Rocksmith Fall 2013 Lookbook featuring Curren$y

From the streets of New York and Tokyo, Rocksmith emerged. Erik Marino and Kenshin Ichikawa started a brand that was bound to materialize the greatness of the metropolis.
 
Blend in hip-hop, street culture, fusion and an always growing will and power to deliver the best visuals street fashion can find and one has Rocksmith.
 
We talked with Erik Marino and Kenshin Ichikawa about the roots of the brand, Japanese roots and more.
 
Read below.
 
 

What’s the story behind the establishment of Rocksmith?
 
Rocksmith was launched in 2004, at a time where New York City and Tokyo we very connected by street fashion and culture. Co-Founder Kenshin Ichikawa, although based in NYC left to Japan to connect with record label The Life Entertainment and various other liaisons from Tokyo FM to street fashion crews. Kenshin convinced Rocksmith Co-Founder Erik Marino the exit corporate fashion in NYC and move to Tokyo to start the brand. Rocksmith launched as a full cut n sew collection and was Asia exclusive for a year while they partied, drank nonstop Boss canned cold coffee and designed alongside a group of Tokyo’s hottest Dj’s who were distributing the product. That chapter of the brand was naturally raw, as the local hip hop, b-boy culture; street wear was at a golden point. Rocksmith was too hot to keep only in Japan so a homesick Kenshin and Erik returned to NYC to launch the brand out of a hotel room in Las Vegas. The entry into the US market was an easy one, as both Kenshin and Erik independently designed and owned previous street wear brands stocked at some of the best boutiques in the country from Union to Red Five earlier in the decade.
 
The brand has been around for more than 10 years, how has it evolved during that time?
 
Rocksmith has evolved organically and at a calculated pace. Tactical growth on the upwards, while shipping just the right amount of product. We expanded our offering, opened a first store in NYC, partnered in designing the Wutang Brand Limited collection, added a lot of talented people to our team, gone global and are still having fun. Since we are a music lifestyle brand, we move like music moves, it doesn’t stop.
 
Hip hop still is one of the brand’s strongest inspirations – will it remain like that? Has the brand ever considered moving its focus towards other themes/segments?
 
Hip Hop will always be an inspiration and in the DNA of Rocksmith. Hip Hop is probably the most influential movement in our lives; it brought so many cultures together. We have lived many elements and stages of it and learned from previous heads. Thematically though, like hip hop in the form of “trap” or fused with edm… cultures are a big loud and beautiful mix right now. We like creating visual’s and fashion to music in the same way producers enjoy creating music to a visual. That’s the vibe we are on.
 
Is there still a considerable Japanese influence?
 
From the onset, yes Japanese street fashion and culture has been an influence. Our team is the Ninja Squad, Kenshin “Osaka Jones” family goes back to the way back in Osaka, warfare. Textile. Samurai shit. 90′s Japanese street fashion was just dope as well; good design is on the comeback.
 
Just how important is content creation for Rocksmith? Not thinking just in terms of sales, but also as a way of connecting to the community/fans.
 
Content creation is a massive part of our DNA, the second part of our brand is the lifestyle component, which plays into not just the fashion, but the music, art, culture, influences and everything else that inspires us our consumers daily. It is our job as a brand to go beyond the clothing, and create a cultural experience through content and lifestyle that brings all these pieces together to better tell the story of our brand and movement.
 
Finally, a message to all fans Rocksmith and a note about upcoming collections
 
Wish I could show y’all the 2014 designs we are working on now at 4am!! Got some heat, time to really shake things up. We are collaborating with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and a lot of really cool projects lined up. The summer (Heat), fall (Crack), Holiday real fun product. We are blessed to have the support of so many.

 
Find out more about Rocksmith.
 

The GOODHOOD store has been providing fine product to all its customers and friends since 2007. The main principle behind the establishment of the shop was to deliver a premium selection of goods from all over the world.
 
Jo Sindle & Kyle Stewart keep a very high standard when it comes to select the brands’ available. The history of GOODHOOD, the new ways of presenting and delivering product, and upcoming collaborations for the new season were some of the topics of our interview.
 
Read it all below on Episode 12 of our Stories of Stores feature.

Who founded and who is currently responsible for the management of The Goodhood Store?
 

The GOODHOOD Store

When the garage rock revival took over the world in the 2000s, they were one of the bands on the frontline. At present, and after releasing five albums, The Hives are a band known worldwide, with legions of followers.
 
Even if it is a fact that garage rock keeps on being the band’s favorite playground, the truth is that the Swedes nowadays are on a much bigger league, with songs featured on the soundtrack of video games, and an endless agenda with live shows for thousands of fans.
 
We talked with Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, the band’s vocalist, about the secret of The Hives’ success, garage rock and style.
 
Read below.

A lot has passed since the establishment of the band – can you point out three key moments of The Hives’ history?

I suppose making Veni Vidi Vicious. We kind of hit our stride there and found the core of the Hives as we now know it.
Getting massively popular around 2001-2 was pretty cool and changed our lives in many ways.
Releasing and touring Lex Hives has been pretty special. Not many bands fill the same places or bigger 13 years into their career with virtually no radio play.

The Hives

Chris Aylen is a creative mind, a developer and, above all, a sneaker aficionado. He was one of the co-founders of Crooked Tongues, one of the most popular sneaker sites around.
 
If his passion for sneakers is a fact, also undeniable is his enthusiasm and humbleness to share this enthusiasm and knowledge with the community. In the meantime, while he does consultancy for clients such as Stüssy and Nike, and maintains a position as the Creative Director at Isle Skateboards, he still finds the time to share with Ry Barr the management of The Drop Date, one of his latest web ventures.
 
Chris Aylen shared with us some of his story in the gigantic small world of sneakers.

Read below.

Do you remember when you first started to get interested in sneakers?
 
It would have been around the age of 8 when I first became aware of the difference between generic and premium footwear brands. I can remember seeing a pair of Nike Wimbledons for the first time and thinking that the Swoosh added something exciting to what was otherwise a very basic model. When hip-hop reached the mainstream media in the UK, I was completely absorbed by the clothing and footwear that the b-boys were wearing. I’ve still got my first pair of canvas Nike Tennis Max somewhere at home.

How would you define the magic in all of it, the passion for sneakers that is?
 
Although sneakers are primarily for wearing, the designer in me appreciates them as objects. I’ve got lots of pairs of shoes that I’ll never actually wear but like to own, simply because I like how they look. For me personally, it’s this kind of ridiculous aspect that defines the passion and love for sports footwear.
 
Could you please share with us some details and numbers about your current sneaker collection?
 
When I was younger, I’d usually wear my sneakers until they had to be thrown out – when I think back to some of the shoes I once owned and then discarded, it brings tears to my eyes! Up until the age of 10 or 11 when I started doing a newspaper delivery round, my collection usually consisted of three or four pairs. As soon as I started earning my own money, I’d buy new sneakers as often as I could.

At the time of writing the Sneakers book for Thames & Hudson (along with Steve Bryden, Chris Law, Phil Aylen and Jeff Metal while we were at U-Dox), I had around 375 pairs of sneakers. This grew to about 400 pairs, but I’ve recently cut back to around 250 pairs due to space.
 
A long time has passed since you founded Crooked Tongues alongside Russ Williamson and Chris Law – what has changed since then?
 
I think that time has already come. When we started Crooked Tongues back in 1999/2000, people couldn’t understand what we were doing – and at the time, all we were doing was creating an online resource because we genuinely wanted to. There was a master plan in there somewhere, but I don’t think any of us envisioned the day when you’d walk down the street seeing everyone wearing amazing sneakers on their feet. You used to be able to tell a skater simply by looking at which shoes they had on their feet. Those days are long gone.

There are many projects, media outlets and brands that have really stuck with things from the early days when no-one knew what we were doing, and it’s great to see them doing well today.
 
Do you believe there will be a time when all street culture will become engulfed by mainstream trends or pretty much the opposite will happen?
 
The term ‘street culture’ sometimes feels like a lazy way to lump together a wide range of different scenes. When I grew up, skating had very little to do with hip-hop or graffiti: it was considered weird to be interested in all of those things at the same time. Some people have spread themselves too thin across too many things that don’t really have that much in common and, as a result, I feel that the media coined the term ‘street culture’ to label everything. Mind you, I’m probably as guilty as anyone for using it!
 
Please state three main things that you have learned about this industry and that you want to share with the community.
 
The most important thing is to be supportive and help other people out where possible. Without people giving me an opportunity to get my work published or taking a risk on investing in my ideas, I wouldn’t have achieved anything. I’m very grateful to anyone who gave me an opportunity: Tim Leighton-Boyce at R.a.D./Phat magazine, Eugene Butcher at Hey Tony/Big Cheese, Laurent Roure, Nicky Belcher and KJ from Bond International and Russell Williamson are significant people that I owe a lot to.

I’d also say that being prepared to take risks has been a big part of my background. I’ve had several points in my professional life where I’ve left the security of a formal job to pursue my own ideas without any financial support – and, overall, that’s paid off.

Finally, if you try and treat people how you’d like to be treated yourself, you’re never going to go far wrong. I’ve had a few hard lessons along the way and I firmly believe in karma!
 
What about your current and upcoming projects?
 
As always, I’m working on a number of different projects at the moment. I work with Ry Barr on www.thedropdate.com which has been growing quickly since we launched in July 2012. I also do creative consultancy and copywriting for a number of clients, such as Stussy, Nike and several skate brands, and I am the creative director and co-founder of Isle Skateboards (www.isleskateboards.com), along with Nick Jensen and Paul Shier. I also own a music label – www.diggerswithgratitude.com – which is reaching its tenth year of operations.

I still work with Russ Williamson and the guys at U-Dox on occasion, which is great, as it keeps me involved in a collaborative agency environment.

Outside of that, I still write for Sneaker Freaker magazine when time allows, and try to keep writing for various other publications whenever possible.

I’m never not working, but that’s out of choice rather than necessity!

 
 
Photo credits (Chris Aylen): Phil Aylen
 
 

Capsule is one of the most important trade events around, making a very singular junction between fashion and lifestyle, high-end and streetwear.
 
Creativity, collaboration, branding, it is all part of the show’s aura, like a significant gathering of all eagerly creative minds around the business.
 
We talked about Capsule with Deirdre Maloney, one of the founders of BPMW, the fashion consultancy company that owns the show.
 
The history about the event, the brands selected for the show, and many more stories surrounding Capsule were some of the topics of the interview.
 
Read below.

What is the story behind the establishment of the Capsule Show?
 
Capsule is owned by BPMW, a fashion consultancy in New York. Before we started Capsule in 2007, we spent a lot of time at tradeshows all over the world and just didn’t feel like any of them were speaking to us or to our market. So, we made our own tradeshow as an antidote to all of that.
 
Why the name “Capsule”?
 
Well, like I said – when we started our tagline was “the antidote to tradeshow sameness.” The name fit in with that idea. A dose of Capsule and everything is how it should be.
 
Can you share with us some details about the current structure that works the show?
 
There are some things that will never change about Capsule. We’ll always be a tight mix of the best established brands and exciting newcomers, we’ll always have beautiful venues and we’ll always do our best to make the show feel like a community and not just a tradeshow. But, we’re always adding new elements to keep things fresh. This season we’ve expanded our Donut Shop to Berlin – it was previously only in New York and Vegas. The Capsule Donut Shop is a cash and carry section that highlights amazing people doing interesting things that aren’t necessarily within the fashion world – local shops, handmade goods, some vintage pieces. It’s really fun for our guests to actually be able to shop and take something home with them.

Deirdre Maloney | Capsule Show

What is the main criteria that defines the selection of brands present at the show?
 
Quality and authenticity are always first and foremost in our minds. The apparel and accessories need to be made well and have a quality of design that you can’t find elsewhere. That’s the most important thing and what sets Capsule apart from other shows – every brand is great, from top to bottom.
 
Please tell us how, when and why should everyone attend the next Capsule.
 
You haven’t seen everything a tradeshow can be until you’ve been to Capsule. It’s something you need to experience yourself. The best brands, the nicest people in the world, all around good vibes – plus we have a happy hour every day. Our first show of the season was Capsule Paris Men’s in June, followed by Berlin. Next up is New York Men’s on July 22nd – 23rd, then on to Vegas and closing the season out with our women’s shows in New York and Paris in the fall. So if you can get yourself to one of those cities, we’ll be there waiting for you, beer in hand.
 
Capsule currently happens in Paris, Berlin, Las Vegas and New York – what’s next?
 
Right now we’re focusing in on ways to make our existing shows even better. We’re always on the lookout for the next emerging market where we can set up shop, but nothing to announce yet.

Please share with us the most amazing story about the show (the show itself or preparation of it).

We have great stories of success from the show – brands who met retailers at Capsule that transformed their business, collaborations forged on the show floor, designers who started out showing tiny collections with us and are showing at Fashion Week around the world. When we first started, we were a very small operation and set up the shows ourselves, so we also have plenty of stories of everyone lugging rolling racks and shelving units all over Paris and New York – literally everyone, from my business partners and I to the sales team.
 
Even the caterer helped us out once. But my favorite story is from last summer in Berlin, when we had a huge outdoor BBQ planned. Hanni El Khatib was booked to play; everyone was excited to be outside after a day of working in their booths, we had a stage set up and everything. That morning we made the call not to build a tent, since the forecast called for nothing but sunshine. So of course about 5 minutes before Hanni was set to go on, it started raining. And not a little drizzle – it was like a monsoon. We had to move everyone inside and Hanni couldn’t perform, but it ended up being so much fun. Everyone just went with it – I think we may have drank all of the beer in Berlin that night.

Get to know more about the Capsule Show.
 
 

Ebbets Field Flannels is an American brand. That strong and proud heritage feeling is all over its product portfolio built with a thorough and vast research of the history of all non major league baseball teams.
 
Finding vintage athletic equipment representing the Negro leagues, or the pre-1958 Pacific Coast League, it is all part of Ebbets’ mission.
 
Jerry Cohen is a man with strong values. He founded Ebbets Fields Flannels 25 years ago, and he strongly believes in a thing most brands have almost forgotten: authenticity.
 
Read our interview with Jerry Cohen and find out more about Ebbets.

Jerry Cohen | Ebbets Field Flannels

Ebbets has been around for more than 20 years as brand. What are the most unforgettable things that you have lived during this journey?
 
Lots of little things like Johnny Rotten (of all people) calling me once and saying he was a customer and loved our stuff. More recently, it was doing the uniforms for “42″ the film about Jackie Robinson.
 
The brand works with historical items – how hard is it to do that kind of research work?
 
It has always been a challenge. You have to realize that we started in 1988, well before the internet. Research was very difficult to come by. I still have the research files I created in the first few years of the business.
 
Can you tell us a bit more about the selection process, of the designs and graphic items? 
 
I wish I could say that it is very scientific, but it is surprisingly subjective. We look for good graphics, and a story that ties it all together. The difficult thing is to find enough variety in colors and emblems, as baseball teams of the era we cover tended to be quite conservative for the most part.
 
Is the fabrication process all US based nowadays?
 
Virtually everything we do is crafted in the USA. We recently switched to only US-made blanks for t-shirts. That was pretty much the only thing that wasn’t American-made.
 
Knowing that Ebbets currently has an online store (but it was not always like this) – do international sales surpass the domestic ones?
 
We were a direct seller before we were discovered by the fashion world. We started as a cataloguer. Domestic US sales still surpass international, but the international market has been growing steadily in the last two years, and we are making a very big effort overseas.
 
What about collaborations with other brands?
 
This has been an interesting and rewarding sideline of our main business. The brands that have approached us are almost always ones we admire ourselves: Ralph Lauren, Bathing Ape, Eddie Bauer, Stussy. It’s quite flattering that brands like these have reached out to us to collaborate.
 
Finally, what can you tell us about upcoming collections?
 
We are working hard in two main areas: Knitwear and outerwear. You will see a line of 1930s style vintage sweaters soon, and we are working on several types of historic athletic jackets at different price points. We also have our eye on a women’s collection, which will be quite different from anything we have done before, but still keeping to EFF’s mission of timelessness and authenticity.

Visit Ebbets Field Flannels official website
 
 

Dani Benz | Asphalt Gold

asphaltgold is one of the most respected sneaker stores around. Since the beginning, when Dani Benz first established the store in Darmstadt, a small German town, the ultimate goal has been to deliver original shoes, and to do it with a relentless good vibe.
 
Episode 11 of our “Stories of Stores” tells us about the German sneaker and streetwear store.
 
Read our interview with Dani Benz and learn how developing the business that you love can be even more fun than it seems.

When and why did you decide to establish asphaltgold?
 
The starting point was our passion for trainers and the niche in my hometown Darmstadt for a well sorted sneaker store.
When I ended my sports degree a nice retail store from a friend became vacant … that was the point of no return.
 
How is business these days? Does your online operation surpass the retail already?
 
Business these days is really satisfactory… comparing to the first 3 years the core customers with passion for trainers increased when in contrast with fashion embossed customers. Also the proportion of woman increased.
We are happy with both channels… the in store business also grew – that’s why we moved to a bigger store right next door.
 
How do you decide the models that end up at your store? In terms of apparel and sneakers, what really makes the decision?
 
Since the start we have our focus on retro running. Authentic colorways will be ordered naturally… additional new running silhouettes and hybrids with nice shapes and fresh colorways.

OG Jordan Retros or classic tennis shoes also… our little apparel selection is fitted to our trainer focus. There are also established brands with a connection and an accepted standing in the sneaker world.
 
What can you tell us about upcoming collaborations with sneakers/apparel brands?
 
Ask me again in summer… this year we celebrate our 5 year birthday!
 
Please pick up the best three models that you currently have in store.
 
With our focus on retro running, we are very happy with the multifaceted colorways Nike offers on the air vortex. The adidas tech super could be rookie of the summer. The shape is perfect and the colorways until now are really fresh! Another model with big potential is the Nike Roshe Run. Very comfortable – nice colorways – unisex… perfect summer shoe!
 
What was the most fantastic thing that happened to you, regarding the store, during these past five years?
 
In the last 2 years our team evolved to become a little family. Almost every day there are always good vibes. I think this good mood automatically transfers to our customers. It’s a cool thing going to work around every single day.
 

 
 
Visit asphaltgold.
 
 
 
 

Thorocraft is a brand that truly defies any categorization.
 
Founded in 2009 by a group of aficionados, the brand swiftly became one of the most sought after footwear brands due to its fresh takes on classic shoe models. The original patterns and the clever color combinations are part of Thorocraft’s novel tradition.
 
Thorocraft talked to us about the story so far, the whole process of fabrication, and the main inspiration of the upcoming AW 13 collection.
 
Read below.
 
 
 
Who is and who makes Thorocraft?
 
Thorocraft is a small globally diverse group of highly trained craftsmen that have over 50 years of combined shoe mastery. We are aficionados and that drives our love for the craft. We operate in small family owned factories that share our love for what we do and in turn translates to the highest quality products.
 
Please explain us about the whole handmade process of all Thorocraft shoes.
 
Before the cutting, before the stitching, before the finishing of the leathers, the first thing is creating a “last”. The “Last Master” must create the shape in which the shoe will mold to by sculpting the Last by hand. He carves the shape using only a set of simple tools, sight, feel and generations passed down knowledge.

The leathers for the shoe uppers are painstakingly examined and selected by a master to ensure quality. Each piece is of the pattern is then thoughtfully placed on the leather hide to achieve the most consistent color and beauty of grain. The marked patterns are then precisely cut, skived, and meticulously stitched all by craftsmen. Then the arduous process of hand stretching the pattern over the last and tacking it on so the shoe can take its form.

Once the pattern is perfectly smoothed out and has formed to the last, the outsole is nailed into place and layer by layer the leather sole and welt is stacked and stitched to the shoe.

Upon completion, each shoe is thoroughly inspected and only after meeting our strict requirements will our signature copper rivet be set as the seal of approval and our mark of quality. This process is unique to Thorocraft footwear and no other company has a quality Insignia quite like it.
 
Was it complicated to establish a brand new footwear brand from scratch?
 
Certainly the most difficult, that is why there are much fewer independent shoe brands.  It’s a multi disciplinary trade combining knowledge from Architecture and Apparel design mixed with centuries old craftsmanship and modern engineering all at once.
 
Can we expect collaborations any time soon?
 
We will be launching some very special product with brand and retailers who share the same passions as we do. We unfortunately cannot mention at the moment, but stay tuned to our social channels, Instagram: Thorocraft, and Facebook.com/Thorocraft for more info and release dates.
 
Spring/Summer 2013 was recently released – can you tell us a bit about the upcoming collection? Any clues?
 
Spring 2013 was a rebellious take on traditional dress shoes, mixing neutrals with bold colors, inspiring patterns and fine materials. We focused on a breathable woven styles ideal for traveling along Italy’s coastline in the summer months.

The AW2013 collection is inspired by London. The eclectic dichotomy that thrives there was a good catalyst for inspiration to mix materials. The Savile Row businessmen particularly influenced us, which was our base for tradition with their bold yet tailored attire and well traveled taste.

We carry on with our rebellious view and juxtapose traditionally formal materials like polished dressy leathers, wools, Nubucks, Saffian against playfully contrasting graphic textiles, heavily oiled veg-tanned leathers, oversized pebbled grains, and graphic pony hair.

This season is the debut collection of our refined trainers that are made in the same factory with the same level of care and detail as our handmade oxfords and derby’s that have become known for their quality. The Porter, Colby and Lenox are sleek yet bold with hints of luxurious materials throughout.
 

More about Thorocraft.
 
 
 
 

Jeff Staple is one of the most respected personalities in the world of streetwear and design. Staple, the company he founded, is better recognized for its culture of innovation, premium product, and more. What could better define a man and his work than the permanent wish to make a difference?
 
In this comprehensive interview, Jeff Staple talks about his total commitment to the business, the passion for all things streetwear that grew ever since he was a kid and the exponential growth of a trade that ultimately continues to be a small world.
 
Read below.

As a kid, did you have a passion for sneakers, clothing?
 
Yeah, I definitely did. I was always very into clothing and sneakers. I remember in Elementary School I was class-voted “Best Dressed” (I think I came in 2nd actually), and my dressing was so out there and different from the other kids in school I’d get into fights about it, because I’d get ridiculed and I had to defend my fashion honor. Many fights were started because of the way I dressed. Then sneakers really got a hold over my life in the 6th grade. I was obviously into sneakers before, but the 6th grade is when it became a problem for me. It started with the Jordan 3, and from then on I’ve been a sneakerhead ever since. I’ve hoped I’d outgrow it but even as a full grown adult it hasn’t subsided.
 
When you started in the business what drove you the most? Creating new stuff? Making a difference?
 
In the beginning of the business it was really more about creating things I couldn’t find in the marketplace. So I was looking for stuff I wanted to wear and some companies would come close, and others would come close, and then they’d be lacking in some other way. So I really just wanted to make clothes that I wanted to represent and wear proudly. That was the point of it in the beginning.
Later on, as the culture grew, that’s where trying to make a difference and maybe lend a hand to young upstarts and entrepreneurs became more of a thing.
 
Streetwear and the magnitude of the business surrounding it has grown in an exponential way during the last few years – yet, is it still “our small world”?
 
I think you could look at this two ways: When we started, streetwear didn’t even have a name. It was really just a group of people. Where I grew up in New York City when I was starting, you’d go to a party or event or something, and there’d be less than 100 people there that were into this culture. If you saw some kid walking down the street wearing a brand relevant to street culture back then, you could pretty much stop and shake his hand, and have a new friend right away because you two were into the same thing. So if you look at it from that point of view, the culture has definitely grown. It’s now international, and involving millions and millions of people. Then you look at the flip side, and if you come from a world of The Gap and Old Navy, and Abercrombie & Fitch, it’s like a speck of dust sitting on the wing of a fly. That’s how small ”street culture” is. So you can kind of look at it both ways.
 
Brand collaborations are all over the footwear and clothing business – how come other industries don’t manage to deal with that that well, in terms of really memorable product ventures?
 
It’s interesting. I think footwear and clothing are obviously just really powerful industries. You look at collaborations happening in other industries such as Automobiles, Food & Beverage and stuff, and I think there are different issues at hand. You know, for example, with Automobiles, it’s just an expensive piece. The cheapest car is like a $20,000 purchase, you know? So it’s not like if you do a collab on a car, you’re gonna see lots and lots of them. A lot of people can’t access them. On the full opposite end of that spectrum you’ve got food, and I’ve seen limited edition drinks, collab yogurt and stuff. The problem with that is it’s so expendable, and such a commodity. You can’t put it on a shelf, you can’t like keep it under a plexiglass display in your home and people come and “ooh” and “ahh” over it. It’s like, you consume it, you throw it away, and it’s done. Clothing and footwear have this nice balance where it’s accessible, people can buy into it from a price point of view, and also it’s a memorable thing. You can put it on a shelf, you can put it on a mantle, put it behind glass, wear it over and over again. It has this lasting relevance.
 
What could be the next step in terms of branding and product development for the game? Collaborations are all around us – could it be that mere product exclusiveness could just run out of spark for the fans?
 
I don’t think collaborations will ever really run out of spark. I think people will always be excited when 2 or more parties come together authentically and create something really great. If on top of that it’s a limited production run I think people will always be excited about that. The challenge is: does the two companies, brands, or artists coming together, authentically make sense for them to come together? That’s number one. Number two, do they create great product? Those are two really big hurdles that a lot of times aren’t overcome. It’s usually one or other. It’s difficult – not as easy as it seems I should say, for those planets to align.
 

Jeff Staple

There was a day and age when collaborations weren’t just around the corner. There were times when the mere concept of collaborating didn’t actually exist as far as clothing brands are concerned.
 
Gary Aspden is a brand expert and one of the creative minds behind the groundbreaking marketing work by adidas during the last decade. The collaborations with the mythical Hacienda, Kazuki Kuraishi and Bape, are just three of highlights one of the most respected minds within the business.
 
Streetwear, authenticity and all the perils of the “hype” as an extreme force within the business are just some of the main topics of an insightful interview.
 
Read it and go out.

In your opinion, what has really changed in the streetwear business since the 90s?
 
To answer that I guess we need to clearly define the term ‘streetwear’. It seems to have come to define a fashion subculture that has been led by a group of brands/individuals whose background is rooted in skate culture born out of the US (e.g. Stussy, Supreme, etc) and Japan (e.g. A Bathing Ape, Good Enough, etc) in the 80s and 90s. There are other brands whose look is less obviously born out of that culture but nevertheless are roped in with this term (e.g. Neighborhood, Visvim, Cash ca, Fenom) but one change I can immediately pinpoint is that the line as to what the term ‘streetwear’ actually encapsulates has become increasingly more blurred. In 2013 where we draw the line? Is Undercover streetwear? Is Watanabe streetwear? As time goes on it becomes increasingly harder to define. We now have ‘streetwear’ coming from all corners of the globe (e.g. Norse Projects, Palace, etc) that has in many ways taken its lead from these companies.
 
Whilst I personally am a fan of some of the products manufactured by the brands mentioned above, my personal interpretation of streetwear, coming from the north west of England, would actually sit outside of how I have so far tried to define it. The ‘streetwear’ I grew up was much more about appropriation and re-contextualizing sportswear and designer brands. From that perspective CP Company was/is streetwear, Armani was streetwear, Ralph Lauren was/is streetwear, adidas is streetwear, Berghaus is streetwear, and the list goes on . . . I feel it is important to mention this as the homogenized idea of streetwear we have nowadays seems to leave little room for localized subcultures but I guess I’m going off on a tangent and should stick to trying to answer your question. For the purpose of these questions let’s keep it to my earlier definition as my own references have little association with skateboarding and much more to do with football and acid house.
 
The internet and in particular the hypesites and bloggers have made information far more easier to access not only for streetwear but for all areas of culture I guess. Consequently there is less time for subcultures to ferment – the well kept secrets are not so well kept any more. I spend very little time looking at hypesites and blogs – there seem to be a lot of very harsh judges online, it appears that we have a situation where the online culture surrounding traditional streetwear has a lot of spectators and not enough players. I only wish that instead of sitting around criticizing that these folks would get out and have some experiences – do some stuff.
 
I suppose I have witnessed huge changes since the 90s – for example I remember Kazuki taking me to see Hiroki’s first Visvim products in a tiny showroom near Harajuku. Witnessing the way that brand has built has been pretty incredible and one of the more interesting and inspiring brand stories (not just in streetwear) of the past decade.
 

 
Another brand that has seen huge changes is A Bathing Ape. I guess this can be traced to when Nigo struck up a relationship with Pharrell (and Clipse) and later Kanye, Joey Badass, etc. Prior the noughts BAPE had been the preserve of the likes of James Lavelle, DJ Shadow and Ian Brown but the brand seemed to be suddenly dragged straight into the middle of the mainstream pop culture of modern American Hip Hop (I have no doubt Nigo knew this would happen as he is a pretty smart guy). This love affair with all things urban lead BAPE to begin manufacturing their products in much bigger sizes to accommodate this but in many ways lead to a boom and bust scenario for the brand in the US (anyone remember the BAPE store on Melrose in LA?). I remember briefly meeting Nigo around 2000 and his personal style was a far cry from his B-Boy styling a few years later. Nigo is obsessed with popular culture so I can see why he did what he did there; it seemed to grow the brand dramatically but almost completely changed the brand’s audience. He has since gone on to sell the company.
 
I also think it’s fair to say that a lot of the pioneers in the streetwear subculture have got older and with that there has been a shift in their priorities – Michael Kopelman at Gimme 5 seems far more interested in good diet/healthy living than he is in what brand of shoes someone is wearing, Hiroshi Fujiwara seems to be far more inspired by making music than he is by designing clothes, and the list goes on.
 
Another major change has been the problems in the global economy which altered the rate of exchange that coupled with the recent economic climate buying Japanese brands has been pushed out of reach for many streetwear customers in Europe (despite the fact that they are still fans of them). This has left these people looking for more affordable alternatives and lead to the rise in popularity of European/American streetwear brands.
 
I know I’m stating the obvious (and it’s probably hard for some kids to imagine what it was like prior to this) but streetwear has been embraced by sportswear brands (Supreme x Nike, BAPE x adidas, Neighborhood x adidas, etc), high fashion (the love affair between Comme des Garçons and Undercover with Visvim), even soft drinks (BAPE x Pepsi). The exchange between big companies and these brands has become an industry standard – collaborations as we know them now were few and far between in the 90s (Stussy were so far ahead of the game here).

What can you tell us about the process of collaboration between brands? Is there a plan, or most things tend do happen in a more chaotic way?
 
This is not an easy question to answer as each collaboration I have been involved in at adidas has been born out of different circumstances. In my experience the best collaborations come about when there is an existing relationship between both parties and then some of those old fashioned ideals like trust, respect and goodwill.
 

 
Do you believe that at present collaborations between brands continue to be passionate and creative happenings?
 
Again, this is too generic a question to answer – some are creative in their execution, others less so. I find there are some collaborations that impress me but unless there is a good rationale/reason behind a collaboration then it’s easy to be cynical. Looking beyond the brands the sad thing I find nowadays is that there are a significant number of kids from the streetwear audience who seem to only get excited about products that have the third party endorsement of a graffiti artist/fashion designer/hipster/rapper. Many don’t appear to have the confidence in their own taste to adopt non collaborative products to their personal style.
 
Are we living in a time when brand evolution and survival determines the need to collaborate with others? Like a survival of the fittest applied to streetwear?
 
Maybe.
 
What is your opinion about the fact that clothing brands pretty much pioneered the collaboration venture (in terms of branding).
 
I guess they did but I’m not sure it’s something to be especially proud of.
 
What could be the ultimate collaboration product? Released or upcoming…
 
Hermes x Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
 
How do you foresee the future of streetwear? Do you believe it has gone just too mainstream? Is there still time to continue to experiment?
 
I don’t have a strong opinion on this. I (and many of my peers) grew up in very different times (pre-internet) and I guess those experiences have in many ways informed what I have done for a career. I am not sure that if I was a teenager now that clothes would be as important to me as they were in the 1980s – there is loads of other stuff to keep teenagers entertained nowadays. When I was growing up music and clothes were everything. I strongly believe that if you lose your faith in youth then you have got nothing.
 
 
Photography: Ki Price