CHARSUKA Exclusive
So, Charsuka.
Yes guys we're back with another exclusive interview and this has by far got the whole SUP COM team here excited.
As you've probbaly noticed over the last couple of posts we have found a new love for up and coming brands that we personally think are soon to be heavy contenders in the fashion scene and today we have no exeption, The team over at CHARSUKA are nothing short of futuristic visonaries with the amount of creativism that goes into each of their designs.
Below we have an exclusive interview that the SUP COM team did with one of the directors over at CHARSUKA to try anf find out what makes CHARSUKA different to every other pop up clothing company by the average fuc boi with a daddy loan and a few generic designs.
So what is your name?
Sam. I wish I had an interesting name so that I could say more for this question, but I don't.
Why did you decide to call the brand CHARSUKA?
Well, it's not really that deep to be honest. We started off under a few other names, whilst creating our online presence, but none really appealed over time. It's actually a name my mate who runs it with me suggested. It looks good written out, has a good ring to it, and as a word, it sounds pretty harsh and bold, which is the image we try to create. That's basically it.
What does the brand focus on?
Well we're both artists, and big fans of eye-catching design, so I'd say our main focus is creating unique visuals, with a relevant link to street culture, which is also a big interest to us both. I think we look at the brand like a bit of an artistic project at times - as our ideas develop and our interests change, so do our releases.
What makes your brand different to all the other new pop ups?
Well I guess a lot of what we do is different; the designs, the brand image, stuff like that. Most of these new brands I see people making are just lazy to be honest, and that often shows in their final products. We invest a lot of time into everything we do, and I think it shows. We created the brand in July 2014, and we're only dropping our first collection now, a whole year later! I think that is where these brands slip up, they rush everything, they don't plan it all out. And it's boring, so they fail. They're not doing anything new or appealing - just putting some generic logo onto a tee and hoping it sells. That's how I feel we're different.
Where did you get your inspiration from?
I find inspiration in nearly everything I'm interested in, but being so into art, I guess the main inspiration comes from the art and design that I like. But there's a lot that inspired our releases - cultures, music, graffiti, urban environments, people, all sorts. Having two people helps, we often come together with everything we find, write it down, brainstorm ideas, and select the ones we like the most, so it often includes a lot of different topics.
What made you want to open your own clothing company?
At first, I wanted to because it meant I could make clothes that I wanted to wear, as they appealed to all my interests. But I also think its the artistic side of it all that interested me. At the end of the day, it's another artistic output for me. I'm into fashion, and I'm into making art and designing things, so it just went hand in hand really.
How did this whole thing start?
Well, creating my own brand had been on my mind for a while, but one day I just got motivated enough to start it. I spoke to my mate about the idea, and he was equally as interested, so we collaborated and just began planning it all out!
What do you feel about the brand Supreme New York?
I have a lot of time for the brand - I really admire their history, their image, and their influence on street culture. Their branding is so powerful from a designers point of view, and the whole hype they've created is incredible. My favourite thing is how different they are. You can say what you want about them, but how many brands do you know that collaborated with 'Kidde' and made a fire extinguisher? It's great, I really love that aspect. All eyes are on them, and they're still coming out with really great pieces, even after like 20 years. So yeah, big up James Jebbia.
What is your favourite collab and why?
For me, It's probably the Jean-Michel Basquiat collab. That man is a huge influence to me as an artist, and it was so cool to see Supreme appreciating how influential he was, especially in street culture. I loved every piece they dropped, and the long-sleeved shirt they released covered in his artwork is easily my favourite item of clothing, ever!
When should we be expecting a drop?
Our debut collection is going to go live this Summer! It took a whole year of preparation, but it's finally coming together, and the tee's are printed now, so expect them real soon! Hopefully we can be more efficient after this drop, and have another ready in time for FW15, hopefully including some outerwear and hoodies too. Keep your eyes peeled for us.
Any advice for people in the same boat as you in terms of launching a brand?
My big piece of advice is definitely plan everything out, and be different. I don't think I can take anymore plain tee's with a shitty logo on it! Take time, get some solid designs down, create something you're proud of. Do it for the clothing, not for the income.
These guys are going to blow up at a outstanding rate, if you get a chance to cop some of their gear when its released feel blessed.
Who knows, you might even get to wear some of the gear before the icon himself kanye peeps the brand and starts copping.