In anticipation of the The Hundreds “Eurocup Collection,” we are pleased to present the lookbook for the line set to release in conjunction with the start of the Eurocup tournament.

The “Eurocup Collection” consists of seven tees, each featuring different countries competing in the tournament: England, France, Sweden, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, and Italy.  Each tee features The Hundreds’ mascot Adam Bomb fashioned within the design of each country’s crest.  Also included in the collection is a premium constructed The Hundreds soccer ball.

Kick off!

photos by: Zach Marshall

I had it all wrong.

To me, imitation was the furthest thing from flattery.  As a designer and architect of a Streetwear brand, nothing could be worse – especially in our niche universe – than to hijack a concept, steal from a peer or predecessor, rip off an idea. (Although many would fiercely disagree) I believe I’d upheld this duty; I purposefully distanced myself from competitors’ work, shielded my eyes from industry news blogs, when I’d see the marketplace climb towards one direction, I’d turn away.  Our graphic parodies obvious and educative “homages,” our inspired work re-appropriated and tweaked from the originals; That’s how much I’ve objected to copycatting and bootlegging in my own work – despised it, really – detested it in others.  But that’s what I had understood (or misunderstood) as constituting a respectable and respectful career.  And if you pay any attention to the Streetwear/culture comment boards and bloggers (any graphic designer over the age of 25, really), quick to declare any semblance of duplication as guilty until proven innocent, I wasn’t alone.

But Kirby, Austin, and Jonah would somewhat disagree.

Kirby Ferguson is the New York-based filmmaker who brought you the 4-part video series, Everything is a Remix (embedded at the end of this post).  Independently produced and broadcast over Vimeo thanks to viewer donations, the 10-minute chapters were my favorite online video content of 2011.  Kirby painstakingly diagrams the Ecclesiastical truth that “Nothing is new under the sun.”  In plain, relatable English, he defends that nothing is truly original, everything is in fact a “remix” of what came before.  The greatest works being those that have successfully built upon established ideas, combined them, and expressed a new whole.  He demonstrates Led Zeppelin as one of the biggest copycat, yet subsequently copied, rock bands in music (Part 1).  Then to Star Wars as a chopped-up salad of film history (Part 2).  Part 3 is where Kirby drives the point home:

“Copying is how we learn.  We can’t introduce anything new until we’re fluent with the language of our domain and we do that through emulation.  For instance, all artists spend their formative years producing derivative work.  Bob Dylan’s first album contained eleven cover songs.  Richard Pryor began his stand-up career by making a not so good imitation of Bill Cosby.  And Hunter S. Thompson retyped the The Great Gatsby just to get the feel of writing a great novel.  Nobody starts out original.  We need copying to build a foundation of knowledge and understanding.  And after that… things can get interesting.”

It’s a sentiment that is also shared, echoed, and well, remixed, in Austin Kleon’s pocket-sized book, STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST.  (Please get this if you don’t already have it!!!  Borrow it from the library, support a local, independent bookseller, the author himself, or okay fine, Amazon)  The fantastically creative and succinct writer/artist breaks down a 10-step process on achieving the creative mindset.  And although I don’t necessarily endorse or disagree with his entire process, I will admit that much of this book explains how even The Hundreds came to be.  Like Kirby, Austin emphasizes the importance of imitation and replication in the developmental crawl.  And it made me realize that I learned to draw by mimicking Jim Davis’ characters.  My comic humor was lifted from Bill Watterson.  My early skate photography was fisheye-framed and light-trailed á la Atiba.  And my writing, by way of Steinbeck to Didion.

And The Hundreds?  Well, can I forsake the Stussy tees and plaids I devoured as a kid?  The Freshjive parodies, the Fuct rebellious spirit, the Supreme attention to classic American stylings?  And for those Streetwear pioneers, can they abdicate Chanel’s luxury-minded blueprint, vintage California surf and beachwear, utilitarian workwear and technical military apparel, Ralph Lauren’s sense and philosophy?

In IMAGINE, Jonah Lehrer continues this discourse, offering Bob Dylan as an example of a “thief” whose work was stolen from the likes of Rimbaud, Brecht, Robert Johnson, and Woody Guthrie, and then remixed into his own genius craft.  And what about Shakespeare, the most notorious robber baron of all, pillaging Marlowe’s product, taking shamelessly from Greene’s Pandosto, Chaucer…

And in a way, this blog post is a remix – a new creation.  Nothing I have quoted or repeated is original or mine.  But what I do own is the re-hash of the video content, the amalgam of the books’ message, and the perspective of it all in relation to The Hundreds.

Voltaire wrote, “Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another.”  To the Streetwear/street culture/street-oriented crowd, keep that in mind the next time you call out someone’s work as derivative.  We’d be foolish to think that any individual or brand is void of imitation, of stealing.  It’s in the very nature, the DNA, of who we are as creatives, and it’s where all great and wonderful ideas come from.  You can quote me on that (or just rip it off).

“Most people think an artist tries to be original, but originality is the last thing that develops in the artist.” — Lukas Foss

by Kirby Ferguson, by Austin Kleon, by Jonah Lehrer, by bobbyhundreds

The Hundreds would like to introduce the special edition “Selvedge Denim” Johnson Mid shoe, available at the The Hundreds Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Santa Monica flagship locations as well as a limited number of authorized retailers worldwide this Thursday, May 31st, 2012.  The “Selvedge Denim” Johnson Mid shoe will also be available at the The Hundreds Online Shop on Monday, June 4th, 2012.

The “Selvedge Denim” Johnson Mid is an exclusive release, designed and created by The Hundreds.  Constructed with raw selvedge denim accompanied by red stitching for that extra pop, the sneaker offers both a clean design and unique look that stands out above the rest.  Other features include a premium full grain leather toe, comfortable canvas interior, a selvedge denim edge heel loop, as well as antique brass eyelets and waxed laces.  With only a select amount of pairs created and available at limited retailers worldwide, this one-of-a-kind shoe is a quick strike Blue Box release.

CLICK HERE to find a retailer that sells the The Hundreds “Selvedge Denim” Johnson Mid near you.

If you’ve been following my Instagram for the past week, you’re up to speed on my exploits out here in the Hawaiian Islands.  Another big mahalo to the people of Hawaii, our friends, family, and legions of supporters who are spreading The Hundreds spirit.  This was the first summer that I experienced so much The Hundreds recognition out in Oahu and Maui, a strong sign for our brand’s ascending awareness.  Anyways, we couldn’t have done it without all of you… until next time, ..Aloha…

by bobbyhundreds

There’s this local saying in Hawaii, “If can, can. If no can, no can.”  Which is shorthand for: if you can do it, then do so.  If you can’t, it’s all good.

My cousin Tiare Lawrence-Kodani’s lifestyle doesn’t really follow the latter end of this rule.  She doesn’t have a “no can.”  All she knows is if can, can.  More like “If can, DO.”  A highly-respected big-wave paddle surfer and mother of two, she has spent the past couple years relentlessly pursuing a lifelong dream: to resurrect the legacy of her late father’s brand and storefront Otaheite here in Maui.  Decades ago, her dad John Lawrence left the military and circled the South Pacific before settling in Hawaii.  And he came here with the idea of creating a line inspired by the Tahitian prints and island aesthetic he was enamored by on his travels.  He chose rare Japanese fabrics to print his custom patterns across and set up flagship boutiques in key locations around Maui and Oahu.  At a just-out-of-reach price point, Otaheite fast became known for being the hot, exclusive, must-have luxury label here in Hawaii during the ’70s.  (I can’t help but draw comparisons between what Tiare’s father was doing and the path we’ve chosen with The Hundreds.  His product was rare, of the utmost quality, and branded in such a way to simmer demand).

Lawrence eventually sold off Otaheite to enter the restaurant business, so Tiare grew up not having known or experienced a world fashioned by his apparel.  In a way, it piqued her curiosity, and thus began a quest that has spanned her entire life, to have her own clothing store one day that is centered around her signature in-house label.  And so, without experience, without the necessary connects, without the mentoring or guidance, she did it.  She did it while pregnant. Then she did it with two children gnawing and pulling at her.  She did it by turning the Internet upside down, sourcing factories via web research, fielding e-mail and phone calls between her kids’ naptime, negotiating the lease on her shop in the up-and-coming Wailea Gateway Center, procuring a bank loan, and maxing out her credit cards.  She did it all, and she’s still doing it.

Otaheite is already sold at a few stockists around the island, and is prepared to open it’s flagship location’s doors within the next week – a soft opening – and Tiare is ready.  There’s only one way to make it in this business.  Learning by doing.  And she already won.  Because she showed up; she stopped talking about it and dreaming it, and started making it and living it.  And she will figure out a way to make it thrive, to succeed, and multiply.  When you are a person like Tiare, when you don’t speak the language of “no can,” then the world is yours.

by bobbyhundreds

The Hundreds is pleased to announce the release of the second delivery of the Summer 2012 collection, available at The Hundreds flagship locations, authorized retailers, and the The Hundreds Online Shop soon!

Summer 2012 Delivery Two consists of tees, tanks, and hats – introducing new, high quality fabric, unique color ways, and original graphics.  With the entire The Hundreds Summer 2012 collection gaining inspiration from the Mayan calendar’s prediction of an impending apocalypse, it features classic The Hundreds pieces juxtaposed with beach-minded designs and tongue-in-cheek graphics.

Here’s a sneak peek of some highlighted items from the collection:

The Corners Gradient Tee

The Basic Snapback

The Corners Snapback

The Create & Destroy Tank and the Frankly Slant Tank

The End Scene Tee

The Eraser Tee

The Flograde Tee

The Gradient Scott Tee

The highly anticipated Eurocup soccer tournament is quickly approaching, and The Hundreds is excited to announce the release of the Eurocup collection coinciding with the momentous event.  Check out this video for a sneak peek of what’s to come:

The truth of the matter is that, for years, Hawaii has played a pivotal part in the globalization of modern independent Streetwear.  With the foundation of local brands and boutique retailers like Fitted, Kicks, and Leilow setting the pace for the rest of the world, Oahu has established it’s own permanent legacy in the annals of street culture.

Perhaps no Hawaiian name brand best represents that movement than In4mation.  What started out as a series of progressive, art-minded, tastefully curated boutiques later unrolled as an internationally-recognized Streetwear apparel brand.  I’ve always admired In4mation for their unique aesthetic and graphic t-shirts.  But their attention to quality and detail is maybe best experienced via their retail outlets.

One of their newest ventures is an offshoot sub-category brand called The Human Imagination.  ”hi” for short is a return to a minimal, organic interpretation of design retail.  This room makes me nostalgic for the pure Streetwear boutiques of yesteryear, when limited, refined product was hand-selected and deliberately showcased to a sophisticated (more appreciative) clientele.

Keith and Ryan from In4mation man the fort:

A diverse selection of In4mation, in-house brand Human Imagination, as well as some other complementary offerings to round things out.  Like Maharishi and Manhattan Portage.

This is the t-shirt I walked away with:

The walls are adorned with hand-crafted type and lettering work by friend CJ Dunn:

The Human Imagination is located in the burgeoning arts district of Chinatown here on Oahu: 1154 Nuuanu Avenue.

We’ve got a brand new The Hundreds Chronicles featuring the creators of San Francisco-based photo collective extrabigger.net, Edsel Dilag and Jason Yim.

Check it out by clicking The Chronicles tab at the top of the page, or by clicking HERE.

The Hundreds is pleased to introduce the newest edition to the The Hundreds Footwear collection, the “Selvedge Denim” Johnson Mid – set to release later this month. Check out the video below to get a glimpse at how the shoe was made!