While Matt Snow assures us that he loves both dogs and cats, he has to admit, "Cats edge out the dogs by a hair." Good thing he's not discriminating during National Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, or April as you know it, as his Baltimore-based clothing company Ex-Boyfriend is donating 100% of the net proceeds from poster, magnet and keychain bottle opener sales to the Maryland SPCA from now through April 15th. Ex-Boyfriend, the "clothing that starts conversations," gets its name from that one awesome item your ex left behind after a messy break-up that you just can't bear to part with because of the awesome compliments it gets you. Snow's designs stay true to that concept, with quirky images and phrases that bring the monsters, zombies, and "foodie cuties" back to your wardrobe, and the shirts have been worn recently in TV shows including Modern Family and Tosh.0. Ex-Boyfriend has kept Art Institute of Pittsburgh grad Snow busy since he started the company with his wife, Meredith in late 2005 (It became a full-time business in 2009), but the 31-year-old Fells Point resident still had time to chat b up about the need for sincerity in the fashion world and why kids still hate eating veggies.
Worst pet peeve? "Bad parking". You know, when a car takes up 2-3 spots along a curb because a driver doesn't really "get" that whole parallel parking thing.
What's on your iPod? A bit of everything. The last tracks it played were The Pharcyde, "Oh Sh*t"' and Idlewild, "A Distant History."
What song are you hating and/or loving right now? Loving Notorious B.I.G.'s "Juicy," it's perfect for coming out of hibernation. Hating Rihanna's "We Found Love", but only because I can't escape it. I'm sure I'll like it in a few years.
Your worst habit? Toss-up between biting my nails and procrastinating.
Trend that has exceeded its natural lifespan? So many to choose from, but I think silhouetted birds (as a design element) and ironic facial hair should be the first to go. Actually, how about just irony in general? I think sincerity needs to make a comeback.
Favorite/least favorite band? Fave: Idlewild or The Smiths, I can't choose. Least: I guess we can focus our rage on Nickelback today.
Last video that made you snort with laughter? Easily the ad from DollarShaveClub.com I saw a couple weeks ago.
Favorite book you recently read? Naive: Modernism and Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design edited by Robert Klanten.
Food you hate? Jello is repugnant, but I REALLY hate it when vegetables aren't prepared properly. Most people overcook them, and sour entire generations of kids on eating veggies.
Favorite place to get a drink in Baltimore? Bad Decisions, on the corner of Fleet & S. Washington in Fells Point. Best cocktails, bartenders, and mixologists in Baltimore, bar none.
Favorite thing about Baltimore? When we first moved up here from DC, my wife and I would visit our friends down there a lot, and they'd always ask "What's the biggest difference between Baltimore and DC?" And I always said "You know how at a bar or party in DC the first thing a new acquaintance asks you is 'What do you do?' In Baltimore, it's always 'What are you drinking?' or 'What can I get you to drink?', and you often don't find out until the third time you hang out with someone what they do for a living. We're human beings first, workers second. I think that's a pretty decent metaphor for the American Dream.