Streetwear is kind of like a fraternity. Not so much in the hazing or keg stand department (although sometimes, yes) but more in the way it makes you pay your dues before you’re certified for life.

It’s not an easy world to come up in but if you take your licks and keep on ticking, it can be fruitful for you in the long run. You put in your time packing orders and sweeping the store and running the register on Fairfax, then eventually, when you start your own brand years later, you might have the support of the big dogs who paved the way.

Of course, this isn’t the case for everyone, but it is for Young Corey, one of streetwear’s favorite sons. A fixture on Fairfax for a decade, Corey has weaved himself into the history of many legendary brands on the block, including Diamond and The Hundreds. Everybody loves Corey because he’s as true to it as it gets. He eats, sleeps, and breathes streetwear, and he’s one of its biggest advocates and supporters.

After working for years to help build other brands, Corey finally ventured out on his own in 2018 and started Circulate, something he could call his own. And it’s flourishing. Circulate took a huge step forward this past year, gaining new fans exponentially with each drop. And with new fans came new platforms that wanted a piece of Circulate, too. From ComplexCon to his brand new, massive project dropping at the biggest PacSun stores in the country, Circulate is growing into the kind of brand Corey grew up dying to work for.

Starting tomorrow, you can find Corey’s new Circulate Market installation at PacSun flagships in New York City and Downtown Los Angeles. The project means the world to Corey because it celebrates young Black entrepreneurship and the relationships he has built along the way. Circulate Market is a sprawling collaboration between Circulate and six other young Black-owned brands, featuring small capsules with Carrots, Blondie Beach Records, Supervsn Studios, Bricks & Wood, Reserved Essential, and Sean Lyles. There is also one shirt created together by all the brands, and every penny from the sale of that piece goes straight to charities hand-picked by each participating brand.

Circulate Market is huge, both for the brands involved and for streetwear as a whole. It’s long past time we, as an industry, shine a light on the Black creators who make this culture move. And kudos to PacSun for putting their money where their mouth is. A lot of companies talked a big game last year when it came to supporting Black creatives and brands, so it’s nice to see some big ones backing it up.

We caught up with Young Corey to talk about what he’s working on, what he learned from all the challenges last year, and how he’s helping blaze a trail for the next generation.

How has Black culture influenced streetwear and the booming industry around it?
Black culture has influenced streetwear in many ways. From tv shows to music to local members of the community, streetwear has always taken cues from the black culture.

Do you feel a responsibility to blaze a trail and open doors for the kids from your community that come up after you?
I definitely feel responsible to help open doors for kids that come after me. I feel like a lot of kids have followed me on my journey and seen me come up, and I hope it can be inspiring for them to take that step. I’m not even where I want to be but I‘ve worked really hard to reach this point. I started with little to nothing and I just want to keep projecting that you can turn little to nothing into something. There are no ceilings.

What challenges did you face last year, personally and as a brand? How did you overcome it? Were there any surprising positives that came out of 2020 for you or your brand?
The biggest challenge I faced in 2020 was the entrance into Covid-19 and the pandemic. I had just dropped a really cool collection and it was our most expensive collection to produce thus far. When the news of COVID broke the last thing people were thinking about was buying clothing. Everyone was in a frenzy for toilet paper, sanitary items, masks, and water. Some of our retail store orders were getting canceled and I had dumped some of my personal cash from my pocket into this collection hoping to recoup it from our store orders. I was now sitting on mad product and out a few g’s. It sucked too because we were just picking up steam as an actual brand and I just had a good feeling this collection was going to help us break through to the next level. A bit of time passed and we were able to sell some product but I had just written it off as a loss and was trying to figure out how to move forward. Fast forward to when all the George Floyd protests began I dug up a previous graphic we had and put up a presale mock-up and was able to move a ton of units and gain a huge new customer base. They saw all the other stuff sitting on the site and everything just started to pick up and selling out (it’s funny too because people were asking me to restock things and in my head, I’m just like if only you knew how long this stuff has been sitting haha). Once I realized I had now all these people’s attention I started creating and dropping graphics weekly inspired by what was happening in America. I was able to donate a ton of money too which was really cool too because Id never thought Id be in a position to help others in such a way through something I created. It was the best thing that happened to me and the brand thus far. To think at one point of all the losses I was ready to give up and find a job haha.

What’s the biggest thing you learned last year that you’re keeping top-of-mind this year?
The biggest thing I learned last year that I will keep in mind top of this year is nothing is more important than your community. When everybody bands together the possibilities are endless.

How can streetwear lift up, amplify, and support the black creators within our space who make it all possible — not just during Black History Month but consistently?
Streetwear can lift up and support black creators within our space by just doing that. Giving access, sharing information, and opportunities. Showing love and collaborating. We are creating 365 days a year so don’t limit your support to just one month out of the year.

What is the biggest difference between Black influence in streetwear now, compared to the 2000s and 2010s?
I think the biggest differences with Black Influence in streetwear now compared to the 2000s and 2010s are we have kicked down more doors and we have bigger platforms now with how big the internet is. You see guys like Virgil Abloh being a black man at a place like Louis Vuitton and it’s just amazing. He’s one of us coming from a streetwear and skateboarding background and it really just shows you there are really no limits. It just keeps the conversation going of where else can we go and what else can we do, you know?

Much love shoutout to everyone at The Hundreds thank you guys for always showing me love from day one.