ROCK & ROYALTY ™ by Modern Material is an indie designer brand of clothing & accessories inspired by the mixture of modern world rock & roll and medieval European royalty. Bold and edgy elements such as chunky chain or stark graphics entwine with ribbon, lace, pearls, and heraldic symbols. This rocker romance style combines the traditional hard edge rocker chic style with beautiful embellishments inspired by royalty fashion from the likes of Marie Antoinette. The brand continues to evolve with its niche in the Indie music and fashion scene. Black, white and a blend of gray set the overall underground mood of the brand. The Rock & Royalty Collection features charming heraldic tees, trendy rocker jewelry, and bold embellished hats and ties. Rock & Royalty Couture entails handmade embellishments and limited edition pieces that require special attention to their creation.

Founder and designer, Annie Weihrauch, 30, established Modern Material and Rock & Royalty as an outlet to express her own style and creativity outside of the powerhouse retail brands she designs for daily. Annie spent 4 years as a packaging and accessories designer for Bath & Body Works and currently works as an accessories designer for Atrium, a product development and manufacturing company, where she supports dozens of retail fashion brands including Justice, Aerie, Express, The Limited, Victoria’s Secret, PINK, It’Sugar, Thirty-One, Pac Sun, Harley Davidson, Toys R Us, David’s Bridal and morel. Working on brands which operate in the mass market is quite opposite from a small boutique brand, however the experiences work hand in hand. Modern Material is based in Columbus, Ohio yet the web store brings in customers from around the world.

The web store launched in January 2008 and has evolved over the last two years. With little budget for marketing, word began to spread around the world through social networks, blogs, indie fashion forums, concerts, events, giveaways, charities and a celebrity gift basket for Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale. Boutiques are often interested in carrying Modern Material in their stores, however selling at wholesale prices is a challenge based on product quantities, production costs and retail prices. Many items are handmade and often require materials that can’t be reproduced or purchased when supplies run out. As Annie sets out to design a new item, she looks for materials that can create a few pieces per style, but aren’t easily mass-produced. There is a unique factor that exists, setting the brand apart from major retailers.

Shop. Rock & Roll. With rock & roll so heavily influenced through out the brand, it only seemed natural to bring music to the ears of customers. As a huge supporter of Indie music, Annie began collaboration with some of her favorite bands and singer/songwriters to unite music & style. The Rock & Royalty Indie Rock Collection, Volume 1 was soon released as a free digital download with any purchase of $10 or more. This compilation of 30 songs features amazing musicians around the US and Canada who are determined to find their place in the world of music. This impressive soundtrack yields songs that have been heard on popular television shows including Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill, and 90210. Artists such as The Alternate Routes, Great Northern, Jay Clifford, Ari Hest, Derek James, and The Clarks have been touring for years, developing quite a following in the Indie music scene. This collection has been licensed for a period of 1 year (til June 2010) or 5,000 downloads. Hopes for a second collaboration are greatly anticipated.

Please check out the blog link, which will feature exciting news related to Rock & Royalty by Modern Material. Meanwhile, the New Music Material blog will highlight exciting new artists and concert reviews as often as possible.

LIVE. LOVE. ROCK. Inspired by Rock & Roll Romance.