From the good people @ karmaloop...

This is so true my First trade show was in 1992 when i was do press for a bay area mag called 4080 #. I was amazed @ young cats who skate listening to hip hop and bubbling [ makein cash, skrilla, paper] off product. I then started my first Brand marketing job with a company called Front. Owned by Pro Skater Mark Heinzman G&S skateboard rider. We linked all kinds of projects Dela Soul Stakes Is High . Boot Camp Click. etc
Peep the front gear in the laundry mat scene



KARMA CHRONICLES
In this issue, we sit down with Wil and Holland of Karmaloop, the dot-com titan of streetwear. Here, they talk straight about the evolution of streetwear and tell us just what’s in a days work.


Name and Occupation:
Wil & Holland Men’s buyers for Karmaloop.com

What is your definition of streetwear?
W: Streetwear is how one puts together their own outfit, with their own flair and their own steez. Anyone can put together Ralph Lauren and it’ll look good, but when you make it your own, that’s streetwear.
H: Yeah, it’s when you make it skate or you make it hip-hop. You put your own twist on it.


Being immersed in it 24/7, let’s talk about the evolution of streetwear. Where was it 5 years ago, where is it today, and where do you see it 5 years from now?
W: At first, all the big brands were from New York, mostly skate brands. They evolved from t-shirts to entire collections. Other people started to copy it, but streetwear came from certain brands—SSUR, FUCT, Supreme, Futura Labs. Then, everyone fed off the fame that came from streetwear. People in Japan were into it. It blew up, and the original brands got left behind. No one is paying homage to them.
H: It’s like, people appreciate the art of streetwear, and they started making graphic tees. But the original dudes were artists—graffiti artists, graphic artists—that part is lost.
W: The quality is getting worse because they aren’t putting the effort into it. They come up with these designs that look good on paper, but it doesn’t look half as good when it’s produced.
H: Also, streetwear has really moved from boutiques to online. Now everyone knows the deal and they shop online. It’s easier for them. They don’t have to go in to the shops and look stupid when they’re not sure what’s what and deal with the snobby guy behind the desk. It’s more open online.


What are 3 of your all-time favorite brands? Why?
H: Marc Jacobs, Polo/Ralph Lauren, and Stussy. Marc Jacobs because I love high-end brands. If I could afford it, that’s all I’d buy. And Marc Jacobs puts the street edge in high fashion. I like his vision. He’s doing something different.
I like Polo because it’s a staple. He’ll always be the king of fashion. And Stussy started it all. It was one of the first streetwear brands I ever wore.
W: Ralph Lauren, SSUR (Surplus), and Supreme. Ralph Lauren is classic. I can go in the store and buy everything and feel confident when I put it on and still wear it 10 years from now. It’s based on classic American designs. In it, I can look like a pretty boy or dress it down and look hood.
Surplus, because of the quality, the meaning—which is sex, drugs, and politics—and the Russian influence. I’m a fan of Russian mob culture.
And Supreme. It was a downtown New York skate shop that put out good shit and does great collaborations, like with Vans and Japanese artists. They know how to use and cultivate the culture.


When considering a new brand for the site what are some of the things you look for?
H: Lately we just want someone to show us something different. I don’t think people copy each other, but things evolve naturally and we see the same things over and over. It makes my day when we see something new come out.
W: We’re also looking for something we can get out there that people will relate to and that will bring cash flow. We need brands that work. Being a business, we have to invest in the brands and get 100% behind them and actually believe in them. We do a lot of cooperative stuff together so they can grow.



How has the growth of Karmaloop contributed to the overall streetwear market?
W: We styled the internet. We already had a presence and a customer base to influence the internet… We are the influence for other buyers. And we have a brand mix that makes it friendly for everyone from someone who is just getting into streetwear all the way to the die hard fans.
H: As an example of our influence, there were some current trends that we were strong about bringing in. At the time, we didn’t see any other retailers doing them, but we put those trends out there. Then, this past fall, we walked into an Urban Outfitters and saw it flooded with them.


What is the best part of your day?
W: The best part of the day is when we get these emails that say people are sending us free clothes…
H: Or we walk in the office and see boxes of free clothes…
W: No, but on a serious note, we make decisions with the brands we have and make things happen. We’re 25 years old, going on 26, and we play a big role in making things happen. That’s something, that’s the best part.
H: It’s like what my mom always says when she talks about what I do. She tells people, “Holland manages millions of dollars of inventory.” That’s a big thing, to be 25 and managing millions. I feel good about that. I never thought I’d be such an adult!
W: We don’t have any doubts from the CEO. We’re handling other people’s money, and they trust us completely. That’s crazy.
H: And we both left college to pursue fashion. It’s a lot of responsibility, but we’re psyched.