By Timoteo Ocampo – Chief Creative Designer, Timoteo & CellBlock 13

“A great pair of underwear starts with a great design.  Period.  The design can be inspired by color, shapes, fabric, the male anatomy or anything visually inspiring that translates to design.  Every new idea must be unique with qualities that appeal to that particular garment.

Today underwear is a fashion statement.  Its not just about the “3-pack” your mom bought you as a kid.  When every guy is stripped down to his very last piece of clothing, its the underwear that is making the statement.  Guys want that once piece to be something they connect with because of the look, the design and and how it shows off their best assets.

Every pair of underwear I design is influenced by so many things around me.  How guys live out in the world. Some are more conservative.  Some more fashionable.  Some guys live in athletic wear all the time and some like street wear.  Each are unique and their is a design that is right for them.  There are so many possibilities that keep emerging year after year.  The sizes and shapes of their bodies.  Its my job as a designer to find out what qualities are important in the designs they wear.  Some guys like color.  Some guys like certain fabrics. Some guys like design techiques to enhance their anatomy and show off their best assets.

Choosing the right fabrics, top notch construction and a perfect fit are the critical steps to design a great air of underwear.  Design, fit, fabrication and construction are the ingredients to create a great pair of underwear that pleases the customer and gains their loyalty.  The best part of my job is seeing a happy customer looking and feeling his best in one of my designs.

We manufacture everything in the United States and do this as a way to have control over the quality of the product.  Most companies that produce overseas have the same companies design their merchandise that produce it.  We feel like this robs the customer of such a unique piece of clothing.  PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA is on every garment we ship.  And yes, there is pride in knowing that people come back to my designs because we are consistent with our fit.  They like our designs.

Each one of our waistbands is created by myself and our graphic team in house.  Another detail we don’t leave to someone else.  The waistband is a framing device to showcase an original new design.  A place to explore the junction of creative design and the limitations of the manufacturing process that goes into making a classic waistband.

Everything I design comes from a very personal place.  Having been in business for more than a decade and hearing and seeing how customers respond is an amazing affirmation for my job.  The advent of social media is an immediate billboard and feedback for people to tell you what they think by snapping a picture or posting a comment.

I love my clients.  I am inspired by my clients and more importantly I love being a fashion designer.”

Find Timoteo at http://www.timoteo.net or http://www.cellblock13.net