DTB offers creativity in local designs

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“This is a lot more than just paint on a t-shirt,” said Damien St. Pierre, Down the Bayou Design Studio and Clothing Company co-owner, as he pointed to a shirt on the store’s wall.


He’s right – printing shirts is a complex task that requires creativity, precision, diligence and patience.


DTB has all of the above. As a result, they are quickly gathering a following along the plains of southern Lafourche Parish.

Open since the summer, the local print shop offers a large selection in localized gear, which includes the Saints and LSU.


For those wanting control over the product, they also work with customers who want to create their own designs.


“A lot of our ideas are just things that I would wear – things that I think are cool,” DTB designer and co-owner Nick Hebert said. “I don’t design a lot of things that I don’t want to wear, so honestly, a lot of it all is easy for me – I’m making something I’d wear myself. That makes it fun and I think that’s a big thing that sets us apart.”

The idea to create DTB Design Studio and Clothing Company has been in the works since St. Pierre’s teenage years.


St. Pierre said he and Hebert have been friends for more than a decade.


The two always planned to go into business together when the time was right.

“We always wanted to do something out of the box,” St. Pierre said. “Nick’s a creative guy and I’m a good promoter, so we knew it’d be a good fit.”


The time became right in the early part of 2012 when Hebert left his job at a magazine company and was free to explore other options.


At the same time, Golden Meadow native David Hebert was also looking to invest in a business.

He hopped aboard to become the third co-owner of the company.


“It all just sort of came together like that,” St. Pierre said.


The decision to get into t-shirts came with a little help from a friend.

St. Pierre said they got their training from local shirt maker Franny Pellegrin months before opening shop.


Through Pellegrin, they learned the ins and outs of the business and also got tips on how to get quality equipment at an affordable price.


“She’s the reason why we’re here,” St. Pierre said. “I’m going to give her credit for that one. We drove to Houma every day and worked with her for a few months to really learn the ins and outs of how to do this.”

Even with the training, Nick Hebert said the store had its share of bumps in the road in its early days.


The designer went through the process of shirt making all the way from the basic idea to the creation of the screen and eventually putting the ink on the shirt (what he says is the easiest step).


He said in their early days, it was inevitable that something would mess up somewhere along the way to throw a wrench in their plans.

“There’s a lot of trial and error,” the designer said. “You’ll screw up a bunch of times first and then you’ll learn how to do it. The first couple of weeks when we started were so frustrating. We’d screw something up and then we’d try something different and screw that up, too.

“But when it works that first time and you get something that looks good, you’re really pumped.”

The first time it worked was on a Yao Ming shirt DTB made this past summer – the first official shirt they claim as their own.

“It was supposed to be a Benny ‘The Jet’ Rodriguez shirt,” Nick Hebert said. “But we couldn’t figure that one out.

Since then, they’ve perfected the craft (and Rodriguez’s shirt) and have made thousands of prints that have pleased both Lafourche Parish natives and people across Louisiana.

Their work has made DTB the official jersey maker of South Lafourche Biddy and also the official apparel provider of Houma professional basketball player Sumar Leslie. They also provide shirts to several businesses in the area.

But no matter how many “bulk orders” DTB gets, they proclaim that they take the most pride in their locally based work.

A lot of the shirts expressing local pride are displayed throughout the Golden Meadow store’s walls.

That’s by design, according to Nick Hebert, who said the store’s name is an indication in the community pride that the business represents.

The designer said he had a list of “about 100 designs” in his head before the business’s inception. He said he gets the ideas “out of nowhere.”

“I think what sets us apart is that we have our own designs and a lot of them are local,” Nick Hebert said. “I’m proud to be from this area. I know Damien is and I know David is. When I was growing up, I always said I wanted to get the hell out of this place. But I lived in New Orleans and I hated it. This is where I’m supposed to be and I have a sense of pride in this area and I think our work reflects that.”

The DTB storefront is a new addition to the business’ repertoire.

Initially, the store featured just a back room for printing and sales were conducted through Facebook and email.

Now, DTB is a fully functional business where customers can pick-up their orders throughout regular business hours.

The company’s Facebook is still a vital tool where they showcase the lion’s share of their work.

St. Pierre said the growth is a sign that the community respects and values the work they are doing.

He said he believes the future is bright for the young company.

“South Lafourche football’s success really helped us out,” St. Pierre said. “We’ve also gotten a lot of companies that we’re doing repeat business with. We also have a lot of people who will make orders for one shirt – just somebody who thinks they have a good idea.

“We’re just continuing to grow. We’re excited to see how things develop for us in the next year.”

From left, David Hebert, Damien St. Pierre and Nick Hebert, pose inside the storefront of Down the Bayou Design Studio and Clothing Company. The newly created clothing store boasts unique local designs – something they believe sets them apart from other businesses.

CASEY GISCLAIR | TRI-PARISH TIMES