How Small Companies Have Their Finger Firmly Only The Button
There are several petit, make that miniature, streetwear labels that will end up pointing the way forward for the big world known as the fashion industry. It's always the renegades that come up with the best ideas, the best graphics and the most up to date images. If any "designer fashion" label has its finger on the heartbeat of today, its typically the ones that can really feel the direction the street is going in, know the people well and what they think. Some enormous corporations have this feeling but more often than not it will the the tiny less familiar ones that really know what the people need.
These companies can at times be founded by punks desiring to go in their own direction and answer to nobody. These people are not your typical business entrepreneurs. They didn't sit down and analyze the market, hire some graffiti artists off the street, get along with a crack publicist and NY advertising executive and set out to make some cookie cutter clothing company and call it "streetwear."
Real streetwear comes from the streets and this is where some of the most highly regarded labels of today come from just like Rebel 8, Diamond Supply Co, Stussy, Famous Stars and Straps and Rogue Status as well as several others like them too. Many of those small companies start on very tight budgets for instance the founders of Rebel eight, Joshie D and Mike Giant got together and with a measly budget of 500 dollars made a batch of shirts that Josh then took to the streets and sold out of a bicycle messenger bag.
We're sticking with Rebel eight for the time being so you can get a bit of insight into what goes on backstage at an underground brand. Josh is a San Francisco local who made a excellent reputation for himself with his graffiti internet site before teaming with Giant to launch their new venture. Mike Giant dropped out of school a single semester before finishing his architecture degree to work full time as a graphic artist for a big San Francisco skateboard company. His design has gained global recognition and he has had exhibitions in N. Y, Paris, Tokyo and London, just to cite a couple of the major art capitals of the planet that have shown his work. He is particularly known for delightfully detailed drawings of hot girls with tattoos wearing Victorian lace with one or two skulls tossed in for good measure.
The label that these 2 street punks have made stuck to a strict policy of quality. This is not of premium signification to just this label in particular but all start up brands that need their creations to hit buyers hard and make them take note. The designs are all hand-illustrated, a marked difference from most large company clothing images, which digitise original artwork into a vector format. Mike's graphic art illustrated clothes features actual reproductions of his original images and so can be honestly apparently "wearable art." This is a a refreshing change from the factory produced "streetwear" you see everywhere today.
Brands like Rebel eight, Rogue Status, DTA and Dimaond Supply Co. are just a couple of a clothes companies, street wear or alternatively, that will state a claim to special brand appeal. That's because the founders aren't really interested in founding a major mass distributed over stocked label - they are keen on making stuff which is cutting edge and fully original. Except for the tees and other stuff that feature amazing graphics, they have got some great shirts, jackets and crews, too.
If you're tired of all of the lame large name streetwear brands, then have a look at a rather more underground brand like the ones listed in this piece plus a bunch of others that are out there. They're all quite straightforward to find online with the right search. These are the sort of streetwear firms which make streetwear for the people of the street and not the shopping center.
These companies can at times be founded by punks desiring to go in their own direction and answer to nobody. These people are not your typical business entrepreneurs. They didn't sit down and analyze the market, hire some graffiti artists off the street, get along with a crack publicist and NY advertising executive and set out to make some cookie cutter clothing company and call it "streetwear."
Real streetwear comes from the streets and this is where some of the most highly regarded labels of today come from just like Rebel 8, Diamond Supply Co, Stussy, Famous Stars and Straps and Rogue Status as well as several others like them too. Many of those small companies start on very tight budgets for instance the founders of Rebel eight, Joshie D and Mike Giant got together and with a measly budget of 500 dollars made a batch of shirts that Josh then took to the streets and sold out of a bicycle messenger bag.
We're sticking with Rebel eight for the time being so you can get a bit of insight into what goes on backstage at an underground brand. Josh is a San Francisco local who made a excellent reputation for himself with his graffiti internet site before teaming with Giant to launch their new venture. Mike Giant dropped out of school a single semester before finishing his architecture degree to work full time as a graphic artist for a big San Francisco skateboard company. His design has gained global recognition and he has had exhibitions in N. Y, Paris, Tokyo and London, just to cite a couple of the major art capitals of the planet that have shown his work. He is particularly known for delightfully detailed drawings of hot girls with tattoos wearing Victorian lace with one or two skulls tossed in for good measure.
The label that these 2 street punks have made stuck to a strict policy of quality. This is not of premium signification to just this label in particular but all start up brands that need their creations to hit buyers hard and make them take note. The designs are all hand-illustrated, a marked difference from most large company clothing images, which digitise original artwork into a vector format. Mike's graphic art illustrated clothes features actual reproductions of his original images and so can be honestly apparently "wearable art." This is a a refreshing change from the factory produced "streetwear" you see everywhere today.
Brands like Rebel eight, Rogue Status, DTA and Dimaond Supply Co. are just a couple of a clothes companies, street wear or alternatively, that will state a claim to special brand appeal. That's because the founders aren't really interested in founding a major mass distributed over stocked label - they are keen on making stuff which is cutting edge and fully original. Except for the tees and other stuff that feature amazing graphics, they have got some great shirts, jackets and crews, too.
If you're tired of all of the lame large name streetwear brands, then have a look at a rather more underground brand like the ones listed in this piece plus a bunch of others that are out there. They're all quite straightforward to find online with the right search. These are the sort of streetwear firms which make streetwear for the people of the street and not the shopping center.
About the Author:
Gerry Cramer is a business development boss who writes on small enterprise start ups as well as targeting big companies. His main field is in the surf and skate industries, paying special attention to the mens skate shoes market where he has printed many reports on brands the likes of DC, DVS, Lakai and Nike 6.0. He has worked closely with Supra shoes UK and their development scheme.
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