HS: First and foremost, what’s the background of FALSE? When did it start? Where? And, what had you done prior?

Messie: On a thick and murky night in 1966, over a table lit with candles, 6 occult symbols were placed in an outward seeking order while incantations echoed through the run down and dilapidated apartment… o.k , o.k I’ll get straight to it!

The essence of FALSE was conjured in 2005 while we were finding our creative calling in a little island off the South China Sea called Singapore. It started out as a small art project 10pc limited edition tees, individually hand-screened, hand-finished and hand-distressed. Prior to being in the street-wear industry I dabbled heavily in experimental music, electronic beats and the like in regards to music production and song writing.

HS: One of the things that separates FALSE from many brands is the hand screen printing. What got you into making shirts and experimenting with finishes?

Messie: We were heavily inspired by Japanese labels at that time like (N)umber Nine. I was very impressed by the purposefulness of bringing a vintage look to a modern design. Simplicity and logic was what compelled me in creating the essence of FALSE. We started experimenting with various techniques in hand-screen printing and garment distressing.

HS: Some of the most striking graphics are the female body/mixed media pieces. How’d that style develop, and what was your initial inspiration? (I have the shirt with Concepts, and it gets more looks and comments than anything I own).

Messie: The movie “Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)“ blew me away as a child, how appealing it was to have cartoons overlaying real life…. This was the first time I remember as a tyke something like this so overwhelmingly caught my attention and captivated me with a whole imaginary realm.

HS: Following up with that, and tying a bit to the FALSE magazine, what art and artists gets you excited? Is there a specific place (museum, gallery, publication) you go to for inspiration?

Messie: The Great……… MOVIES, they inspire me! We don’t watch network television and choose very wisely what we put on our black box. I’ve had some of the best ideas and works come from some of my favorite movies. Huge fan of Shyamalan films.. I tend to isolate a bit, isolation does thrive the minds creative response, at least my mind. All in all just generally everything I come in contact with inspires me in some form or another.