By: Kim Clerkley
I
&
SNEAKS
ndy INK has made a name for themselves by staying grounded in their community by following their dreams. Aaron Cohrs, Eric Fuller, and Dave Roggeman
founded Indy INK over eleven years ago. Since that time, Indy INK has continued to grow through screen printing, cutting-edge art, and fashion. Indy INK has
achieved success all while continuing to serve as a platform for up-and-coming designers and artists in Colorado. DenVhere Magazine sat down with the dynamic trio
to discuss fashion, life, and the evolution of Indy INK.
Indy INK began with T-shirt designs and a custom screen print concept that offered a faster project turnaround time than other companies. Aaron Cohrs opened the interview with “We started with T-shirt press designs that were unique and different from anything on the market. We were young, in college and before we had the
store, we sold our designs in coffee shops, connecting with fellow artists.”
Roggeman notes, “Community is something that we are very proud of and has been the key to our overall success. Our sucess brings us great pleasure because we
get to work with local artists and designers. The store allows up-and-coming artists, designers, or brands a place to showcase their work. We wanted to provide an
environment that allowed artists a chance to grow, and not be taken advantage of. We recognized that the larger corporation mainstream sector is not artist-friendly;
so we felt it was important to empower artists by enabling them to have a fair chance to succeed within a creative place that has strong ties to the Denver community.”
DenVhere Magazine asked Indy INK to reflect on the journey from their earlier days to today:
DenVhere-Did you have any obstacles that you faced, and if so, based on those experiences, what advice would you give to anyone out there trying to achieve their
dreams?
Dave Roggeman: “Obstacles are inevitable, I would say it took longer than we wanted to at times, but we kept going. My advice to anyone is to just keep going and
don’t worry about forcing success, just be organic and allow things to naturally happen.”
Aaron Chors: “The other part of the journey was learning to let other people do other things, while defying the norm. For us, it’s always been about pushing the limits
and coming out of our comfort zones. We incorporated newer designs that we just were not seeing on the market, stuff that no one else was doing.”
Eric Fuller: “Also tapping into one’s self-expression and taking risk, and not placing any limitations on ourselves was very important. My advice to others is to just surround yourself with the right people. You don’t need experience, just get out and do it, just push yourself to go out and figure it out.”
DenVhere- What do you want people to take away from Indy INK?
Dave Roggeman: “Stay true to yourself. Don’t allow trends to overtake who you are. Take risks, but be real. Never try to be anything you’re not. We all have our own
style and here at Indy INK, we allow people to be themselves while having individual self-expression.”
Aaron Chors: “Don’t settle, keep evolving. Try new things, and in time, you will figure out what works for you. My advice for the novice individual is to take that first
chance; we provide style consultations for the more timid, so if you’re not sure, just come on in to the store.”
Eric Fuller: “We have so many great artists and designers who have their brands and works of art within the store from Benefiel Design to Golden Denim; I am wearing
Golden Denim pants, a Rook shirt, Nike Roshe with an Iris Piercing. We don’t place too much emphasis on trends and have never worried about what others think.
Indy INK is the place for anyone who desires to be authentic, fashionable, and comfortable.”
A Quick Feature on Sneaks:
“It was all a dream,” says owner, Marlo Proctor, as he rethinks the early days of how Sneaks came to be. An interest and drive that became a lifestyle led
myself and Moly, AKA Dwayne Molyne