Shaun White is Just Getting Started With WHITESPACE, His Snowboard Lifestyle Brand

Professional snowboarder Shaun White participated in his last Olympics in 2022 — but his retirement did not signal a complete departure from the sport, instead, he wanted to find new ways to channel his passion for snow sports. White has always been creative, taking an interest in forms of expression from fashion to interior design.

He unveiled his brand, WHITESPACE, in January of 2022. After White’s retirement at the Beijing Olympics that same year, a new chapter arose for the snowboarder. He now had a blank canvas, and that is exactly what WHITESPACE symbolizes. Creating the apparel and products that he felt the market was lacking, the brand aims to marry White’s diverse passions.

In the last few years, sports and fashion have settled into a comfortable symbiotic relationship. Basketball’s tunnel walks are some of the sports world’s most anticipated fashion shows, F1 is leaning into stylish collabs, and flashy looks can now be spotted both on and off the slopes. White himself has integrated into the fashion industry, being named as Moncler’s latest ambassador just last year.

“I will say that my sport, snowboarding, wasn’t one of the main sports that luxury brands were paying attention to, but that’s changed now,” he shares, “ I’d say most of the luxury brands are leaning into snowboarding and winter sports, so it’s fun to see.” With WHITESPACE, White puts his own spin on the convergence of sports and fashion — and though the brand has already amassed loyal snow sports fans far and wide, White is just getting started with it.

Hypebeast caught up with Shaun White while he was in Aspen to discuss the Revolve/FWRD pop-up, expanding the scope of his projects, and what is to come with WHITESPACE.

Can you describe your creative approach to developing products and apparel with your brand, WHITESPACE?

Shaun White: I think what separates WHITESPACE from the other brands is that we really tried to be incredibly technical, while also having a fashionable approach. Fashion is very important to me and my identity, so creating a brand that is high-performing on the mountain, but also looks good at après ski or walking around the city — I think that’s what separates us.

From an early age, I was always sponsored by different brands and that taught me so much about product development, marketing, and all aspects of building a brand. I was fortunate to have my brother, Jesse, with me designing so many of my products throughout the years so when my last Olympics came around, I thought ‘Why not build my own brand?’ It’s an opportunity to take everything we learned from years in the snow industry and put our own spin on it. So we did. We launched WHITESPACE in January 2022 with the hope of creating a brand that is not only fashionable and technical on the mountain, but off the mountain as well.

You create functional pieces for the slopes, but how would you characterize your personal style when you’re not snowboarding?

It’s a mix. It’s definitely a luxury-comfort look. I mostly like the kind of gear that I can travel in but also go to dinner in. I love to get dressed up and go to events, so it’s either that cruise-y, elevated loungewear or I’m rocking suits going to events.

WHITESPACE is a play on words, symbolizing a gap in the market that your brand aims to fill. As you are bridging the gap between fashion and snowsports, do you feel that certain apparel choices empower or better equip you athletically?

While WHITESPACE is a play on my last name, the meaning of “whitespace” is a gap in the market. It’s a void waiting for something new, a blank canvas. I always loved the outdoors, and snowboarding itself, specifically because it’s one of the only sports where you can really invent a new trick and become the best in the world. It’s a blank canvas. It’s how you do it. It’s your style, your creativity that pushes you, more than just the technical aspects of the sport. There are a lot of fun things about running the company that I enjoy — especially as I’ve taken a new role in my career — but I love helping some of the younger riders with the product. I definitely feel like the proud dad on Instagram watching our riders get out there competing or just having fun. It’s such a full-circle moment.

Obviously, you want something that you can perform well in, but there’s also the element of style. If you’re wearing something that makes you feel special and confident, I think it adds to the performance.

WHITESPACE recently made its collaboration debut with Moncler during the brand’s Fall/Winter 2024 show. How does your brand align with the ethos and creative perspective of Moncler? What did you learn from this collab?

Moncler is a very unique brand, and it’s amazing to see a brand combine the technical aspects and add a stylish component to it. It’s about time!

I had been in talks with Moncler since the pandemic, and we finally found ourselves in a position where I was making really great snowboards. They wanted to get into more technical outerwear with the Grenoble line. It’s a perfect symmetry because WHITESPACE aligns with Moncler’s fashion-meets-function ideals. I feel like we could give them some credibility in the performance space, and they could give us some cool cred in the fashion world.

What are your thoughts on the convergence of fashion and athletics, as we are seeing across the board and in many other sports including F1 and basketball?

Sports have become much more fashionable, without a doubt. When my career as a professional athlete began decades ago, you didn’t see any crossover between fashion and sport. I will say that my sport, snowboarding, wasn’t one of the main sports that luxury brands were paying attention to, but that’s changed now. I’d say most of the luxury brands are leaning into snowboarding and winter sports, so it’s fun to see.

It seems that you’ve been able to tap into other passions and interests since retiring. What are some other creative endeavors that you hope to tap into during this new chapter?

Even at a young age, I’ve always loved spending time creating. Whether it’s working on new products, music, video projects, fashion, and even interior design. It’s something I’ve always cared about. And now I find myself with a lot more time to spend in this arena, which has been super rewarding.

How does it feel to have WHITESPACE included in the REVOLVE + FWRD Aspen Pop-Up, among many other luxury brands?

Oh, it’s amazing. REVOLVE and FWRD have done such a great job of bringing the best snow brands right to the mountains. I always felt the fashion on the slopes was just okay, but that there was a lot of room for improvement. Having these pop-ups in mountain towns like Aspen brings fashion-forward and luxury pieces right to the slopes, and you can see that it’s working. I love having WHITESPACE in such great company.

What are some of your favorite stops in Aspen — anything that you’d label as a “must-visit” for guests?

The one thing I love most about Aspen is how much is going on at once. I have been traveling to Aspen for years, but only really started getting to enjoy it for fun in the last two. Aspen has everything you need in a resort town — the four mountains, restaurants, and shops. You’re always moving around, so that’s why I think it’s important to be right in town when you stay. This is the perfect location for all of that.

How do you hope WHITESPACE develops and expands in the coming years?

Just like any brand in its early stages, we are still figuring this out. Things are changing daily and we are learning and growing as we go. What I love most about the name and that idea of a blank canvas is that we are creating as we go. Stay tuned, we have some exciting stuff on the horizon.