Fans of the brand will no doubt enjoy “T-Shirt” for its origin-story arc; recounting details both big (how the founders met — at Loyola Law School) and small (how the bricks-and-mortar store off Fairfax Avenue was funded by a particularly popular paisley hoodie). Kim also recalls standing outside their trade-show booths where journalists and buyers would try to understand their brand. They would ask, “Are you hip-hop or action sports?,’” Kim writes. “Translation: ‘Are you for black kids or white kids?’ Ben and I would look at each other. He, of Iranian Jewish descent. Me, a Korean American kid who grew up thinking I was Latino. ‘Neither,’ We’d respond.”
But Kim’s colorful turns of phrase — “I’m the most gregarious misanthrope you’ll ever meet, like Larry David on Molly,” he writes at one point; elsewhere in the book, he describes the nascent brand as “a ghetto-rigged, two-bit science project, a couple wires short of a potato battery” — and the book’s nonlinear, tension-building structure make it enjoyable even if you’re not familiar with the brand.
GUYS! BOBBY’S BOOK HITS THE SHELVES ON TUESDAY. Can’t believe it’s finally here and you’ll finally be able to read it. The above passage is from a new story in the LA Times about Bobby and his new memoir, and it’s definitely worth a read if you’re still searching for a reason to cop the book. Though, I’m clueless how you’ve avoided buying a copy with all the fire giveaways we’ve been doing. Anyway, enjoy the article and the classic photo above they dug up. See You Next Tuesday!
