We're continuing our 20-year celebration by highlighting our amazing customers. Our next spotlight is on Darren from Squeezed Orange, a custom print and embroidery studio in Essex, England.
Darren was one of our original customers when we launched AS Colour in the United Kingdom. His work is defined by its quality. His ambition and exceptional understanding of his customers were honed while successfully running his own clothing brand.
Believe it or not, sixteen years ago, Darren was a professional freestyle jet skier. His side hustle printing team shirts evolved into his own brand, ATW, before transforming into the full-service decoration company it is today: Squeezed Orange. From fulfilling single-item orders to processing thousands of garments, his business has grown steadily, and the journey is far from over.
We're incredibly proud of our relationship with a customer who so perfectly embodies the qualities we admire: passion, quality, and an unwavering commitment to his craft.
How did you come up with the name Squeezed Orange?
The name Squeezed Orange was literally a random thought. It was originally supposed to be hidden behind my own brand. Fast forward to today, my brand has been sold, and Squeezed Orange is centre stage.
How many people are in the team?
We’re a small family-run business - a team of four.
What embellishment are you using the most these days?
Embroidery, we have unofficially become the go-to embroidery shop.
What sets Squeezed Orange apart from the rest in the industry?
We’ve been where our clients are, we know what they’re looking for and what direction the industry is going in.
What keeps you motivated and passionate about what you do?
I’m constantly building and growing the business, the machines and pushing to create something new. I'm nearly always testing new digitising setups, most never make it past testing, but I have created some unique stitch patterns which have been used by huge brands / bands.
What innovations in decoration are you currently exploring or implementing?
DTF transfers are definitely the biggest part of the print world that is changing right now. Not every transfer is the same, but when you find a good high quality transfer, you’ll be amazed by the colours and designs possible.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Extending the business into the embroidery world and developing my skills as a digitiser.
What is a business challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?
As the design world has exploded, brands have wanted more colours in their designs. With the limitation of screen heads, I had to research and test various solutions, DTF transfers. These transfers have allowed us to produce garments with detailed designs and more colours than the rainbow.
What is one job that stands out, above the rest, for you in the history of your company?
Early on in my embroidery journey, when I only had 5 small hobby machines, I had a big order for an international client. This job took us weeks of continual embroidery work, which today I could complete before lunch.
How does your region influence your decoration?
Being so close to so many different industries, from the car scene to music events, from sporting companies to retail work, we’re at the centre of it all. We work at such a fast pace, other regions struggle to keep up.
Who’s your go-to person at AS Colour?
Guy (no, seriously, his name's Guy).
What excites you about the future?
More embroidery machines… lots more.
The 5151 Made Hood is the perfect canvas for Squeezed Orange's bespoke embroidery design. Darren’s craftsmanship of the chain stitch is top of the game, a perfect match for our most premium blank ever.
Get in touch with Squeezed Orange
Photographed by Gary Van Handley
