Red Creative Design & Digital is a Melbourne-based brand studio busy specialising in creating the best first impressions for small and medium-sized enterprises. Busy busy. So why the heck are they devoting their spare time making tee-shirts for a little label they’ve called Sascha Says?

Sascha Says are stylish, sassy, specially-cut tees for guys and girls who have an eye for design and slightly off-centre minds to match. Each tee has its own personality: the Sandpit Hero emblazoned with a giant tonka truck, the slinky blackness of Urban Nymph, the irrepressible monkey-nature of DonkeyThong, the plum oddness of Llove Is A Llama.

“Sascha is the Melrose Place to Red Creative’s 90210,” says Sam, the label’s self-styled tee creator, “It’s our runaway spinoff series.” Natasha Kuperman, Red Creative’s Director, and he, Red Creative’s copywriter/tee-aficionado, conceived the label with the goal of creating tees that would fast become somebody’s favourite. Once a kind of underwear, tees are now an unquestioned part of high and low fashion, with a chameleon’s ability to go-anywhere, suit-any-occasion. “Tee designs are such a great way of starting conversations and saying a lot about yourself on a little bit of cotton.” The challenge for Sam and Tash was to imagine designs that have remain enduringly fresh and clever, eye- and mind-catching.

“We make tees that people pull on because the tee speaks to who they are – today or every day!” says Sam. “I wear my Fuel tee [a jerrycan emblazoned with a flaming coffee cup], uh, a lot. It’s my way of saying I’m feeling like a short mac, eggs sunny side up, o.j. and the crossword, please.”

Sascha Says is Red Creative’s chance to freely experiment with a brand identity and a business model. Says Sam, “Of course, we’re still responsible to the client. Just, we’re the client. Like most relationships, it’s... complicated but fundamentally happy.” Sascha tees sell exclusively online, in limited numbers without reprints, and pretty much by word of mouth. Saschites – Sascha Says’ friends, wearers and well-wishers – are kept up with new releases, special offers and more via e-alerts.

Sasha Says are busy (what else?) creating their next range. The current two seasons are available to you in a stock clearance flurry, and you can become a Saschite yourself to stay in the know.

Sascha Says