Gotcha was one of the original California surf brands of the early ’80s, and set the foundation for companies like Quiksilver, Billabong, and Hurley to build a $7 billion industry out of a counterculture sport. I think it’s still around today, albeit owned by Perry Ellis last I checked. Anyways, much of the fashion from this era inspired the thematic elements that The Hundreds thrives on today. The “bubblefish” logo above was my favorite branding of theirs, it was actually designed by Shawn Stussy who was integral to their early style and aesthetic before moving on to start his own thing. Check out this in-house design memorandum from 1989:

“Gotcha Sportswear doesn’t only sell clothes, it sells culture. What we need to do as artists is keep this in mind as we create. Our culture must be relevant to the times and our market, but it also must be different and attractive. Kids wear Gotcha because it’s cool. We are the ones who are defining cool so we must keep abreast of the larger cultural context we reside in. This doesn’t mean being trendy, it means being creative. Use the culture itself as a medium to create a happening collage of life.”

Like deja vu.

by bobbyhundreds