Interviews
As we delve deeper into the lives and careers of the HB100, we uncover the stories that are often left untold. From emerging designers and musicians, to longstanding creatives and personalities, the sheer breadth of knowledge and advice towards those they wish to aspire is astronomical. What is meant to be told is thus condensed into the following interviews, free for those thirsty for inspiration to absorb and implement.
Luca Benini
Founder of Slam Jam
"I’ve always picked labels I could relate to. All felt true and with a genuine identity. That was pretty natural and still made me learn a lot of things."
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Ben Baller
Co-founder of Superism and IF & Co.
"You know I feel like there was much more diversity when it came to 10 years ago. One thing didn’t look like the other, and now everyone is just fucking copying everyone."
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Kris Van Assche
Artistic Director of Dior Homme
"I am surprised to see to what extent some brands have ‘slowed down’ on their menswear collections. It feels like a “turn back in time” where menswear was considered an accessory to the bigger women’s collections."
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Daniel Arsham
Artist and Co-founder of Snarkitecture
"You know, I’m constantly trying to make things I want to see exist in the world and I figure, hopefully, if I want to see them exist, other people may want to as well."
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Matthew Williams
Designer
"Being able to learn what feels right to you through the act of doing is what I’ve been doing these past three years."
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Aaron Bondaroff
Founder of KNOW WAVE
"Some others say that the lines are blurred about what’s going on in culture and what’s going on in general, but at this point I think there are no lines anymore."
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Carlo Rivetti
CEO of SPW & Creative Director of Stone Island
"Streetwear is a cultural phenomenon that is here to stay. You had an aesthetic revolution starting from the feet, a desperate drive for guys to look cool, a strive to belong, the rise of new medias speaking to transnational and trans-ethnical communities."
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Heron Preston
Designer
"I question how many of us in the industry actually care and want to reduce the impact our actions are doing to the environment."
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Chris Gibbs
Owner of Union Los Angeles
"Everything goes in cycles. Right now streetwear is king."
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Andrew Richardson
Founder of Richardson Magazine
"Streetwear, initially an anti-establishment reflection of youth, is now absorbed into the business of fashion."
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Jerry Lorenzo
Designer
"I’m learning how to tell my story and stay within the parameters of what my design language is."
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Imran Ciesay & Solomon Boyede
Co-founders of Places + Faces
"Fashion is just another form of artistic freedom which solely reflects an individual’s mind state."
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Nick Knight
Photographer and Founder of SHOWstudio.com
"You have a very free audience out there, people are allowed to express their opinions on what you do and are encouraged to do so. It’s a lot freer at the moment and a lot more exciting than what it was 20 years ago."
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Ryo Kashiwazaki
Shoemaker and Founder of Hender Scheme
"Streetwear will stick to what they want to do and not necessarily be affected by situations or times. I've been placing myself in the middle where I can alternate between fashion and product design."
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Alessandro Michele
Creative Director of Gucci
"Streetwear is a powerful word, which sometimes is trivialized. For me streetwear means life, because it is what you wear when you go outside."
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OHHYUK
Musician
"I don’t think any artist could ever be satisfied. As long as you have the thirst for something new, you’ll run into challenges someday."
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Masaaki Homma
Founder of mastermind JAPAN
"I don’t really pay attention to how other streetwear brands are doing, but just focusing on continuing to produce things ourselves. I think the industry will continue to flourish if everyone continues to produce goods well."
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Boris Bidjan Saberi
Designer
"Our day-by-day is an evolution in the niche we are born to."
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Samuel Ross
Founder of A-COLD-WALL*
"What I want people to see is the overhanging architectural mood of Britain and London insinuated through the garments and color palettes and narratives that I write."
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Jo Sindle & Kyle Stewart
Co-founders of Goodhood
"I think Goodhood has become a real destination for likeminded people in London. When we started this community was small and niche; avid shoppers would come and find us on our back street to see gear you couldn't find elsewhere in London"
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Teddy Santis
Founder of Aimé Leon Dore
"You learn to work very hard in New York, and from a very young age. If you’re not going 150mph on a day to day, you get left behind quickly—no matter what you’re doing..."
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Francesco Ragazzi
Founder of Palm Angels and Artistic Director of Moncler
"It’s a very uncertain time which is positive because there are no rules to follow and only the brave will make it through."
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Arun Gupta
Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Grailed
"In the short term we are trying to democratize men's fashion and make it accessible to everybody. In the long term, we want to be the place that helps people to express themselves from the inside."
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Craig Green
Designer
"I think it is important not to rest on your laurels, to always keep pushing and moving things forward."
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Arthur & Daniel Chmielewski
Co-founders of HAVEN
"We have always curated the brands we carry based primarily on their quality and authenticity instead of hype or trends."
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Luke Meier
Co-founder of OAMC and Co-Creative Director of Jil Sander
"The biggest issues to me are the way that people, artists and designers communicate. How do people present the work? How can different media be used to create the right mood or convey the correct message?"
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Gosha Rubchinskiy
Designer
"I think a brand’s history shapes who they are. It is very important to both know where you come from and understand the present."
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Hiroshi Fujiwara
Designer
"I feel ups and downs around the fashion industry, but not really around me."
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Tatsuhiko Akashi
Founder and CEO of MEDICOM TOY Corporation
"Regarding the long-term future of the company, I really hope that we can continue to provide creative hubs from which young artists can connect with others and propel themselves."
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Takashi Murakami
Artist
"As you all may already know, I am not a person that understands and enjoys fashion."
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Martine Rose
Designer
"I feel that the industry will keep on growing and with this comes a greater responsibility towards how and where samples are produced."
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Joerg Koch
Founder of 032C and Editor-in-Chief of SSENSE
"I think the fashion industry is in a similar state as the publishing industry with legacy media brands. They all fear about losing relevancy with new generations and it is a productive challenge for the establishment as well as for those who come up questioning the system."
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Dao-Yi Chow & Maxwell Osborne
Co-founders of Public School
"I think, we all, whether you’re a designer or you’re an athlete or whoever you are, have the social responsibility to speak out when things aren’t right or when you see imbalances or injustices."
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Ronnie Fieg
Founder and Creative Director of KITH
"I always say this whenever I can: I think it’s very important to start at the very bottom of whatever business you want to do, learn the business from the bottom up, and understand the way the business works."
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Olga Karput
Founder of KM20
"These conventional borders are becoming more blurred, like the whole class system. We live in the beginning of a new era—a streetwear era in fashion."
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Mitsuhiro Kubo
Owner and Creative Director of GR8
"I strongly feel that the status of so-called “streetwear” has been raised in the industry, and actually the boundaries of the category are getting less and less at the same time."
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Jeff Staple
Founder of Staple Design
"2017 marked the 20th anniversary for Staple! That shit boggles my mind. I printed the first Staple shirt in 1997."
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Astrid Andersen
Designer
"My perspective will always be through a masculine lens because that’s my preference."
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Tremaine Emory & Acyde
Co-founders of No Vacancy Inn
"The only things I had to come out the other side from was real life issues. What I learned from those was that you can do anything with a positive mind frame, intelligence, a sense of humor, a sense of humanity, hard work, and a partner like Acyde and all others that support me"
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Guillermo Andrade
Head of Design at 424
"As long as I can remember I have always felt more aligned with a rebellious attitude and outlook on life. If I see shit I don't understand I ask questions."
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Cali Thornhill DeWitt & Brendan Fowler
Co-founders of Some Ware
"Things are all about interaction and talking to each other. If you’re steady on that kind of thing and investigative of culture, and meet like-minded people, that’s how the conversation starts and continues."
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