In the Shadows of Conspiracy....

Where are you originally from?

Orlando, born and raised.

How is life in Orlando and what are the pros and cons?

Super chill, an amazing town when you get past the heat and the tourist area, ha ha. The pro’s and cons are almost the same. The small town vibe is one that works both ways. I travel the world and then coming back to a small town keeps you grounded / Pro. But also there is not as much inspiration in the small town which is a / Con. I love the big city but I am fully an outdoor Southern kind of dude.

What are some of the best bike shops that you have been to?

The cool thing that is happening right now with BMX is that riders are opening their own shops. Fully transforming what was once the typical bike shop and flipping it into BMX boutiques stores. A few brick and mortar shops that I have allot of respect for are: TwoxFour, Goods BMX, Rise Above, Street One, Staff BMX, Peoples, Strictly BMX, just to name a few.

When did the training wheels come off on you bike?

Man the funny thing is my first bike and me trying to learn to ride it, I had a crazy temper and just lost it. The funny thing is after that kind of start who would of thought that BMX would become my life.

How long have you been into BMX? Who or what prompted it?

I was about 11 when I truly got into BMX. I had these Hessian neighbors and they rode. I was playing traditional sports at the time and those Hessians seamed to be having a lot more fun then I was. So that was the end of team sports and BMX full on.

Who were some of your idols as a kid?

I would say the only idols in my life are my parents as they have always supported me through the good and bad. Later in life I would say that my biggest influences came from Andy Jenkins and Jeff Tremaine with their take on art that they laid down in BMX action & Freestylln magazines. Indirectly those guys shaped my future.

When did you start your first business venture, and how did it evolve?

* I started my first brand at the age of 16 and continued doing the brand for 20 years. At the time their was no brands really based on the lifestyle of BMX. Myself and Chris Moeller started the first rider owned brands.
It was such an amazing period of my life. But 3 years ago I sold the brand to focus more on Shadow.

When did you start Shadow Conspiracy and how did it differ from your first business venture?

As I was saying, my first brand was an amazing period in my life. But it was a brand I started at 16 and Shadow was me at 30. Shadow is a brand that heads don’t buy into it, they are apart of it. When riders write us they don’t ask to be on the team they ask to be a Shadow. That action means allot to me. I would say the difference is learning who I am and what I wanted out of life and state it through my brand.

What made you want to do a parts and clothing line?

Being able to design using Cloth, Metal, Plastic and Paper is the most amazing thing. Most designers only get to choose one or two of these elements and we are consistently being challenged to open our minds and find new and better ways to advance our products. The apparel brings new ideas to our parts and vise verse to the the apparel. Ultimately we felt we had ideas that could change BMX, so we went for it.

How would you describe your personal dress code?

I am super laid back and enjoy making clothes more than rocking them scene style. I am fully a black t-shirt, driver cap, vans and jeans kind of guy.

Have you ever seen the 1997 film “Shadow Conspiracy” with Charlie Sheen? If so what did you think of it?

That movie is lame!!! At the time we came up with our brands name we had no idea about this waste of film movie.

The line doesn't really read BMX at all. It has a much darker inset and really makes you feel as if you are part of an esoteric sect. How did you build this feel of the brand?

Shadow is a brand that is about telling a story. Our main influence came from Alfred Hitchcock and his style of movie making. He was able to take your mind on a journey that you had to fill in the blanks. He would show the knife, the blood but never the stabbing. Truly a genius. With Shadow we follow a similar mind set that we are not out to spell the obvious, we want the Shadows world wide to be apart of the story.

What are some conspiracy theories that you think are actually true?

I could go on for days about this.

How do you feel the streetwear market is evolving and what do you think is its next natural BIG step?

I think the big step now is that Streetwear is evolving into more of a collective of like mined creative types that are not necessarily into Hip hop, Graffiti and or Skate. The community is fully of creative people that have many interest. Shadow being a prime example of this evolution. I have always felt this way about this community and it is amazing seeing it evolve.

What are some of the best financial business decisions that you have made in the last year?

buying our own building.

What is your average weekend like?

Man I love the weekends. Sitting by the pool and hitt’n up the lake for some wake skating. On Sunday a group of friends get together and we have a Full on Southern BBQ style chill sessions.

What are some hobbies that MANY WOULD BE SURPRISED TO FIND OUT ABOUT?

Wake boarding and wake skating. I suck, but fuck man that shit is fun.

What is a locale that you would really like to visit?

My next big trip / location I want to visit is Russia. It is for sure on my list for 2008!

What is the best part of life for you right now?

Family and tight friends for sure. But mostly the fact that I have been blessed. There is not a day that goes by that I am not 110% grateful for the life I have lived!

Drop a jewel for the people on how to develop a core message of a brand?

*Passion never dollars. True greatness only comes from those who believe in their path!


Invisible man collab bike....

the EST according to Joe from FRIVOLUS GOODS

...coolEST

1) Woven shirt in your closet?

Gucci Pique

2) Era for clothing?

96 nautica sweatsuits and 95s

3) Vodka brand?

greygoose

4) Female body part?

vagina( is there any other part)

5) Member of G.I. Joe?

?????????

6) Quick meal that you can whip up?

Campbells chicken and rice soup

7) Club you have been to and where?

Plan b, Detroit

8) None retail related goal you’ve had?

buy a Gallardo

9) Advice that your mom gave you about business?

dont do anything illegal

10) Occupation outside of retail?

none

Getting some Sole with a Brother named Chris...

While down in Virginia I had the pleasure of chatting with Chris of Solebrothers in Norfolk VA. His skate shop is one of the Tidewater areas dens of many well known streetwear brands. Chris' history is deeply rooted in the areas skateboard culture, and has watched local skating grow into what it is now,... a force that is helping to power an industry. Check out what this solebrother had to say...

What does VA mean to you?

I am way over Virginia, to many laws around here, and stupid ones at that...Va. is behind the times...they need to get up to speed.

How has skate impacted the youth in VA?

It gives the kid who do not like score board sports to have fun and be active..remember its all about having fun.

Are you seeing more skaters in VA now then when you were growing up?

I think back in the day skateboarding was not as big as it is today with all the x-games and Commerical's that you see out there today about skateboarding. On the other side back in the day Skateboarder's were more into skateboarding not fashion. Now you will see the kid in here that wants to match has shoes with his shirt.

Where are some places in VA to hangout at?

Club wise...I like Scotty Quixx's in Norfolk, any spot in Norfolk really.. VB is all hype.

How long has your store been in around?

3 solid years.

How did you come up with the name sole brother?

My co-partner came up with it.

What are some of the hick ups that you ran across with starting the store?

Not to much, mostly was getting some clothing lines, and money together.

What are some of the problems of running a store even with your tenure in the game?

Making everyone happy with limited amount of shoes, you know when a hyped shoes comes out, and there is only 20 total pairs to give out to the public..people get upset.

If you could roll back the hands of time what would of done different with your store?

I think a better location, the company (no names mentioned) that I give money to for rent are so against skateboarding, its not funny...must be to old to understand it. I would have also done this be myself, no co-partner..

What are some of the brands that you carry?

Your basic skateboard companies..clothing from Krew, Altamont, Fallen, Emerica, Volcom, Nike SB and from the streetwear clothing we carry Shmack, the Hundreds, Mishka, Fuct, Mighty Healthy, Upperplayground, and some new local companies Space Dungeons and BlackList.and for shoes NikeSB, ES, Emerica,Lakai, DVS, Fallen, DC shoes for now, and open accounts with I Path, Adio, and Cicra..

Tell us about the infamous Dave Chappell skateboard and how it came about?

Well i got a phone call one afternoon asking me if there was any way that i could make a board for Dave Chappell. She worked for the place that was hosting the show on Friday (it was thursday) and she wanted to put that into his care package(free stuff for him), I told her I think i can do something for her as I had a Solebrother shop board that I thought would be good. I also had a good friend of mine who is a artist( Jude Aurilio), who said he could get it done within 24 hours which is what was needed. If all this could happen within that time frame we could get some free tickets to the show (dead center, 4 rows back from the stage).It happened and the show was insanely funny...

How deep is your sneaker collection?

Lets just say well over a 100...

What brand and style takes up the largest quantity in your collection?

SB's of course, and a healthy amount of Jordans

How important is skate in the streetwear community?

Not to sure on that one, what has happened is that the streetwear community has embraced skateboarding!

What are some of the most influential brands in streetwear right now?

The 100's, Shmack, Mighty Healthy, and more but we dont carry them, so iam not going to tell..

What are some cool streetwear brands that you think are still below the radar?

Fuct..

Where do you think will be the next evolutionary step of streetwear?

Wow, thats a good question! I hope I am a part of it.

Drop a jewel for the kid out there that wants to spark up his own streetwear brand?

Business sense, business marketing in school and work in retail for a minute, so you know what people are looking for.


Tell a friend to tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

The EST according to NoTtZ rAw!!!

The bEST.....

1) equipment to create on?

(LOL) ENSONIQ ASR10,WUT ELSE?

2) woman on our wall?

PRETTY!

3) video game system?

PS3

4) studio monitors?

KRK'S

5) Nottz beat?

(LOL) ALL OF THEM!

6) accessory in your wardrobe?

CUSTOM MADE SNEAKERS FROM C.WILLIAMS

7) way to get you out of the studio?

MONEY

8) advice that an emcee has given you and who?

STAY HUMBLE N EVERTHING WILL WORK IN YA FAVOR -SCARFACE

9) rock band?

WHITE STRIPS

10) studio that you recorded in?

MY OWN!
DA DURT FACTORY IN NORFOLK,VA.!


Tell a friend to tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

There is nothing FRIVOLUS about Joe....

We got a chance to chat with Joe of FRIVOLUS GOODS in VA and pick his brain on brands, streetwear and collabs. Check what he had to say.

What part of VA were you raised in and what was life like then?

I was raised in Va beach, in the Green Run area. Life was pretty normal, mom and dad still together pretty normal in retrospect.

Who were some of your local heros that you feel have influenced your taste level?

I was definitely influenced by some of local dudes in the area. I wouldnt say that these guys were my heroes but style wise I would always see the hustlers staying fresh. From the cars to the jewelry to the clothes. It made me always want to stay fresh. There was also a dude at church who kept some of illest polo out .

Norfolk VA has a very diverse group of people primarily due to the military, colleges and corporate transients. How much do you think this melting pot of styles have effected the signature style of the VA market?

Honestly it has made the area corny because no one wants to say I'm from VA. I get people that come into CREAM and always say "Yo son Ican get these in the city for 100.00" and well carry your ass. It also made people alot more aware that there is a bigger world out side of hwy 64.

What are some of you personal brand favorites that you do not carry in your store?

I like SUPREME alot, I feel LV, I like ROLEX I know its not a clothing line but I fell the way market themselve they never get caught up in trends and they continue to do them their way, I respect that.

What prompted the launch of FRIVOLUS GOODS and why do you feel the area needs this type of store?

I've always wanted to do instore brand. but it has become so clicheish to do a wack ass t-shirt line. So Frivolus was intitally going to be just a luggage shop that carried my own designs but i then said maybe i can carve a retail space that directly reflects my personal style and taste. So i then decided bring in different lines i love. i feel like this area lacks people that just go out and do shit, they always talk about what they wanna do but they never do anything. The store brings some fly different shit to the area.

What demographic are you planning to service with your store and how will you store experience differ from others?

Any and everybody who can find the store when we are open. My store experience isis my world. Meaning everything in that store is a reflection of me and what i like. and being that i dont need the consumers money "they can love or leave it alone"

How would you define the streetwear market in the south and what are some leading trends?

Streetwear is wack as a bitch in the south and everywhere. So many senseless collabs. its almost like the blind leading the blind. How many t shirts and hoodies can one man have? The trend I see is kids are starting to appreciate the big boys more like the Polos and LVs stuff like that.

Where are some spots outside of VA that you like to visit and why?

I spend alot of time in ATL I like STANDARD and WISH they are pretty cool in there on little way. also i am really bigfan of BARNEY'S (in every state).

You have already started to brand the store by doing a Levi’s collaboration. That on its own is a very good entry for a store into the streetwear market. You have taken it a step further though by actually introducing your own line of luggage, wallets and even a watch. What prompted that move?

I never wanted to make FRIVOLUS a streetwear store or brand i just wanted to make dope shit. that i liked. My favorite pair of jeans at that time were 501s shrink to fits so I reached out to Levis and they were with it (big shout PAULLY P). I just try to do whatever I want with that line, eventually everyone will catch up. Its fun and it pays for itself.

What were some of the headaches that you have run into by starting this store?

Finding good people that see my vision and are willing to do what i tell them because in essence its my shit (thank god for Wayne).

What are some things that you like to do on your down time when you just need to escape the store?

When i need to get away from the store I go to the store.

Drop a jewel for the people about how to keep there brand fresh and a couple of steps ahead from the rest?

If you can afford it do what the fuck you want, if you build it they will come!


Tell a friend to tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

the EST according to Aaron of AGENDA

The biggEST accordiing to Aaron of AGENDA.

1) life changing experience?

Getting married.

2) sneaker collection you've seen?

I don’t like sneakers nor do I care about them at all.

3) reason you had to keep Agenda going?

its the best job I have ever had and working for your self doing what you love is reason enough. Plus the $$$ is not bad either.

4) conflict of running a tradeshow?

Your girl is always mad you work too much! Plus lots of people hate you for one reason or another.

5) movie ending disappointment?

Not a movie BUT fuck the Sopranos ending! That’s was the stupidest ending I have ever seen.

6) influences you see in the industry as far as design is concerned?

7thLetter, Imaginary Foundation, FourthWorld, RVCA & 10Deep.

7) hangover and what event?

The DCMA launch party at the palms last magic... Not good at all to be at work at the show in 8:30am

8) fad you hope will never make a come back?

36” bottom Jnco pants & Pogs.

9) purchase you made this year?

Cartier Roadster watch!

10) mistake you've made and how did you recover?

Every day I make little mistakes like being too aggressive with people or being too nice to dicks BUT no BIG BIG ones yet. Knock on wood.

tell a friend to tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

SOLE INSPIRATION AT THE VAULT

Yesterday we went to a mixer that was held at the VAULT in Harlem as a meet and greet for business owners in the community. It was filled with a bunch of up and comings that wanted to swap cards, services and goods. Many showed up and spoke upon the empowerment of the m"mom and pop shops" and local boutiques. Some of the older business owners came through to drop a jewel or three about starting up and some of the bumps they faced on the road to financial independence. All in all the event was great (with free drinks included). Check the pics below:















Tell a friend to tell a friend, so we can BUILD!!!

Pics of AGENDA.....

Here are some flicks of the Agenda Show in San Diego.

the EST according to Alex of HOMEROOM

the bEST according to Alex of HOMEROOM.

1) watch brand?

Tag Heuer Belt Drive Watch; Manaco v4.

2) cut and sewn piece that you wish you didn't sell?

The joint that I made for Dave Chappelle. It was the best wool I had ever touched.

3) barbershop that you have been to?

Fine lines on san jose street

4) non-sneaker brand?

Flat Head japan and of course Marc Jacobs.

5) cut suits?

Duncan Quinn

6) museum you went to?

MOMA in SF

7) room at home?

Kitchen

8) San Francisco treat?

Judy and May’s sandwich shop. Only open 2 hours a day.

9) BK moment?

P.S. 104 field trip. They left me.

10) advertising campaign you've seen?

Comcast cable’s saving money campaign

tell a friend 2 tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

The AGENDA of streetwear.

Aaron of AGENDA pencilled us into his weekly planner to chop it up about the ins and outs of building brands and tradeshows.

How long have you been doing the Agenda show and what prompted you to start it?

I have been doing Agenda now for almost 5 years as a trade show BUT for about a year prior to that I was doing Agenda as an art & music event for the public. The thing that made me want to start Agenda was that ASR (Action Sports Retailers Trade Show) was soo bad. I was showing at ASR for about 3 years with different brands that I was involved in pre Agenda (GrnAppleTree, Leche, Matador, Gat...) and the show always sucked and it was way too expensive. So, from the bad ASR experiences and seeing what was going on with these small shows popping up like TBC, Pool & Margin we decided to launch Agenda into a trade show to compete with ASR.

Where did you get the name from?

To tell you the truth I didn't even start Agenda or come up with the name. My old partner Luis Jr from Gat/GrnAppletree started Agenda in the early 90’s when I was still in elementary school and it was a series of one night art shows with live music and free beer in Los Angeles. It was original called “Agenda, Art/Music/Beer” in about 2001-2002 I was working at Gat as a graphic designer and Luis decided to bring back the name Agenda to do some more Art shows at our factory in LA. We did about 3-4 art shows and then I came up with the idea of rolling it out into a trade show and we launched “Agenda, Art/Music/fashion” in January 2003 in Long Beach California.

What were some of the early struggles of starting Agenda?

Everything was a struggle, now that I think about it there was nothing easy about it. I was only 18 years old when I started Agenda so I was just learning to shave, let alone run a tradeshow that had an international clientele. Getting the brands to take us seriously, finding a good location, getting my hands on buyers lists, getting people to listen to an 18 year old kid, dealing with ASR trying to fuck up our permits... The list goes on and on, it was very difficult to say the least. One time the fire marshal showed up to the 1st show in San Diego on the morning of the show and asked me to see out Trade show permit, I replied “I didn't know we had to have one” long story short we almost got shut down before the show even started.

There are a couple other tradeshows that are tailored to the same customer base what do you think sets Agenda apart from the rest?

Agenda is set apart in a big way by our understanding of the market and our close relationships with retailers and brands. I have been working in Streetwear in one way or another before Streetwear and sneakers had a resurgence into the US market. Right now it’s a big trend to be in this market BUT in 2003 there was no US market for these kind of brands except for Japan. Agenda has done over 22 trade shows world wide in the past 5 years and we are only getting bigger and stronger, in some ways I feel that we are just getting started or just hitting our stride. Some shows like Project or Pool got too big too fast and they lost the original luster and appeal of being there, Agenda has has very slow steady growth and that’s a very important thing for long term branding. And as for as the NEW shows popping up in the last year or so I’m not so sure there is a need for them, when we started Agenda there was a void in the market and the big shows didn't have focused sections for Street and now people are starting these shows just because it seems like a good way to make money, Agenda has lasted so long because there was a reason and a need for out service at the time. Now shows like Magic have Streetwear sections that are amazing and there is no reason to leave and go to another show.

How would you define the Agenda experience for clothing company vs retailer?

Coming to Agenda as a brand is very easy and stress free, there is little to no setup involved, all you really need is your samples, everything else is provided for you.. And the most important thing is its Cheap in comparison to other shows in Vegas or NYC or even San Diego.. We have kept the Exhibitor cost very low because that was one of the main reasons that we started the show.


Coming as a buyer is very stress free as well, we take a no haste approach to the whole process. At Agenda there is no pre registration, no badges, no cost to enter as a buyer, no tax ID number needed and no copies of P.O.’s needed by the show to enter, all you need is your business card and that’s it. You get free drinks all day and you get your biz done and you get out... Maybe you check out some of the live art displays and check out one of our night time Concerts/party's and then you get the hell out of San Diego, most people just drive home...

Garmentos say that the shows of yesterday were really built for making sales vs today's that are more PR and party time. What is you feeling on that?

I hear that all the time, BUT it really varies from brand to brand. The pros with reps and a good brand will get business handled and get marketing done at the same time. BUT the armature hour brands will stand there all day with their dicks in the wind hoping for some one to walk by and place an order and its those same brands that are complaining at the end of the day that “the show sucked” when it was really them because they forgot or didn't even know how to put in the ground work and make appointments... As far as party time at the shows I'm down for that, everyone needs to let loose, getting ready for tradeshows is way stressful.

How important is it for a brand to have tradeshow representation?

It really depends on what your goal is as a brand. I really think its good to build hype and get into the right accounts direct for a few seasons and then go to a show. That way people will know who the hell you are when you are at the show and there will be some kind of demand for your products. If your goal is just to do business with whoever first season and become the next Fubu (if you are lucky) then sure start going to shows before you have any idea of how the market works. Shows can be very expensive so I think that money could be spent else where in the beginning stages of a brand.

What spawned Stitch (your other tradeshow), what is the status of it now and what is its future?

The same way we say the void in the ASR market, we say that same void in the NYC show circuit, TBC was dying, Project was too expensive and did not offer a good representation of the Street brands and the Collective was some suite ‘n tie BS, so we decided to jump in. the reason for calling it Stitch and not Agenda was because we were doing 8 Agendas a year at that time 2 in San Diego, 2 in Los Angeles, 2 in Tokyo & 2 in Osaka... So we felt that we were over saturated in the market and people would just say “Not another Agenda” so we picked Stitch and we even got a space in the same building as Project. The show went amazing and we planned to go back BUT then pool announced that they were doing NYC so we wanted to wait and let them fail before we returned. We are planning on doing Stitch again in summer 2008 in NYC.

How did Stitch differ from Agenda?

Stitch was a bit more selective than Agenda and had more of an up scale feel to it. Agenda has a very graffiti/street art feel and stitch is more minimal soho loft feel.

You have literally watched many brands grow out of their infancy and have watch the development of the youth culture market. What do you think is the next evolutionary step in design?

That’s the million dollar question, some people are saying that this whole Fiberops/ Rockabilly/ hotrod thing is the next trend and some people say that the whole 80’s/ gay / pastel colored denim / pegleg / gonz is the other new trend, but I have no idea. I think that’s the whole market is going to clean up its design and stop being so Trend and soo Pop. The next trend is just branding and brand loyalty, before it was just about who could make the most neon all over print hoodie, and now I think that the consumer is a bit more informed on what's real and what's wack so they will just buy brands not items.

What are some fatal flaws that you have witness brands make in there development?

The number one thing I keep seeing is under funding and having no fucking idea of how to ship and produce the goods. Just because you have Photoshop and can look up a silk screener in the yellow pages doesn't mean you will make a million dollars in this business. There are so many things you need to do to become a brand: design, production, marketing, SALES!, shipping, getting paid and even if you do all of this decently there is no guarantee that the end consumer will buy your products when it hits the shelf. Plus there are over 1,000 Streetish brands out there trying to get at the same 3-4 hundred shops and everyone is biting each other doing the same shit so that makes it 10Times as hard when there are only a few original brands. Kids need to understand it can take up to 8-10 years to really get a brand popping, most people cant afford to do that or even have the patience.

How have you seen the market change and do you think that it is becoming more diverse?

When I first started in the industry hip hop was king and in some ways it is still is... The hip hop culture follows what ever is not meant for it, hip-hop heads want what ever is perceived to be luxury goods or hard to get. in the late Early 90’s it was Tommy & Polo and late 90’s it was Luis Vuitton and Gucci and last year it was Bape and BBC and now its 10DEEP and Crooks and who knows what's next but YES its so diverse now you have skate kids wearing street styles you have middle class white kids wearing street style in the suburbs and the “Streetwear” it self is going into 10 different directions... There are so many lines out there now and so many ways to see what they are doing IE: Hypebeast and 100 other pages like it, its almost impossible to keep track of where the market is going and all the new brands, I think I here about a new Street brand every day maybe even two. Everything is moving way too fast for me.

Drop a jewel to the young start up brand on how to pick the right show for them?

Stop now while you are ahead. Go get a job at some established brand and learn everything you can, run with that for as long as you can and then you should start your own shit with all the contacts and info you gained wail working at said brand, then start thinking about shows maybe...


tell a friend 2 tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

Colorful Days of Labor in the Apple

It was a explosion of color on Eastern Parkway on September 3rd, 2007. Many days of labor and preparation made note of a good show as many parade participants marched. Onlookers were out in droves to watch the colorful costumes and to partake in all things caribbean ranging from food, flags and knick-knacks. Check the pics...

















The birds were out...










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The Magic of Street Culture

Sorry so late but I took some pics of the set up and first day in the Street Culture section of MAGIC. Most people just show you the booths and the product during the show and underestimate the amount of work that goes into setting up. It is hectic with everything from last minute booth jerry-rigged fixes to pressing and steaming (all while in a non-airconditioned building in the middle of the desert (Vegas)). This is the section of the MAGIC tradeshow that held brands such as Crooks & Castles, 10 Deep, IN4MATION, Mighty Healthy, Godwin, Peg Leg, Hellz Bellz and much much more....








GAME DAY