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.