Bobby Hundreds: 80′s Icons to the Present | Hypebeast

Would you say that you’re a fan of car design or simply design in general? And sort of touching back on what you mentioned in a previous response, despite the fact that your demographic of The Hundreds fans are so diverse, how did you manage to present the 80s into something relevant to them which they’ve sort of embodied despite not having experienced the era of the 80′s?

I’m just a fan of design. I am not a fan of car design by any means. And that’s not out of the ordinary for a typical DeLorean fanatic.  I couldn’t tell you anymore about car culture than the next guy, all I know is DeLorean culture, and that’s what you will ordinarily find with a DMC head.  

You’re right. Most of our customers probably weren’t around to experience the ‘80s, but it was the decade that Ben and I grew up in.  Although we recall most of the ‘80s with embarrassment, much of The Hundreds concept and aesthetic is inspired by the colors, subcultural phenomena, and nostalgia associated with this decade.  I think this DeLorean project re-packages that era effectively, because the car is truly timeless.  Yes, it’s immortalized in the movies, but there is truly something about this car that intrigues people and gets them excited.  I’m surprised, but also not, at the overwhelming response we’ve already received towards this project, and the vast majority are from The Hundreds fans who are less than 20 years old and never even saw the Back to the Future movies.  That’s a testament to lasting design. 

Traditionally, your previous collaborations have largely stayed within a certain realm and have some immediately identifiable relevance including artists and toys. Was the approach any different for this collection and what exactly will be released within the DeLorean x The Hundreds capsule? 

Collaborating with DeLorean was tricky, for obvious reasons.  Most of the time, you’ll see brands collaborate with an artist or another designer who can incorporate a signature style within the project.  How do you collaborate with a car?  So the bulk of the project revolves around graphic t-shirts that employ a relevant illustration that touches on both DeLorean nostalgia and The Hundreds style.  How do we go about infusing The Hundreds’ look?  The Hundreds is based on California Culture / Los Angeles Lifestyle, so most of the graphics are themed around different L.A. car culture tees.  For example, the traditional auto show tee, car club tee, hot-rod-style art, the lowrider t-shirt you’d find at the local swap meet.  One of the t-shirts is a full-body print of the actual car, straight up and to the point.  I did this because I feel that the design of the DMC-12 is so unique and beautiful, that it can stand on its own legs as an impactful graphic. 

There is also a New Era 59/50 fitted baseball cap for the project. Not only does the hat integrate both brands, but it is inspired by the DMC-12’s popular features. The “DMC” grill is replaced with 3 stainless steel Adam Bomb marks.  The undervisor pattern is a nod to DeLorean’s back taillights.  I’ve always wanted to use metal effectively on a New Era cap, and this was the appropriate opportunity to do so.