Darryl Ohrt
To say Darryl Ohrt loves sneakers is an understatement.
When he and his fiancée, Michelle, got married, a pair of classic black and white checkered high-top Vans graced his feet. So as to not stand out, his groomsmen were also attired in sneakers.
“I still have those Vans, in a box in our attic,” Ohrt said.
He may be the founder of Plaid Design in Danbury, but on his business card it says band manager. That”™s just part of who he is and he has no reservations encouraging his employees to express themselves as well.
“Sneakers have forever been a part of pop culture,” he said. “As a design and branding firm, it”™s important to stay on top of pop culture and apparel trends because these things influence the design of the things all around us. Sneaker style is a good indicator of what”™s happening in youth culture, and ultimately popular culture. So sneakers are one of the many trends that we monitor.”
Ohrt, 45 is a former punk rocking skateboarder whose love of pop culture and trying trends before they become mainstream.
The Plaid space is in the loft on Main Street in Danbury with brightly painted walls and small corners designated strictly for his staff to brainstorm.
“Heavy influences from street artists, skate culture and alternative music scenes typically drive the styles,” he said. “I read a few sneaker blogs and keep track of what”™s happening in the different markets across the sneaker-verse.”
Ohrt moved around from Texas to Chicago before his parents settled in the Danbury area when he was a teen. A self-proclaimed corporate brat, Ohrt rebelled, getting heavily involved in punk rock and the emerging skateboarding scene.
He became lead singer for the band No Milk on Tuesday. His future in design was able to shine through, however, when Ohrt began designing show fliers and posters for his band.
Ohrt attended Western Connecticut State University where he became involved with radio.
“At some point in college I discovered that there was a business side to music and that the rock star thing wasn’t the only way to get into the business, so I pursued that and did some promotion work.”
Upon graduating Ohrt did a brief stint in promotion, and went on to Alliance entertainment.
“I held a billion positions at Alliance, ending with chief operating officer of their in-house ad agency,” he said. “It was a fairly large in-house ad agency for a conglomerate of music industry companies. My division was being relocated to Florida and I decided to try going out on my own.”
In 1996, Ohrt started Digital Intelligence Agency, which was rebranded as Plaid Design just over a year ago. Today, Plaid is a service design and brand firm taking part in print, interactive and video media.
“At Plaid we”™re very much into exploration and looking at new tools and media to play with. Everyone here is playing with everything from Facebook to Twitter, it”™s very hands on.”
Although he has two children, Eric, 16 and Devin, 19, with his wife, he seems to be the one with a teen”™s ability to stay on top of trends. He encourages all of his employees to contribute to the company”™s blog and even start their own.
“I think it”™s a responsibility to stay on top of pop culture and consumer trends. I”™ve been a fan of pop culture for as long as I can remember. For me it”™s a love to explore the latest and greatest and lately that”™s meant a lot of Internet and social media tools. The skate culture was so much a part of my life in my younger days. Then I got turned onto snowboarding, then mountain biking and most recently I began trail running.”
Ohrt invites clients out for mountain bike trail rides. He also challenges co-workers and other design firms to running challenges with the use of Nike Plus, Nike”™s online-based running club.
“Now my running addiction feeds my Internet addiction, we have competitions with people in the office and other creative people across the country,” he said. “We”™ve competed with a media buying agency and have started talking to some people in Chicago.”
Though he can be found snowboarding in the winter, mountain biking in the summer and running all year long, Ohrt brings sports into the office having weekly competitions with one of his favorite toys, the Segway.
Ohrt”™s enthusiasm for and devotion to pop culture and participation is as up-to-the-minute as his footwear. He even has a developed ranking system for his shoes with the categories, new, favorite, every day, lawn mowing, and athletic and technical.
“I love buying sneakers when I travel. They remind me of the places I”™ve been. My current favorite pair of sneakers, Pumas, with the red stripe and yellow trim, they remind me of my last trip to Puerto Rico. I have as many shoes as my wife does, but mine are all sneakers.”
Interesting sneakers can be seen on people throughout the Plaid offices and according to Ohrt on most people within creative communities.
“My next purchase is metallic silver low-top Chuck Taylors. These so rock. I love Chucks because you can wear them to death. They”™re really the only sneakers that you can wear torn to pieces, and they still look hot. A pair of beaten up Chucks look awesome with anything. Even a suit.”
Ohrt says he will wear sneakers forever continually rotating them through his cycle and eventually to lawnmower or yard-work status before finally retiring them for good.
Currently in Ohrt”™s active collection he has three pairs of Nikes, four pairs of Pumas, four pairs of Adidas, two pairs of Converse, one pair of Pro Keds, one pair of Vans and three pairs of Technicals.
“Luckily, in our business, sneakers are acceptable and expected in client meetings, presentations and events. Just like you expect a good suit on your accountant, the creative people you hire should sport sneakers appropriate for who they are. And today, I”™m feeling energetic. So it”™s a good day for fluorescent Nikes, don’t you think?”