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CLSC Josh – Interview

Posted on May 21, 2015March 9, 2016 by bythelevel

Founded back in 2010, it didn’t take LA start up CLSC long to start making waves on the US streetwear scene. With their american sportswear inspired designs and their tongue-in-cheek motifs, it was a refreshing introduction into a market swamped by brands churning out the same logo designs season after season. Still a fairly recent addition to the UK, CLSC caught our attention in the Autum/Winter season of last year. Having caused a stir at trade shows over in the states, the brand was picked up by a handful of stores this side of the pond, and we were lucky enough to shoot a lookbook for their AW14 collection, a chance to check out the release first hand. Despite not taking themselves too seriously when it came to their graphics and slogans, the cut, fit and material of each piece was second to none and I was really impressed by the overall direction of the brand.

Recently, the opportunity to share some words with Josh, the man behind CLSC, came up and besides finding out more on the history of the brand, I was interested to get his thoughts on developing and building a brand in the current climate. I read through his previous interviews and I liked his honesty and sense of humour, but also how clear he was on where he wants to take CLSC. You can tell his personality and the personalities of those around CLSC are reflected in the designs and the overall feel of the brand, and because of that everything they push out feels authentic.

With their latest collection for Summer 2015 dropping in the UK, we caught up with Josh on running CLSC, talked inspirations and also got his view on the industry. Check out the full interview below….

Prior to starting CLSC you worked for some other big names in the industry, most notably The Hundreds. Were there any lessons learnt that you took with you into CLSC?

Of course. I’m extremely fortunate to have been a part of the brands I worked for. I like to look at it as a streetwear college in a sense. I was able to see the mistakes and positive moves that these brands made while I was with them, not to mention all the people I met along the way. Now I can formulate all the knowledge and experience I gained into CLSC. Thank you The Hundreds, Seventh Letter, and SSUR.

Can you recall the moment you realised that you were on to a winner with CLSC?

I would say our first trade show. It was the first time I was able to physically see the amount of support and interest in the brand via buyers, blogs, industry veterans, etc.

If you could go back to the launch of CLSC, is there anything you would differently?

Nope. Everything has been a lesson learnt and we’re fortunate to be in the position we’re in today. No complaints.

CLSC is a short for classic but you also came up with the acronym “Can’t Live Scared of Change” from the name. What does this mean to you and how do you reinforce this through the way in which you run the brand?

Can’t live scared of change is pretty straight forward. I just do my best to create innovative product whilst staying true to CLSC’s roots. Make better product than the competition at a lower price and incorporate sex, drugs, sports and good music into anything that comes out of the brand.

We see lots of brands come and go, with some big one minute and gone the next, while others struggle to even get off the ground. As a fairly young brand that has managed to push through the start up barriers and is now gaining attention worldwide, what are your thoughts on the current market and what do you feel it takes to establish yourself in it?

The “market” is growing and attracting more eyes/dollars globally which is an amazing thing for an industry that was non existent 30ish years ago. There’s a lot of terrible brands out there but there’s also a solid amount of really good shit, you just have to dig deeper than before. In order to establish yourself, you have to stand out and have some sort of business structure. It’s not just about being creative, you also have to know how to grow your business. Anyone can make a t-shirt graphic and print it. The challenge is doing it AND then to sell/market it.

I’ve heard you talk in previous interviews about longevity, how you have and will continue to avoid jumping on the “bandwagon” so to speak. Do you feel this is why a lot of brands fail?

Hell yeah. All these trendy brands are supported by “kids” who know nothing about fashion or style, or anything besides how many followers they got that day. These “kids” are going to continue to hop from trendy shit to trendy shit. So, if you’re only following trends, what do you do after and how do you get those kids to come back?

A lot of people get to see the brands through social media and see more of the glamorous side of what it’s like to run a clothing company. You’ve stated how being in the industry has opened up a lot of doors for you, but you’ve also been pretty honest about the struggle and the challenges you’ve faced. What’s been the toughest thing for you owning and running your own clothing label?

The LA lifestyle of a 20-something year old, who enjoys drinking, smoking, fucking and eating fast food, blacked out at 5am doesn’t mix well with waking up in the morning and being productive. Not to mention all that shit takes up all your money. But I guess that’s all part of growing up and getting your shit together.

You’re originally from Inland Empire, just outside of LA. Do you like in LA now?

I lived in LA from 2010 – 2013. Now I live back in the IE.

How did moving to LA affect your life in general?

Moving to LA changed everything. CLSC would definitely not be in the position it is today. I would have never met all the people I’ve met, meaning I would never have worked for the brands I did and would never have learned all the shit that I did. Besides, how many successful brands do you know that are based in a rural area outside of a big city? None.

There’s a great streetwear scene in LA, with the likes of The Hundreds, HUF, FUCT, to name a few, representing the area well through their designs and each offering up something different. What aspect of the LA culture do you think CLSC represents?

Getting fucked up, having fun and eating good ass food !

I’m interested to know what goes on behind the scenes at CLSC. You’ve mentioned before how there was 6 of you at the start of it all. What does the CLSC office look like now and what’s everyone’s role?

Adam (tech pack/Online Manager/customer service) sits in front of me. Ron (West Coast Sales/do nothinger) sits to the right of me. Red (Sales Manager/make shit happen guy) sits behind me in front of the AC unit. It smells like a weird mix of BO, Carne Asada burritos and Red’s feet, which kinda smells like good parmesan cheese. We have a small photo studio to shoot product or for moulding pics for Instagram. Oh yeah, there’s samples EVERYWHERE.

Many of your designs are athletic inspired, as well as incorporating humorous graphics and slogans. Are these themes reflective of your personality/interests? What inspires them?

Definitely. Like I said in the previous questions, everything that comes out of CLSC incorporates my 4 interests: sex, drugs, sports and good music. My family and homies inspire me.

Do you feel it’s important to not take yourself too seriously in this industry?

Yes and no. Take yourself seriously because unfortunately life is real as fuck and you need to figure it out. Don’t take yourself too seriously because nobody likes “that guy” who thinks he knows everything and always has a stick up his ass.

Aside from designing for CLSC, do you have any other creative outlets? Music, art etc?

I used to play the drums a lot but don’t have much time for that anymore. I was and still am really fucking good though. I like to paint here and there but it all comes down to having time for those things. As much as I want to say CLSC only takes up 40 hours a week, CLSC is on my mind all day every damn day. Even on the toilet. That’s where I get most of my work done.

You’ve recently introduced a lot more accessory pieces and also skateboard decks to your collection. Does skateboarding play a part in the brands history? Are you planning on developing this part of the brand?

I always sucked at skateboarding but I also always loved it. From playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater to just watching the homies rip at the park, I’ve always been attracted to the sport or whatever you wanna call it. I would definitely like to somehow figure out the balance between skate and street but it’s not my focus at the moment.

So you linked up with Primitive on the “Morning After” pack last year, something slightly different from what we usually see with collaborations. How did this come about and what was the thought process behind it?

Honestly we were eating lunch and I was like “Yo! Let’s do a collab!”. They were down and I wanted to do something different than the usual t-shirt or hat collab. Both brands incorporate drugs and alcohol with our graphics and we always get fucked up together so it just made sense. The execution of the entire pack came out amazing.

Are there any more (collabs) on the way this year?

Yup. You’ll have to wait and see!

Any brands you would like to work with in the future?

Bape, Cactus Cooler, In-N-Out, The New York Yankees and more.

Having gained popularity in the US and a lot of interest overseas at trade-shows, you are now being stocked in some high profile retailers across the globe. Are you selective with where CLSC is available?

Definitely. Every store we’re in is because we want to be not the other way around.

Could you talk us through your latest collection?

Sex, drugs, sports and good music.

Any final words to CLSC fans?

Man, thank you to anyone who fucks with us. I’d still be working at Starbucks and hating life if it wasn’t for y’all. To anyone who DOESN’T fuck with us, thanks for hating cuz you only fuel the fire. And everyone who doesn’t know what CLSC is? Keep your eyes peeled cuz we’re coming in hot! Cheers y’all.

You can find out more on CLSC and their latest releases over on their web store www.clsclife.com. You can also see the CLSC Summer 2015 lookbook HERE

Words: Kieran Sills

Imagery courtesy of CLSC

Gilbert Crockett – Interview

Posted on April 21, 2015March 9, 2016 by bythelevel

After the demise of the once revered Alien Workshop in 2014, there was some deep speculation as to what was next for a number of their riders. This year we’ve witnessed the birth of Mother Collective – a new no-nonsense brand helmed by the previous Alien team manager, Chad Bowers. With Tyler Bledsoe, Jake Johnson and Gilbert Crockett on the wood you can be sure there are great things to come for them. Gil is undoubtedly one of the most explosive skateboarders of the last few years, with a constant influx of mind-blowing footage it was no surprise that two songs were needed to cover the extent of his part in the highly anticipated Vans Propeller. We were blessed with the opportunity to have a quick chat with him before being blown away by the full video at the premier in London. Here’s the Gilbert Crockett interview…

You’ve been on Vans for about 6 years now, how do you think skateboarding has changed since you got on?

Well I don’t know as a whole, but just for me it seems like there’s a lot of stuff going on over on the East Coast and Europe too… Just smaller brands being more prevalent to young dudes I think has kind of put it in a direction, if it is going anywhere that would be it to me. There’s two ways it seems it’s sort of going you know? There are people who are really into mainstream skating that are just doing the gnarliest shit possible and then there are dudes who are just doing real street skating.

You mentioned smaller brands becoming more prevalent. Are there any European teams that you’re backing at the moment?

Yeah for sure, I mean Polar is awesome; everyone they have on the team is amazing. I don’t really know so much about Palace, but I like the stuff they put out… Both of them are really awesome, everything they do is sick.

Is that the kind of direction you would like to take Mother?

No not really, I think we would kind of like to do our own thing you know? None of us want to be biting other people’s stuff. We want to make a place for ourselves; whether it’s the way the brand looks, the way people are skating, the way the edits are, the way ads are laid out or whatever. I think we’re definitely inspired by those brands but we want to keep it different and unique.

There’s a big list of legends on the Vans team with you. What’s it like riding with those guys?

Ah it’s awesome, it’s a trip! I never thought I would ride for Vans and definitely never thought I would have a shoe on Vans. I probably take it for granted most of the time; it’s hard to remember how crazy it is… But yeah of course, when I first started going on trips with these guys it totally freaked me out, but I’m forever grateful for it.

Propeller is a huge deal for Vans and no doubt for you as well, were there any particular stressful points while filming?

Erm, nothing in particular really. I think on every trip you reset. You start the trip with nothing you know? You don’t have any tricks on that trip. Each trip is stressful in its own way, whether you want to get a clip that you haven’t gotten or you just want to do good. You want to go home with something that you know is going to go in the video and if that’s not happening half way through a trip then you stress yourself out if you give a shit enough, which everyone does, it’s kind of an unspoken thing… But yeah I think everyone deals with their own battles on each trip.

How was the premiere in the US?

Awesome! It was huge, I think it was like 2000 people. I think the ones we’ve been doing since have been around a couple hundred and even they seem big still… But that one was just giant, it was cool. I’m looking forward to more once I get back, I’m going to do one at home with some friends.

Having seen the video in all it’s glory, who do you think took the cake?

I love AVE’s part, he still surprises me. I’ve been skating with him for years and saw a lot of stuff he filmed for the video. I knew a lot of the things he did but he still surprised me. There was a lot of stuff I didn’t know about and it was better than I thought it would be somehow.

Your pro shoe has had a great reception worldwide. Do you have any other projects in the pipeline right now?

Not for shoes, but we’re actually working on some clothing right now. Hopefully I’ll have a small line of things eventually. But shoe wise, I’m really happy with the shoe and it seems to be selling well still which is cool.

Ray Barbee told us a lot about his photography and music as passions of his last year. Have you got any passions of your own outside of skateboarding?

Yeah definitely, I draw and paint sometimes. I’m not always doing it you know? It’s hard to stay in the habit, but yeah I’ll paint and draw. I like antiquing; I just collect shit that I love that’s old. Those are the main things but a lot of things inspire me like music and artists. I just try and funnel it all back in to skateboarding…

And vine too right?…

Haha yeah that shit too. Just being stupid with your friends, that’s what it’s all about!

London has its fair share of spots. Have you had a change to skate here yet?

I haven’t actually skated here unfortunately. I really want to but I’ve never been on a trip here where I’ve had the chance to skate. I hope I can get back here some time in the near future. I just love way it looks, I want to skate here real bad.

You can see Gilbert and the rest of the Vans team in the brands first full length video”Propeller”, which is now available to buy from itunes HERE.

Words: James P.Lees

Images courtesy of Vans

Isle Skateboards – Interview

Posted on March 21, 2015March 10, 2016 by bythelevel

As two of the most respected British riders in the world, Nick Jensen and Paul Shier have been integral members of the UK skate scene for some time now. Following the demise of the once renowned Blueprint skateboards, they have since given rise to a new brand with an eclectic art direction and strong collection of riders on the team. We are happy to be able to share words from them both regarding their company, Isle…

Prior to launching Isle you kept a lot under wraps in terms of the name etc. How did this impact the launch?

PAUL SHIER – We wanted to keep everything to ourselves and make sure the brand was 100% ready to go the way we envisioned for the launch before announcing anything regarding the name or team. There were some people out there that were guessing at the name for a while and it did get out somehow that it was going to be called Isle. I can remember our first trip to Valencia, Spain when the brand was still not properly launched and all there had been was some personal instagrams of blank boards but Sylvain thought it would be funny to write Celest on his griptape as a joke which sparked interest even more thinking that was going to be the name. I am not too sure if this hyped it up more but we were super stoked on the welcome we got from skaters.

What goals did you have in mind when creating the concept for the brand?

NICK JENSEN – To create something that was visually different and to support our favourite skaters.

Did the decline of Blueprint prior to starting Isle provide any lessons to bring to the new brand?

PAUL SHIER – Keep it small and tight, listen and communicate with each other always. Do not grow beyond your means and only do what you believe to be true. Never get people involved who do not understand your message and where you are coming from.

Isle has a distinctive aesthetic, keeping things minimal with high attention to detail. Are there other brands or designers that you look to for inspiration?

NICK JENSEN – We find ourselves looking at art works outside of skateboarding for inspiration. Going to see art exhibitions has informed the white background aesthetic. We also look at older examples set by skate brand’s, a time when designers used photocopy machines, actual models (ie alien workshop’s stuff) and animation to create their brand identity. We’re really into this hands on approach, treating the board as a sculpture in a way.

You’re working on ‘Vase’ with Jacob Harris who also made the Eleventh Hour. Should we expect similar use of ‘regressive technology’ in the new video?

PAUL SHIER – Our video is shot with vx1000 and 16mm. It does seem to be a trend now for people to claim they are filming on VX but this is what I have pretty much always filmed parts on as has Nick so we are more familiar. I think Jake has gone through 4 cameras filming for it and I know I have fucked up one death lens.

Using old technology can be a costly process. Why are using such mediums important to your aesthetic?

PAUL SHIER – 16mm is costly but we are keeping it to a minimum and costs down. VX costs is just a case of buying tapes, unfortunately some cameras have broken, but again this has not been too costly and we were all able to chip in together to get Jacob another. We are all believers in the process, rawness and image that you get from filming with a VX1000 and this is why we continue to use this medium.

Does the extra cost create pressure for your riders when filming?

PAUL SHIER – The 16mm has been used mostly for lifestyle/art shots and not much real skating is done so the cost is lower than you may think.

I’ve seen Nick mention in a previous interview with Dazed and Confused that you tend to consider two audience types when filming, one core skate and the other more mainstream. Was that taken into account when filming for Vase?

NICK JENSEN – It’s a relief to be making Vase because it’s what we really want to be doing. It’s for skaters by skaters. Dazed was different because of their intentions and ideas.

The bulk of the team are from the UK. Is a majority filmed over here?

PAUL SHIER – Yes, the majority of the video is shot in the U.K, but there will also be a lot of footage from all the world.

With so many UK riders, London surely holds an integral value to Isle and the team. As a place to skate, would you say London’s best days are done?

PAUL SHIER – 60% of the team live and skate in London and it is a very important place to us, especially the guys who have grown up around the scene. I know to me it is something that has always been a tight and amazing community of skaters. London days are far from done and never will be. The scene is the strongest it has ever been.

We really like your hands on approach to the creation of your board graphics. Can you tell us anything about the next series?

PAUL SHIER – We are currently finishing up production of our SP15 line which we are all hyped on. We will be dropping that in about a month with a new line of softgoods too.

What can we expect from Isle moving forward?

PAUL SHIER – Continue to do what we have been doing, filming for Vase, always putting out quality not quantity, supporting our favourite skateboarders and skateboarding.

You can find out more on Isle Skateboards latest deck series HERE. For more information on the brand or to shop their latest range head over to www.isleskateboards.com

Words: James P.Lees

Imagery courtesy of Isle Skateboards

Lucas Puig of Hélas Caps – Interview

Posted on February 21, 2015March 10, 2016 by bythelevel

Despite what might seem like yesterday to many of us, that miracle primo slide we saw Lucas Puig do in Lakai’s Fully Flared happened near enough 8 years ago now. Since then he’s come a long way and is now without a doubt a globally recognised professional skateboarder. As a certified favourite of ours we jumped at the opportunity to chat with him over email about his ever-growing company, Hélas.

Quartersnacks called you “the skater of the decade (thus far)”. What did you think when you saw that?

I was hyped! It’s cool to see something like that knowing I’ll never be skater of the year.

What was it like growing up skating in France? Do you think It’s influenced the way you skate now?

It was cool as I’m sure it would be growing up skating anywhere. I’ve always been inspired by my local French homies JB Gillet and JJ Rousseau, two French legends.

There’s a big list of household names riding with you for adidas. What’s it like skating with newer members, Nakel (Smith), Tyshawn (Jones) and Miles (Silvas)?

It’s always good to skate with newcomers. They show up with their fresh legs so it’s motivating for me.

Cliche and Adidas have worked with Hélas in the past. How has the support you’ve received from them helped you develop the brand?

All my sponsors had been following Hélas, then they offered to collaborate with us spontaneously. It was really exciting for me to feel that backing from everyone. It’s definitely helped us to spread the brand overseas as well as in Europe.

Are you working on any new collaborations at the moment?

TOP SECRET!

Skate companies from all over the world are getting a lot more global recognition these days, especially in Europe. Do you think that has helped Hélas get to where it is now?

For sure, European brands are way more welcome overseas than they used to be. All the Euro brands are doing it properly with a sort of different approach compared to the US scene, which is good.

What was the inspiration behind starting Hélas as a hat company?

We’d always been big fans of 5 panels and at time it was still kind of rare to get our hands on one. Me and my homies thought it was time to dive in!

Could you tell us a bit about the name Hélas and the inspiration behind the umbrella logo?

Hélas means unfortunately. We like to leave the name and the logo to the imagination of the people that check us out!

You’ve drawn inspiration from designer brands in past, notably in the “GUCCIT” collection. Do you think that designer brands particularly influence you and your products at Helas?

GUCCIT for Good Shit haha! Of course, we’re definitely influenced by some minimalist “classy” brands that we love to wear.

What can you tell us about the latest Hélas collection?

Its better than the previous one but a lot more wack than the one coming after this!

There’s definitely a strong sense of brotherhood and camaraderie in the videos you’re putting out. We’ve seen plenty of clips in the Hélas mixtapes of friends and family from around the world showing their support for the brand. Is this sense of brotherhood part of the vision at Hélas.

CAMARADERIE, FEELING, BROTHERHOOD, those words define the Hélas spirit for sure! No pressure, we skate together and we like to push our underdogs!

How’re things going with the video?

Real good, my partner Stephen is killing it behind the lens. We’re trying to meet more and more with the boys to film and push it. People we might not get to skate with as often are also filming in their own time as well which is exciting.

Is the majority of the video being filmed in Europe?

Most of it will be in Europe and some in China where Stephen is also based.

Should we expect full parts?

Full parts and some chaos for sure!

Be sure to head to helascaps.com for more information or to shop the collection. You can also pick up the latest from Hélas at flatspot.com.

Words: James P.Lees

Imagery courtesy of Hélas

Ray Barbee – Interview

Posted on December 16, 2014March 10, 2016 by bythelevel

This December we had the pleasure of going to the private opening of Element’s first UK flagship store in Convent Garden, London. We were lucky enough to meet a host of Element’s team of advocates and riders as well as founder Johnny Schillereff. On top of meeting so many recognisable faces the real icing on the cake was the honour of having the opportunity to chat with legendary professional skateboarder, musician and photographer Ray Barbee. Ray put out some of the most stylish and timeless skateboarding anyone’s ever seen in his part in Powell Peralta’s 1989 video “Ban This” and that talent shines through in his music and photography today.

As a skateboarder it’s an honour to meet you, thanks for taking time to chat with us…

I’m super spoiled man, it’s crazy when I think about all the opportunities and being able to do it for so long. I had no idea when I first started skating that I’d be 43 still having fun and making a living.

It’s no secret that you’re an avid musician and photographer as well as a skateboarder. Could you tell us a bit about the Element “Perspective” and your roll as a part of it?

It’s a series based around photography and images. The cool thing is that the skaters, advocates and personalities that are a part of the Element program are so creative and are pushing out having multiple interests outside skating, photography being one of them – they’ve got a big pool to pull to pull from. I love Nick Garcia’s eye – he shoots really cool photos.

Guys like Levi Brown or Nick Garcia are guys that a lot of people don’t know are into photography and shoot, so for them to be able to share images is one of the coolest things about the perspective…People get to find out that these guys have an interest in photography and shoot cool photos. Everybody likes to see their image put on a shirt.

What’s the story behind your images in the collection?

I gave them two images. I gave them one from a festival I played just outside San Francisco called Treasure Island, the other was in Osaka from a record store that we visited out there. I just liked the perspective because they had records all on the walls and then you had the records in the bins…

I love black and white you know? Black and white’s my favourite by far and a lot of it’s because I love printing in the dark room too. There’s just something about being in charge and in control of the process from the jump… Once I’m done with my roll I don’t have to send it to anybody, I process it myself, I know what I want it to look like – then when I print it I can treat it the way I want, I don’t have to explain it to somebody. That’s another thing I really appreciate with black and white, not just the virtues of it being very accessible and simple in the fact that you can do it at home.

Colour’s heavy… To process colour and to print colour is like a whole other thing and thankfully I’m not excited about colour. Another aspect that I really love is that we don’t see in black and white so there’s no rules really. People are either emotionally affected by what you’re doing or not but they can’t say it’s wrong – with colour people tend to have stronger opinions… We see our skin tones, so when they see a photo – if this photo comes out and my skin tone is red or orange people can call it out. Like “those colours are weird, their skin tone’s weird”, they already have a pre-conceived idea of what it should be… Black and white is just free – because we don’t see in black and white it’s full expression, it’s however you wanna treat it. Sometimes I’ll take a print and I’ll just burn it, I’ll just print it down and make it dark. They can’t say it’s wrong, they can just say they don’t like it. Black and white also has way more to do with shapes and form so you approach it differently. When you suck the colour out of things and reduce it to shades it gets interesting.

Element’s grown into a global phenomenon since it’s birth in the 90s. What’s it been like witnessing something you’ve been a part of for so long grow into something so big?

Well you know, Element becoming more recognised or growing as a brand started with Bam [Margera]. When Bam did Jackass and then pushed into Viva La Bam and that whole craze – that put a lot of eyes on Element. So there’s a lot of that that’s put Element on the map within peoples’ consciousness and with a lot of people that don’t come from skateboarding. That coupled with just skateboarding in general pushing out and becoming way more mainstream, commercial, whatever you wanna call it…

Element has a legitimate place in skateboarding and has risen up with it, then it’s able to benefit off of the notoriety of skateboarding – so it’s kind of all these things that pushed it to where it is, but I think to answer your question… It’s been a really cool journey. It’s not just Element it’s skateboarding in general. I started skateboarding when I was 12 so that’s 84’/83’… Part of the excitement of skateboarding was that it was just this mysterious thing. I didn’t know what the culture was, I just got excited about the skateboard and it opened me up to this whole new world – but there were very few windows into this world, especially back then… So when you go to school, during that time if you were into skateboarding there was this brotherhood, this camaraderie because there were very few people doing it. Nowadays everybody’s wearing skate inspired brands so you don’t know who just thinks skateboarding’s cool and doesn’t do it, or who are skaters. It’s hard now… You can try and look for Ollie holes but back then you didn’t have that challenge. Back then it was like, “you’re wearing vans? Dude you skate.” There was no doubt about it…

It’s really interesting to look at footage and photos of you from around the time that ‘Ban This’ came out. Shell-toes, turned up jeans, no complys… All seems remarkably familiar to what we’re seeing near the forefront of skating right now. What do you think about the comings and goings of trends in skateboarding?

Yeah it’s interesting, what most people see as no complies we always called step-hops. It was my friend Randy Smith that I grew up skating with who turned me on to the straight step-hop – where you snap the tail and then you hit it off your leg and hop with it… Neil Blender came up with that name the no comply, he did it off a parking block. Those guys would bonk off the parking block, so we just saw a distinction and we called them step-hops, but I guess what I’m saying is.. It’s really neat to see the new kind of interest towards that approach…

For me skateboarding’s interesting because there are tricks that come into fashion or whatever you wanna say – and then they’re gone, but they’re just gone… Some people are doing pressure flips but for the most part, they’re rare. Bonelesses went through that for a little bit… I guess on a personal level I get excited in thinking step-hops and these tricks we got into doing and stumbled across – like if those get put into a place close to say a kickflip or a tre flip, those tricks aren’t going anywhere. Kickflips aren’t going anywhere, 360 flips aren’t going anywhere.. It’s just kinda neat to think that it might be in that realm… Time will tell right! People could hop on the next thing, but I think the interest towards it is a good sign that skateboarding is getting back to a good place where it’s fun. I think there’s a sense of rebellion against the gnarly videos that are just hitting you over the head with this amazing skateboarding. I think there’s starting to be a disconnect with people wanting to get into skateboarding and that fun aspect that excited a lot of people to get into it, so I think there’s a bit of a response to that in like, “we’re gonna have fun and we’re gonna embrace this approach.” It’s way more carefree and it’s way looser… It’s closer to what I grew up being inspired by and what got me into skateboarding, it’s fun! But it’s all packaged in there, it’s not this idea of, “I just wanna cruise.” It’s like, “I wanna push myself and have fun doing it.”

Do you think you’re seeing that more in footage that has come out this year like Supreme’s “cherry” and other montage-like videos?

Well that’s what I’m saying! The very fact that there’s a resurgence or interest towards step-hops, no complies or whatever you wanna call them… It’s the proof and indication of how people are treating skateboarding now. Like, “Lets have fun I wanna get back to this approach!” Then you have brands like Polar and you have brands like Welcome. You have Pontus Alv and those guys that are being very obvious in getting it back to where it was, having fun and embracing it – I think that Cherry has a lot of that feel. I was really surprised how many people were doing no comply step-hop kind of ideas. It’s cool because it’s progressed to other levels too, I’m just hyped that it didn’t die off with the pressure flips.

Where do you see the future going with skateboarding? Do you think it’s going to stay as cool as people think it is right now?

Skateboarding’s always gonna lead trends, It’s always gonna be one of the number one influencers in street culture. I think skateboarding’s always gonna have that ability, so I don’t think any of that’s gonna change… I feel like it’s just gonna grow and be even more diverse. It’s eventually gonna get into the Olympics, its just inevitably gonna go there… You’re just gonna have all of these different kind of camps. You’re gonna have that camp of people who train to skateboard in the Olympics, you’re gonna have that camp that’s in Street League and the Dew games. Then you’re gonna have the Supreme “cherry” camp and the Girl & Chocolate camp… You’re just gonna have all these different camps and they’re gonna just exist, so I think they’ll be more of that – but it’s always gonna progress.

The cool things is that with the web, with youtube, with people doing really cool blogs and things that champion the history of skateboarding, and the access kids have to look into it is a huge part of keeping skateboarding in a healthy place. It’s a huge part of keeping skateboarding what it’s been over the last X amount of years. I trip out when I meet kids that are just like, “We loved your part in Ban This and Public Domain it’s inspired me!” I’m just like, “That’s crazy how do you know about me!?” There’s such a gap but they’re online and figure it out. They’re searching on youtube or whatever and with instagram, social media, the web… It keeps all these important moments in skateboarding alive and helps them not to fade. When someone like a Jay Adams passes… There are kids that just got hip to Jay Adams and what he brought to skateboarding. It’s much the same in music like what the Stones, Zeppelin and The Who did for all these American Blues dudes that everybody forgot about. It took these young English enthusiasts in Blues to be like, “These are the dudes! Muddy Waters! BB King! Robert Johnson!” Then all of a sudden, “Oh these guys are awesome!” These dudes were always awesome, you didn’t care until these dudes started saying that they cared… Skateboarding has that. There are people that care about the history of skateboarding- because they care about it people coming into skateboarding will get hip to it and start caring about it. That just keeps it all in a good place. So I think the future’s good because of those kind of things…

What about the future for you? Do you have any projects coming up inside or out of skateboarding that we can look forward to?

Yeah I’m trying to get better so I can get some licks in for the Vans video – and then Element’s working on a video too.

Are you going to have a full part in that?

Word willing, if everything goes good I’ll be able to be a part of that… I’m working on a new album so hopefully next year there’ll be a solo album, then at some point doing a photo book. With Element we’re actually doing a capsule collection. It’s gonna be geared around my interest in photography, so I’m excited about how I wanna approach that. I wanna do a really cool camera bag -we wanna do a little book to come with it. Then the goal is very much like this, the launch of the line. I’m sure I’ll come perform and hang prints from the little book that will be packaged with the collection.

Words: James P.Lees

Imagery: Lily Brown

Ian of Peggs and Son – Interview

Posted on December 8, 2014March 10, 2016 by bythelevel

From humble beginnings and minimal experience, Peggs and Son has grown to become one of the most highly regarded menswear stores in the UK. Situated on Brighton’s Duke Street, one of the cities most historic areas, the stores rustic feel sits perfectly with a portfolio of carefully selected, premium brands from around the world.

Peggs were the first store to really give us a chance when we started out last year and were willing to trust us to shoot some of their amazing product. Needless to say we owe a lot to the store and upon the release of our new site we really wanted to put together a feature that took a closer look at one of our favourite stores and a true Brighton mainstay.

Behind the stores success is a small team of committed individuals, all of which have an eye for style and are truly passionate about the product they sell. At the heart of it all is the stores owner Ian Peggs. Not one to sit back and bark out orders, Ian is largely involved in the day-to-day running of the store and his dedication and hard work has seen the store grow into what it is today. We were lucky enough to chat to the man himself about the stores history, the product and what the future holds for Peggs and Son…

~~History~~

Hey Ian, how’s it going? Could you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?

I’m a middle aged father of three who strives to be middle class despite the large working class chip on my shoulder.

Having started Peggs back in 2000, originally located on he outskirts of Brighton’s North Laine, you have been on a bit of a journey to get to where you are today. Could you tell us a bit on the history of the store and how you ended up here on Duke Street?

Our current store is the third site we have occupied in the last 14 years and by far the biggest (though still relatively small), and nicest store we have had.

I opened in the North Laine as it was simply the cheapest place to open in Central Brighton at the time. As I remember, in the original store on Sydney Street, the entire shop fit from rails to mannequins, cash desk to coat hangers and the paint on the walls came to around £600.

We were there for seven years and it was a great spot to spend the day and watch the people of Brighton but I knew I would have to move the store as the scope of product we could sell was limited.We managed to get hold of a small store in the centre of town, close to our current location and though small, it opened us up to a much wider audience. Although we had traded online before then, we launched the Peggs & son website which again began bringing us a lot more attention.

In 2010 we moved to our current location and its allowed us to develop into a much more interesting store with a wider range of product.

Was it always going to be Brighton as the location for Peggs and Son?

It just happened to be the place that I ended up. I grew up in an industrial Midlands city and got out at the first opportunity. After a short stint in Manchester and a few years in London I moved to Brighton at the age of 25. I liked it enough to stay.

Prior to opening the store, did you have any industry experience?

None at all. I met a fella who had a small store here and he had a fantastic eye for product. We talked about doing something together but it never came together. But I had found something that I wanted to do.

What have been the main barriers to overcome when developing the store? Did you encounter any start up problems?

Back 15 years ago it was a different game. You couldn’t go on the internet and look at what other people were doing or head to a trade show and just write a list of orders and I often wonder if it was better that way! You had to have a real sense of what you were into and what you thought was strong product – and you had to get out there and find the people and make it happen.

~~The Store~~

Has the general aesthetic of the store (the product, visual merchandising etc) been consistent since the start of Peggs or has this been developed over time?

It’s changed a lot I’m sure! No doubt I have sold some stuff in the past that I wouldn’t look at nowadays but there has been a lot of consistencies. For example we have sold YMC every season for 14 years – I’m pretty sure there is no other store that can say that. Decent Japanese denim has always featured one way or another- though back 12-14 years ago we couldn’t give dry selvedge Edwin jeans away!

We’ve noticed a few additions to the stores design. Talk us through the current layout…

We are always looking to make the store as good as it can be so sometimes we switch things up a little- new lighting, new arrangements etc. And often it’s simply a matter of space- as we have grown so have the amount of label we carry and it all has to go somewhere. We don’t buy product just to show online- it has to fit into the store and its style.

How would you describe your target consumer?

Our customers are a real mixed bag. Young men who know exactly what they want – like some Norse basics and technical outerwear or guys who are detail and denim obsessed. Some want to know which loom the jersey has been woven on or check a rare piece we have brought over from Japan that they haven’t been able to see in the flesh before. Also, and most importantly in many ways, regular guys of all ages right up to chaps in their 60’s who trust our choices and who want to wear interesting clothes of quality and detail that does the required job.

One thing that has stood out in particular to us and I’m sure to others that have visited the store, is the knowledge of the staff. As a higher end menswear store, is this something you place a high importance on?

It’s massively important in my opinion. For a start there is nothing worse than walking into a place and being looked up and down by the sales staff and considered for your worthiness. I hope we never ever do that.

As for product knowledge it’s vital as not everybody is an expert on the obscurities of clothing and we genuinely like what we do- it’s a pleasure to tell people why a denim is so good or why a shirting fabric will wash well or to perhaps adjust your sizing on a handmade shoe and of course, it’s what helps us stand apart from a high street experience.

~~The Product~~

What do you look for in a brand when buying for the store? What sways your decisions?

It’s a great question and one that I probably haven’t got a decent answer for. Some stuff is just obvious- the first time I saw Norse Projects many years ago it was clearly quality – from the styling and use of fabrics and wearability. Labels like Arc’teryx Veilance offer such a superior product that is head and shoulders above its competitors.

Sometimes you just look at stuff for the first time and you get a tingle along your spine and you know it’s a bit ace.Equally I think of the philosopher Nietzsche’s aphorism ‘you can tell more about a man by what he doesn’t say than what he does’ – I think you can tell a lot about a store by what they don’t sell as much as what they do.

Coming into the store recently we have noticed a few Japanese brands taking center stage such as Neighborhood, Or Slow and Nanamica for example. What is it about Japanese design that stands out to you?

Buying amazing Japanese brands is the easiest thing in the world (assuming they will sell to you!) as they are mostly just incredibly well considered. Be it the fabrics or production techniques or the historical referencing used, a lot get it just right.

You recently added Nike footwear to your roster to sit alongside the likes of Gourmet, Common Projects and Red Wing. Are you being selective with the footwear you bring in to sit alongside the clothing?

We buy things we like to wear and I’m never prescriptive about any particular style. I’m as at home in a Red Wing boot as I am in a Nike or Common Project trainer. We have to be careful not to become a sneaker store so we keep them to a relative minimum but it’s great to have limited Quick Strike Nike releases alongside, say, a traditional handmade derby from Tricker’s of Northampton.

~~The business~~

The past few years have seen an increased focus for Peggs and Son online. With the new website and an active presence on social media, how has this enabled you to develop the store?

We work super hard with our online store but are still tiny compared to some other independents that you might consider similar to us. It’s certainly helped us reach a much wider audience and enabled us to sell some product that we might not have been able to consider before.

Have you found that the importance placed on online retailing has affected brick and mortar stores?

I think this is actually a really hard game to be in anyway so I’m not really sure – the UK has certainly seen a number of stores disappear in recent times both good and not so good. It’s certainly feasible that that the ever present rush to discount goods in order to increase online business has destabilised bricks and mortar stores and this is something that in general is bad for the industry- it’s an ever decreasing circle that has the potential to drown the more interesting stores (and therefore the smaller labels they sell) and leave only the homogenised superstores.

Have you ever given any thought towards putting out product of your own? Is this something we could see from you in the future? A collab maybe?

I’m pretty sure everybody is bored with the rash of collaborations that have happened recently, I know I am. There are definitely some people I would love to work with if an opportunity arises and a few ideas I have tinkered with but the time has never been right.

What do you hold has the key elements towards the success of Peggs and Son?

Being able to cling on through the hard times! And an apparent inability to be too commercial – people have learned to trust our choices over the years!

What does the future hold for Peggs and Son?

Just keep keeping on, being as good a store as we can be – keep introducing new product and labels and doing what we love. If that involves the odd pint, all the better.

~~Quick Fire~~

Your favorite apparel piece of the season?

The Acronym J43-GT. Be a ninja in your bedroom.

Favourite footwear?

The Common Projects suede chukka is a great shoe and the parchment 70’s Chuck Taylor Converse is hard to beat but the old man in me keeps coming back to the Tricker’s Bourton in Expresso with a Dainite sole unit. If it’s good enough for Prince Charles etc etc

Essential item?

A newly washed pair of Sunspel crispies.

Brand to watch?

So many good young brands out there right now but Matthew Miller is up there. Anyone who can drink me under the table is all right with me.

We would like to thank Ian for his time! For more information on the store or to shop the collections, head over to www.peggsandson.com

Words: Kieran Sills

Imagery: Lily Brown

Jack Toledo of KR3W – Interview

Posted on August 1, 2014March 12, 2016 by bythelevel

A few weeks back we had the pleasure of previewing the latest offering from California’s KR3W as well as a chance to meet one of the guys behind it, KR3W’s design director – Jack Toledo. We have been huge fans of the brand since our teens and it has been great to watch KR3W continue to develop whilst remaining true to its roots in skateboarding and street culture.

With everything from cut and sew outerwear to more logo based tees and sweaters, as well as a few high profile collabs and a premium capsule, the Autumn/Winter collection from KR3W is one of their most mature and well rounded releases to date. We were lucky enough to catch up with Jack Toledo to ask him about his role at KR3W and find out more on the collection itself. Here is what he had to say…

Hey Jack, hope you’re well? Could you introduce yourself and your role at KR3W?

I’m doing great thank you, enjoying the California summer weather. My name is Jack Toledo and I am the Apparel Design Direction for KR3W. As the Apparel Design Director my job is to set the general direction on a seasonal basis as far as theme, colour and pattern. We are a pretty small team of dudes here so everyone has input in all that goes down whether it’s Marketing, Sales or Product. We kind of run the brand in a democratic manner which is great.

The latest release is one of the most mature collections we’ve seen from KR3W. What has been the most important factor behind the brands development?

I’m glad you noticed that as there was a conscious effort to age the brand up with the Fall 2014 collection going forward. We know we are recognized as an authentic core skate brand but wanted to broaden our reach outside of that market segment and create product that felt a bit more mature, lifestyle driven and premium. This day in age we are finding that if you don’t take the proper steps to find ways of subtly reinventing yourself that you get left behind. That old business model of regurgitating last years best sellers are gone, you either make cool shit that is unique and fresh or you get left behind. Apologies on the bluntness haha.

Talk us through your usual design process? Was it different for this collection?

I think the single most important part of starting a new collection is travel. You have to remove yourself from your comfort zone and immerse yourself into the culture in which you are creatively trying to capture. For instance if you were about to design Q1 (Spring) you wouldn’t want to travel to Russia in the winter. Our calendar usually allows us to travel outside of the country a couple times a year in order to gain inspiration in terms of shopping the local area, people watching and enjoying a couple cold ones around town. From there we will come back to the states and I will begin putting together a plan in terms of seasonal theme, colour direction and a line architecture (style plan). For our Fall 2014 inspiration trip we traveled to London as a team and came back ready to go. I love London and the UK in general. The taste level is elevated, there are great bars and places to eat, along with the obvious heritage and natural beauty of the cities layout. It’s truly inspiring!

How did you align KR3W’s heritage in skateboarding into the design?

Being an authentic skate brand I feel it’s important to make sure that first and foremost the skate team is hyped on the product you are creating. We have an awesome skate team manager Brownie who makes sure we are coming correct. Every season he will bring in the guys and get input as to what they are feeling from the new collection, places we may have missed the mark and areas we can expand on in the future. We try and take the teams input, personal style and vibe into consideration each and every season to ensure we are remaining true to our roots. Along with that we are aware that some of the more progressive styles in the line may not be their shit and that’s alright. They know where it’s coming from and although they may not personally wear it, they can still appreciate it, which is important.

Could you tell us a bit more about the Number 11 collection?

The No.11 collection is a premium capsule that exists within our regular collection. It kind of started with the re-focusing of the brand with the Fall 2014 collection. The goal was to create a less is more approach in terms of product and our general approach. I wanted to focus the trims, color palette and general aesthetic around minimalism. I wanted to put more into the fabrication, wash/treatments and details of the garments. With that said, naturally some of these pieces started to get out of our mid tier pricing structure and needed a place to live that could platform them. We all sat down and started brainstorming names to create a capsule within the collection that would host these elevated pieces. The end result is the KR3W No.11 Collection. The reception to these pieces has been great considering the price points and it’s something we will be going forward with in the future.

Is there a stand out piece in the collection, if so why?

I along with the other creative team here sincerely wear a ton of the product we make which speaks volumes to what we are doing. You can’t claim to stand behind what you are making and then not actually wear it. With that said, living in California only allows for a few solid months of jacket weather but one of my favourite pieces from the Fall 2014 collection is the Nicholson Jacket. It’s the perfect cross between a heritage inspired silhouette and dark attitude. I’m a sample size so I’ve been wearing mine for a while now but since the season has now dropped in stores you can all grab one as well, don’t sleep on it!

There are some great collaborations within the collection. How did they come about?

We have an awesome Graphic Art Director in house by the name of Mike Z. He actually stepped to Niagara for the Fall 14 season as he felt it was a perfect fit in terms of an artist with a cohesive aesthetic to what we were doing with the rest of the collection. The end product is something we were all stoked on and stand behind. The Dressen collab for Holiday 14 kind of came natural. Our brand Director Brad Alband thought it was a no brainer because of Eric’s ties to the skate game and tattoo culture. Be on the look out for more to come on this one as we will be doing some cool shit in the states and hopefully out there as well to promote the Dressen collaboration.

What are your future plans for KR3W?

The goal is to maintain a similar aesthetic and grow our business through consistency and progression. We will be getting darker, more angst driven with our approach and aggressive with our intent to become a staple not only in skate doors but also lifestyle and boutique shops. KR3W has always been looked at as a brand with the unique ability to cross over seamlessly through fashion and core skate. We provide an edge to our collection that most of our competition would have a hard time with. You can count on us taking more risks and staying in our lane so please stay tuned… Thanks!

We would like to thanks Jack for his time, Amanda Fordyce for the awesome photos and Canoe Inc for making it happen. Also keep an eye out for our upcoming lookbook with the guys from KR3W featuring product from the new release.

KR3W’s latest collection is available now at kr3wdenim.com and the following retailers;

slamcity.com

routeone.co.uk

Words: Kieran Sills

Imagery courtesy of KR3W