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In a booth at the Melrose Trading Post, open every Sunday from 9am to 5pm in the parking lot of Fairfax High School, stands neatly folded and hung T-shirts, sweaters, and traditional prints. Each with a special image. What’s the image? Well, that answer varies, from movies, to tv shows, to celebrity Instagram posts. Whatever pop culture reference you can think of, Matt Warren, the man behind the brand can make it.
What is Paper 8? Whilst the “Paper” stands for the creative side of the brand and the fact that it’s all drawn on paper, the “8” is a witty film reference to Super-8 film. Paper 8 made its debut at the Melrose Trading Post, gaining traction and attention, and is now the name of a successful storefront on Hollywood Boulevard and can be seen in the closets of some A-List celebs including Dylan Minette and Brandon Flynn. I recently was gifted the opportunity to speak with Matt, who has lived in LA for the past twelve years designing and creating his brand, about his journey from small business to major success. |
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"I guess in the past my art has always been about making stuff for myself, so now it's more about making art for other people."
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How would you describe yourself and your business to someone who has never met you?
I mean, I'm an artist and I do illustrations of movie posters or like characters and quotes from movies or just general pop culture references. Like celebrities, Instagram, and TV shows. Then I put them on t-shirts, or I sell prints and I do the printing myself. So, I have a printer and I have a storefront on Hollywood Boulevard. So, you design everything yourself, you draw them all yourself and then you print the shirts yourself. From the first idea to the final finished product, what's your process? I get a lot of suggestions of what kind of films or characters people want to see. So, it's always like taking that into consideration, especially now as this is my full-time business. |
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And so often, you know, it's like I guess in the past my art has always been about making stuff for myself, so now it's more about making art for other people. But then it’s also like, for me to do the design well, I have to enjoy doing it. So, it's always images or films that I like, kind of have a connection to or want to draw, and then it's just trying to find something which is unique in its own way or to me, that also has a connection to other people and that they that would like. It’s basically kind of picking, depending on the style of the show.
" It's just having that belief in yourself, in your talent, and what you want to do."
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to someone who’s just starting out?
I think it's something that there's so many online forums now that you can just kind of do, like I don't do TikTok, but you can be like a mega TikTok person but yeah, you know, it's just kind of putting it out there and seeing what the reaction is that you get from it. Like, when I started the trading post was kind of where I started selling to friends. Then it kind of is just like a really organic growth, sort of getting feedback from people as to the designs and the styles and then people being like, yeah, I'd wear those on t-shirts. Just figuring out a balance between what people want and how I want my art to look, but yeah, doing the market and putting it out there and getting that feedback was a good thing to do as well. Just having that belief in yourself, in your talent and what you want to do. It’s kind of hard putting yourself out there and having your artwork be judged, and if it’s not successful right away you have to be self motivated.
I think it's something that there's so many online forums now that you can just kind of do, like I don't do TikTok, but you can be like a mega TikTok person but yeah, you know, it's just kind of putting it out there and seeing what the reaction is that you get from it. Like, when I started the trading post was kind of where I started selling to friends. Then it kind of is just like a really organic growth, sort of getting feedback from people as to the designs and the styles and then people being like, yeah, I'd wear those on t-shirts. Just figuring out a balance between what people want and how I want my art to look, but yeah, doing the market and putting it out there and getting that feedback was a good thing to do as well. Just having that belief in yourself, in your talent and what you want to do. It’s kind of hard putting yourself out there and having your artwork be judged, and if it’s not successful right away you have to be self motivated.
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How do you balance between Work/Life?
I need to be better at having that balance or coming to those boundaries because it’s like, I pretty much just work all the time. Even though it’s your artwork, you still need a break from your job and it’s kind of difficult to enforce that. Having this space here, is good, especially during the pandemic to have a second space to be at, when everyone had to stay home. So, even when I wasn’t open, this was kind of a workspace that I could come to. I leave my computer here, there are times when I take it home, but I try to enforce having my work hours at the shop and then that’s it. I try to remind myself to shut off at like six o’clock. |
So I did some research, and you have some big names in your Instagram followers, such as Thirteen Reasons Why stars Dylan Minette and Brandon Flynn. What has been the highlight of your career?
It’s very cool when people, you know celebrities or whatever, come into my shop or at the market and like my stuff or buy my stuff or wear my stuff. The biggest highlight in probably my space here, it’s still kind of in the works I guess, since everything isn’t open fully. But to have a space on Hollywood Boulevard, it’s a highlight.
It’s very cool when people, you know celebrities or whatever, come into my shop or at the market and like my stuff or buy my stuff or wear my stuff. The biggest highlight in probably my space here, it’s still kind of in the works I guess, since everything isn’t open fully. But to have a space on Hollywood Boulevard, it’s a highlight.
"You could be at the beach and then you drive up the 2 and you could be in the Los Angeles National Forrest on the same day..."
What drew you to LA?
I went to Otis College, which is like an art school on the west side, so I came to do my MFA and then I just stayed. I love the weather and like, the space of everything. Even though the traffic part of it kind of sucks. Coming from a really small island, I like that it’s expansive and really spread out. You could be at the beach and then you drive up the 2 and you could be in the Los Angeles National Forrest on the same day. There’s so many opportunities, and I think that LA is just such a unique place. It’s like what we were talking about with the celebrities, or film culture and the industry. To not be part of that, but still be inside of it, it’s interesting to be able to observe, like people watching. Always see crazy sh*t.
I went to Otis College, which is like an art school on the west side, so I came to do my MFA and then I just stayed. I love the weather and like, the space of everything. Even though the traffic part of it kind of sucks. Coming from a really small island, I like that it’s expansive and really spread out. You could be at the beach and then you drive up the 2 and you could be in the Los Angeles National Forrest on the same day. There’s so many opportunities, and I think that LA is just such a unique place. It’s like what we were talking about with the celebrities, or film culture and the industry. To not be part of that, but still be inside of it, it’s interesting to be able to observe, like people watching. Always see crazy sh*t.
My conversation with Matt was an enjoyable and inspiring one. His outgoing and friendly nature as well as immense artistic ability and talent is surely a combination aimed at creating major success. Anybody who has the opportunity to stop by the Paper 8 storefront at 4685 Hollywood Blvd, should take it and add a true piece of art to their closet.
Follow Matt and Paper8 on instagram:
@paper_eight
www.paper8apparel.com
Follow Matt and Paper8 on instagram:
@paper_eight
www.paper8apparel.com
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