Get to know DROOL founder Alex

 

So you might be a DROOL fan, but do you know the DROOL journey? We speak to DROOL founder Alex to get the story on the DROOL beginnings, plans for the future, his fave part of the biz and how he likes to wind down.

 

How did the idea for DROOL begin?

When I finally made the move out of a house share and into a flat with my girlfriend, we started adulting to start caring about how our flat looked. I wanted the decor to showcase my style and personality. So I went on the hunt for decor to put on the walls, but I really struggled to find anywhere decent to buy reasonably priced artworks that matched the look and feel I wanted. I knew there were so many awesome artists out there, many of whom I followed on Instagram and Pinterest, but there was a severe lack of representation for these early career creatives. Turns out, I wasn't alone in my frustration. I spoke to other people about this and they felt the same. All the sites out there were super mainstream, stuffy and not run by creatives. So I set out to build DROOL, an accessible store that is run by creatives and sell unique contemporary art. All with the mission to champion and financially empower underrepresented artists.

Why the name ‘DROOL’?

The name DROOL has no roots or real meaning. But that’s what I intended. I wanted to build a memorable brand name that had no direct link or correlation to the industry we are in or the work we do. That way, we can put a personality to it.

Where do you see DROOL in 5 years time?

I will continue scaling DROOL into a truly global brand, making it the go-to destination for contemporary art prints. Representing more amazing talent and putting community at our core, I want to motivate a creative movement that’s driven by self-expression and the empowerment that people should create spaces that represent their style and personality. The artists we work with represent a breadth of experiences, backgrounds, and artistic styles, but all the artworks on DROOL feel like a comprehensive collection.

How do you curate this?

I always wanted to make DROOL a curated store, so I started by simply selecting artists that I personally liked. I was a DROOL customer after all, so when I see a work of art I really dig, I simply reach out to the artist and start working with them. So the selection of artworks represented the breadth of work I was attracted to and that jumped out at me. We now have someone in the team that's dedicated to discovering new artists and we review each one together. I think sticking to this approach makes DROOL much more authentic and natural.

What’s your favourite thing about DROOL?

Not only is building a brand and team from the ground up super exciting, but being able to put money in the pockets of independent artists is what makes me happy.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

To be honest, running a business means there isn't loads of spare time so I like to make the most of it when I can. I live in London and it's hard to beat the music scene here. I like going out to electronic music events and went to Venue MOT to see Night Slugs not so long ago which was so good. Shout out to recently getting back from my first Glastonbury too. Mind blown!