com/
- Phone: (949)500•5543
- Email: alec@headandhart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_headandhart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/headandhartclothing/
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
