HoMie x Digable Goods
For years now we have admired the work of Marcos Diaz, a Melbourne local who’s iconic illustrations have been branded across a wide range of cafes, restaurants, beer brands and streetwear. Marcus sat down with Marcos to get a deeper understanding of his process, what he’s working on and the concept behind the collection with us at HoMie.
Hey Marcos, for starters how did you get into design and illustration?
I dropped out of school in year 12 to start a clothing label with some friends called Ruler Melbourne, since then I've been in love with the process of designing and illustrating ever since.
Who are some favourite clients you've worked with in the past?
I’ve been super blessed to work with some amazing people recently. Some stand out projects would have to be a collection I designed for the Babylon & Carrots collaboration, it was super fun to interpret their vision. Another one would have to be Mats Hot Shop, Mat always trusts me with whatever ideas i have which is always good. Some others would be Wolf of the willows brewery and Aqua boogie seltzer!
You work with a wide variety of clients, what does community mean to you?
We all live in a community whether we want to or not and I think we all have a part to play when it comes to making sure that its a community that is safe for people from all different walks of life.
I think it's important to always remain connected to a community and engage in some way through creative endeavours. Creatives tend to isolate themselves and I think now more than ever it's important to be intentional with finding like minded people.
True that! What made you want to work with HoMie?
I've always kept an eye on what HoMie have been doing not just with clothing but with the social impact and I think that it's something that i dont see many companies doing well.
It was also an easy decision to make because the team were all so welcoming and releasing of myself and my ideas.
What's your favourite piece from the collection?
My personal favourite is the Garden of Readin' jumper, i love my little corner in the studio with all my books and a lot of my inspirations growing up were all found in zines, photo books and printed publications. But the overall collection is definitely a huge vibe!
Do you have any other exciting projects you're working on?
I recently started a new brand called Good Ideas with a bunch of friends and we've opened up a retail space in our Footscray studio. We'll be selling Artist prints, zines, clothing and soon enough releasing our first NFT which you'll be able to purchase in store. We'll also have a monthly rotation of artist installs/exhibitions from July onwards.
They all sounds like fantastic ideas! We’ll all be sure to follow for any updates. What was the concept behind the collection with HoMie?
The concept for this collection was inspired by the nostalgia around primary school and all the things that come with it. When I dropped out of year 12 I always had nightmares about going back to school or being late for school and it was something that I thought about a lot. Since coming out of covid and all the lockdowns we had in Melbourne i feel like we've all been learning how to live normally again so it was a little nod at that also but with some positive messages.
Thanks Marcos, you legend!
The HoMie x Digable goods limited collection goes live online at www.HoMie.com.au at 5pm Tuesday the 14th of June. All profits go to HoMie’s mission - to support young people in Melbourne affected by homelessness or hardship.
