Originally launched in 1998, Alphanumeric “EnvironMental Protection Company” (A#) stepped onto the scene with technical yet functional apparel that was built to ride, eventually laying the roots for modern streetwear. A# fused a mix of lifestyles crossing over skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, car culture and music. Taking a non-traditional approach to design and marketing, A# utilized an educational-based ad campaign. The concept behind the brand name “Alphanumeric” is to combine letters (alpha) and numbers (numeric), to communicate a worldwide message.
Italian for Brigade, Brigada is a new eyewear company by Erik Ellington, Jim Greco, Terry Kennedy and Andrew Reynolds. Many current optics manufacturers appeal to a broader audience with a heavy focus on the surf market. Brigada will be geared toward the skate market and will have an urban edge to the line. Not wanting to substitute function for fashion, Brigada shades feature handmade acetate frames on most styles. “We wanted glasses that we think are cool, what we would wear,” says Ellington. This project is being completely funded by four of todays top professional skateboarders, giving them complete control over every aspect of product design and the company. Brigada drops in select Canadian skateboard shops in Spring/Summer 2008…
Coup De Grace - pronounced [kuh-de-grah], means “blow of mercy” in French. The term is used to describe the deathblow intended to end the suffering of a mortally wounded creature and is figuratively used to describe the act which brings about the end of some entity. Coup De Grace offers diverse ways of thinking through visual design in apparel. Music, media, sports and individualism around daily issues inspire the team behind CDG. Coup De Grace is a lifestyle brand that is dedicated to bring unique views to everyday situations.
From the minds of Andrew Reynolds, Erik Ellington and Jim Greco comes the new Deathwish skateboards! The pro team includes Erik Ellington, Jim Greco, Lizard King, and Antwuan Dixon. Super ams Furby and Slash round out the project. Skater owned and operated, you can find Deathwish product in you better skateboard shops across the country.
Fuct is a clothing brand founded by Erik “Den One” Brunetti and Steve Rocco’s World Industries. Responsible for introducing to the world the “Planet of The Apes” printed t-shirts back in 1993, to using Vietnam war & German WWII inspired graphics, to the recent hand-drawn rock & roll iconography pieces, FUCT may well be considered the predecessor of subversive streetwear. Drawing its roots in early skateboarding and graffiti culture as well as punk-rock music, FUCT has maintained a steady cult following over the years. The brand has also attracted unconventional and outlaw artists and musicians such as Keith Richards, Julian Schnabel, Chino Moreno, Rage Against the Machine’s Zack De La Rocha, director Larry Clark and members of thrash metal band Slayer. FUCT has, on occasion, been accused of cultural insensitivity. A case in point would be their aforementioned Nazi SS inspired design with the Hemingway quote “Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else”. Fifteen years later, FUCT has managed to remain a synonym of anti-consumerism and progressive thinking by leading the path of decadent and counter-culture aesthetics.
Manik Skateboards is a Seattle-based company started in 2001 as a creative outlet. Using a variety of channels such as photography, film, and art, Manik strives to have fun while also pushing the progression of skateboarding in a positive direction.
Mighty Healthy is a creative collaborative effort between a DJ and a skateboarder. It brings together ideas that reflect the lifestyle of the urban playground; Mighty Healthy. Mighty Healthy became an official clothing line in 2004, but the mechanics behind it have been shaping its character since the late 80’s. The Mighty Healthy brand name reflects the experiences of a generation that was brought up in an era of good times, self-expression and the courage to be different from the mainstream. An era that saw the both the birth of hip hop and the birth of street skating. Denis and Ray; the driving force behind the Mighty Healthy adage find it important to not follow any rules or stick to any themes when designing t-shirts. Their goal is to make graphics that can tell a story, or convey a message in an instant. The duo brings many eclectic stories to their work as they’re diverse backgrounds provide material to a t-shirt, the way an artist’s environment inspires his canvas. After a few attempts at making their mark in the new urban/skateboard market, the duo finally struck gold with their “Mighty” endeavor. With its young spirit, the brand evolves with each season. “With each run, we learn a little more and we get a little bit better; we try and make our images diverse; not stick to one theme or idea.” Together, both Ray and Denis make designs that are simple, clean and effective without being affected by what others are doing. Inspiration for the two simply comes from the experiences that have made them who they are.
UXA is definitely one of the illest street clothing brands from New York City and is one of the fathers to the street wear game. UXA stands for the United X States of America, the variable X is anything that we choose it to be, constantly changing, evolving, “Mutating”. UXA is for the advancement of motion sports. UXA consists of a group of three New York O.G. skateboarders: Jeff Pang, Peter Hyunh, and Peter Bici. They create new designs, new lines, at new proportions. The graphic stimulates curiosity and enthusiasm and encourages an optimistic approach on the art of skateboarding. This was the basic concept envisioned by the UXALAB, when we declared - “Motion Sports”. Go figure! Graphical signage with great agility, their concepts are designed and put into practice (worn)-expressions of a vibrant new inter-disciplinary motion, UXA. You can find UXA in some of today’s premiere skate and street wear shops such as SUPREME Nyc, HUF SF, DQM Nyc, 8 FIVE 2 Hong Kong, COLLETTE Paris, and Canada’s GROUP SEVEN