We sat down with Since98 Clothing’s designer and founder, Julio Dicaprio, to discuss his design process, influences, and aspirations. 

Story by Bailey Cho // @baileycho

ORANGE: What inspired you to start Since98?

J: It was mostly out of boredom, but there was this one line in a song, “I made my own shit, you went out and bought yours,” that really sunk into my head. I’ve always been into clothes, so I just thought, “man, I could just do the same thing [because] I have a lot of ideas.” I feel like it’s always been a part of me. 

ORANGE: Describe the creative process for your designs.

J: The creative process is really just a lot of thinking and looking at old photos, but it could really come from anything. I could be walking down the street and see somebody wearing a cool sweater with a crazy design or something and that’ll just stick with me. It’ll keep bothering me until I literally have to make something to fill that void or satisfy that feeling. 

ORANGE: Who are specific designers who have influenced you?

J: Nigo from Bathing Ape, that man is a legend. Andy Warhol is great. Low-key, I’ve been into underground Instagram kids like @imran_potato, @joy_divizn, @ianconnorsrevenge with his sicko brand, @asspizza is really hard. 

ORANGE: Besides designing collections, how do you decide on the visuals for each campaign? 

J: I want everything that I make to make you feel nostalgic in a way, whether you have some kind of feeling or reaction to it. I feel like that’s what it’s really about. It’s not about what’s “trendy” or looks “cool.” It’s about chasing that feeling. 

ORANGE: Are there any people that have helped you create content for the brand?

J: In my hometown, we literally had nothing to do so me and my friend Brandon (@thisisplato) would go around taking pics for no reason. From that, he evolved into doing the photography for most of my collections. If I don’t take the photos, he does. He’s a really good photographer. Also, I’ve used the same models since day one like Jocelyn, Stephanie, my friend Gael, Brandon, Fredis, my homie Trey, T, basically all my friends. 

ORANGE: How do you decide which outlets to use to promote the brand? 

J: The reason I push it in real life and not just on social media is because I don’t really like social media to begin with. I really only use it because of my brand and because it helps promote it, but I try to push it to people in their actual life. It makes it more exclusive or special. Anybody can go on Instagram and post a picture and say they have something, but Since98 is physical, you can see it and it’s in your face. 

ORANGE: Has living in Austin influenced the brand in any way? 

J: Honestly, I feel more personal with it because I used to get my stuff made by somebody else. Now, I have all the resources to actually screen print myself and go out and find kids who are into this stuff too, and they can help me. Being here really pushes me to do something every day that’ll count towards my goal.

ORANGE: What separates Since98 from other brands?

J: All of this is self-taught. I don’t have a promo team, a manager or a crazy budget. I didn’t go to school for graphic design or photography. I took a photography class in high school for like three years but that’s about it. Everything else is just feeling and a lot of trial and error. I’m just a kid doing it out of my own pocket while paying rent and bills, all out of my apartment. Also with screen printing, I just got at it. I didn’t look up how to screen print. I just got the tools and started working until I perfected it. I went to school for one semester and then I dropped out because I just didn’t feel happy. I had a scholarship and everything, but I just dropped it. [I] told my parents that I was going to come study, and was just out here working on my brand. For the first six months, they thought I was out here doing school, but I was just working on my brand trying to figure stuff out. By now, they know and they’re really supportive, which I’m grateful for. I’m also really grateful for the people who really show love. A few months ago, I shipped something out to Denmark. I would have never thought that a twenty-year-old Mexican kid [without] school and degree, would send something out to Denmark. From my head to Denmark. It just amazes me. 

ORANGE: Would you be interested in expanding Since98 outside of clothing?  

J: Definitely. I’m really trying to get away from clothing as much as I can because anybody can draw on a t-shirt and say they have a brand. I just made some temporary tattoos. I made a bathroom mat. I made myself a rug that no one has seen yet. I was going to make myself a shower curtain, and the next idea I had was the stars that you hung up on your ceiling whenever you were a kid.   

ORANGE: Any advice for other kids who are trying to create a brand for themselves?

J: A lot of people feel like in order to be successful you have to have a lot of followers but I don’t think that’s the case because a lot of these people have hundreds of thousands of followers but the messages that they’re pushing aren’t even good ones. They just have those followers to have those followers, like they’re not even trying to do something with those followers or push those followers to find themselves and what they actually like to do. A lot of people just do this stuff because they think it’s easy and because everyone’s doing it, but not everybody has to do some mainstream thing. You can go be a plumber if that’s what makes you happy. Don’t care about what anyone thinks, you don’t have to chase validation from anyone. A lot of people go to school to get some degree because they think, “Hey, maybe my parents will support me a little bit more,” but no, go find what makes you get up everyday and find a way to make it work for you. If you want something bad enough, you can make it work. 

ORANGE: What is your ultimate goal for the brand? 

J: The ultimate goal is to be able to spotlight other kids with real talent who really care about their art. I have friends who make their own music, so if it ever gets big enough, I’d want to start a Since98 music label to let them do that. I also really like to shoot film, so a movie studio would be crazy — Since98film. It’s like a whole universe. 

Follow Julio’s journey and Since98 Clothing on IG: @juliokta, @since98clothing