Published: Monday - September 24, 2007
Words by Anne van de Sande
Just like books, movies and music, fashion has become an important medium to put minds at work, but simple slogans and standard prints are too low key these days. It's all about communicating through creative, flashy and fresh designs. New York based Hoodman, a relatively young company that was founded in 2006, offers an incredible collection of shirts, each propagating a certain issue. The brand will introduce three new designs on October 19, debuting here on Ballerstatus.com: the Bonds shirt "756," the "Mordopoly" shirt and the "Last Emperor" shirt.
Ballerstatus.com spoke with one of the founders of Hoodman, Eddie Huang, to find out more about the brand, his experience in the fashion business and his motivation to address political and social subjects.
BallerStatus.com: You don't have a background in fashion or graphics. How did you get involved in the fashion industry and how did your affinity with fashion evolve to the point you decided to launch Hoodman?
Eddie Huang: It all starts with hip-hop and sports for me. I was always into hip-hop/basketball, so of course, I was into kicks. When Penny came to Orlando, me and my boys all bugged out when the first Pennies dropped and I was always into Barkleys too. Kicks and basketball jerseys got me into fashion, but it wasn't until I went into Union in Soho the first time that I really felt that I wanted to be a part of the creation aspect. That was the first time I saw for real street wear 'cause it just wasn't around in Florida and I bugged 'cause people were using fashion to communicate on levels I hadn't seen it used before. Obviously, I've seen protest tees and hip-hop tees, but artists were using t-shirts as canvases to communicate about subjects beyond the logo sh-- you see on Polo or Tommy shirts.
I got into fashion because people don't read as much now-a-days and film is too difficult an industry to break into without serious dough. T-shirts give me a medium that reaches people my age who want to get down with the hood-movement. There were already brands like Undrcrwn doing their thing with the luxury basketball lifestyle and Lemar Dauley graphics were crazy. I really liked those two brands and still do, but I felt there was a niche I could carve out for people who are socially conscious and want to communicate the messages in fresh ways. Some people come out with "conscious tees," but you can tell they don't really communicate the issues 'cause there aren't many layers to the commentary and the images they use don't connect with the message. I wanted to grapple with issues people aren't doing justice to on the news.
BallerStatus.com: What's the story behind Hoodman?
Eddie Huang: The core idea for the name is that we are for the hood, a.k.a. common people, a.k.a. those who have lost control of their world. Media, government, cable, internet, globalization... they have changed the way we live. We're disconnected and we don't have a voice. Those that "have" control, those that don't and it's not just with money anymore. People laugh when Chris Rock tells jokes, but the joke is on the audience. He said people like Shaq may be rich, but they ain't wealthy. That's true for a lot of people.
Twista displaying his Hoodman Ombama tee; Photo: Hoodman
I saw it first hand with my pops. He came up when I was in high school with his own restaurant, but he worked half a life time to get there. I'm so proud of my dad 'cause he left home by himself, went to Florida, worked in Steak and Ale, worked in L&N Seafood, and finally made enough money to start his own restaurant. He did this as a first-generation Chinese immigrant who came over in his 20s. Once he had his restaurant and got that house he wanted, we realized, we still had nothing. In America, the top 2% will let you eat good, drive good, and look good. But, beyond that, you ain't got sh--. "Edward Scissorhands" is a reality out here. Suburbs are factories churning out uniform Americans, but we're so busy criticizing other people, we can't see ourselves. You may have a little something more than your neighbor, or you may be some local celebrity, but you're still somebody else's soldier.
Hoodman is about taking the world back. We want a voice, we want to be heard. People need to let the big corporations and world leaders know, they're watching those motherf---ers. Our company tries to promote causes and represent people that don't get the protection and attention they deserve from the media and the political process.
Not everyone on the Hoodman team has similar philosophies/politics, but we all agree that our voices have a place in today's world and the people that actually live and work here have been forgotten. It's all about supply/demand and cost efficiency when people make global decisions that affect every one of us, but we have no say and no power to affect it. The last frontier is consumer habits. We can still dictate with the few dollars we have.
BallerStatus.com: The Obama shirt has been extremely popular... it has been featured in Vibe magazine... Tell me more about the concept for the shirt.
Eddie Huang: Well, for years, conservatives use their resources and their big money to promote the issues they care about. There's a lot of conservative propaganda out there bankrolled by Rupert "Pale Vader" Murdoch. And, for real, no one is coming hard enough at Pale Vader. He owns everything: MySpace, Dow Jones, Fox News, Star Magazine... But, we got a shirt coming for Pale Vader next season. The last thing liberals have left is "cool." We tried appeals to intellect, but 85% of the world can't think for itself. Hip hop is "cool." Comedy is "cool." Michael Jordan, Jackson, Tyson, are "cool." So, he's from Chicago, we teamed it with the classic '86 Chicago font alluding to His Airness and the hip-hop culture to make a jersey for people who want to rep Obama. It gives people a chance to say in style, "I want on his squad."
BallerStatus.com: With your shirts you take a stand; social commentary and politics obviously play an important role in your designs. What made you decide to go that route?
Eddie Huang: When I see problems, I try to shine light on it. I have problems sleeping and unless I get all my issues out in walking life, I can't sleep. So, I got selfish motives. The kid likes to sleep! (laughs) But I gotta earn it. I really honestly, feel a responsibility to do what I do; I owe it. And, I got to shout someone out here. Nima at Digital Gravel gave us one of our first big breaks. He's one of the only people I met in this game that feels the same way. If he sees a problem, he feels a responsibility to do something even if it hurts his pockets. Not many like that brother.
BallerStatus.com: How would you define Hoodman's unique selling points, like, in what way do you differ from other brands out there?
Eddie Huang: That's a good question and it's something I ask my customers. We don't have a look, but a lot of people are uncomfortable with that and they'll make stuff up when I ask them. It's funny. The way products are marketed these days, it's not about what works with the content, it's about what sells. Repetition sells. People are creatures of habit, so, if you're like Bape and repeat logos/patterns over and over, you ingrain your product in people's minds and you sell out, literally and figuratively. We don't repeat patterns and we try not to release shirts for more than one season. The only exception is the Obama shirt because there's a purpose and reason to have it out there season to season until the election.
The only thing that stays consistent from shirt to shirt is that you are going to get a piece promoting social progress. It may be about renewable energy like Ethanol 85, it may be about affirmative action in video games, it may be about love versus hate/Martin versus Malcolm, but we always make sure that the style fits the message. The message will always dictate the style. So, we don't have a "look," we have a philosophy and I think that's more important. I don't judge people on how they look, but I'll judge how they think. So, the look doesn't matter to me. Ning is on board because there needs to be a buffer between myself and the design. Consumers care about our look, so, Ning gives them some sugar for the medicine.
BallerStatus.com: What are some of the major obstacles you ran into ever since you chose to pursue a professional career in fashion?
Eddie Huang: The biggest problem is that I sunk $100,000 into a legal education I don't plan on using (laughs). I would have rather bought some stock in BNC Mortgage and just watched the sh-- fall. Nah, I'm kidding. I'm definitely still doing the law thing because it's a tool for social change, but I hate trade shows and business meetings. Street wear is supposed to be subversive, but you got these family men or women with Roth IRAS at MAGIC pushing line sheets and promos talking about target markets and price points. Street wear is way too corporate for me and that's coming from a law student. For me, it's even weird to see people making books for coffee tables about street wear. This isn't what I got into the art for, but whether we want to face the facts or not, street wear has been co-opted and soon, it'll be dead like hip-hop.
Like Wu-Tang said, "Hoodman is for the children." People think I'm crazy because they'll ask what my target market is and I'll say some dumb sh-- like "the children" or "18 to 27-year-old crack head hookers with chipped teeth." The store owners I deal with are great, I'm the problem myself. But, that's why Steven Lau, Evan Huang, and Jason Morgan are back. I need a buffer between myself and the business side.
BallerStatus.com: You're Chinese. The Asian market for independent brands is a booming business; they seem ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to exclusives and fresh designs. Does the Asian market serve as an inspiration to Hoodman?
Uncle Murda displaying his Hoodman Malcolm tee; Photo: Hoodman
Eddie Huang: If anything Asian is an influence, it's Wu-Tang. Playin', nah, I mean, I feel this way. I am Chinese, so, anything I put out is Chinese art. It doesn't have to have dragons and phoenixes dancin' on lily pads to be Chinese art. My upbringing and the hip-hop experience can be seen in every piece we put out. And, honestly, I really feel everything you do, every person you meet, has influenced what you do, so, yes, being Asian and the Asian market influence me, but so does everything else.
American immigrants live in two worlds, the world in your house that your parents create, and the world you choose to live in outside. Not everyone has the options they want outside available. My parents' home is Chinese, but hip-hop is the world I chose to live in outside. It was hard to find that home when I lived in Virginia or Florida and, to be honest, I didn't fully understand hip-hop until I came to NY. That's why I'll never leave NY now that I'm here. And, honestly, majority peoples may feel the same way. I just try not to speak about things I haven't experienced. This all was a big inspiration for the Lucky Cat design. The purpose of that shirt was to show an intersection of Asian and hip-hop culture. We fused hip-hop, "I Make It Rain," with the Lucky Cat, which traditionally signals good fortune.
BallerStatus.com: A lot of clothing companies use testimonials to promote their stuff. Do you think it is important to have artists wearing your clothes and promoting your brand?
Eddie Huang: I got artists wearing the clothes and for marketing purposes, it is important. One of Obama's campaign managers got to us and told us he got a shirt and loved it. DJ Premier got a shirt, Royce Da 5'9, Twista, some of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, and Sinorice Moss got some too. When I buy something, I actually don't care who is wearing it and I don't think Hoodman customers should either. But, as an artist, it feels good to see people you rep, also support you right back.
BallerStatus.com: If you could dress up any celebrity, who would it be and why?
Eddie Huang: Man, hard to say. Probably Nas, Rakim, or RZA. They're 5-percenters. I'm not a follower of religion of the 5-percenters, but I dig the philosophy. 85% of the world can't think for itself and follow, 10% of the world does think for itself and takes advantage of that 85%, and 5% of the world thinks for itself and is trying to free the minds of those other 85. Those three are all original God-bodies. I'd be down to get any O.G.'s geared up.
BallerStatus.com: What is the most important thing you hope to achieve with Hoodman?
Eddie Huang: Cultural understanding. I'm a fighter that doesn't want to fight. I think people got too much in common to be this far apart. Humans and chimps share 99% of their active genetic material. Look how we treat them. 1% difference and look how we are about to end them. All these people we at war with share 100% of their active genetic material with us. Islamic people, Jewish people, Christian people, they share so many common philosophies, but look at all the hate. Even historically, the conflict between Protestants and Non-Protestants is hilarious. There are even stories about Buddhist monks jackin' each other's monasteries because some consider Buddha a deity and others don't. Gay bashing is something else that really pisses me off. They should have every single right to the last penny that we have. I'm just trying to end these family feuds. Throughout this interview, I've said some fighting words, mostly towards big business. If they want to hear what the people have to say, I'm ready to tone down my rhetoric, but until the "man" puts us on and really respects our concerns, I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing. Cause we need change and, of course, t-shirts to rep that change.
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