Who is the West Coasts answer to Aime Leon Dore?
When you think of east coast fashion, you immediately think of Aime Leon Dore, Supreme, Awake, Kith and a handful of other up-and-coming brands.
Even Sonder NY, Penni.NY are brands that I think have bright futures. But all of these brands make you think of NY - Yes, even if it wasn’t included in their name.
If Nas & Jay Z provide the daily soundtrack to what it’s like being in New York City & Brooklyn, then these brands are supplying the uniforms to that movie.
Since moving to LA, I’ve been thinking… who is the brand that sums up my life here in LA? Now, because I’m living in Venice my perspective might be a little skewed but talking to friends who have been here for a while and living in Silver Lake & DTLA, they feel a similar way.
The west coast has brands which we will go through in a minute but to me, it’s lacking brands that encapsulate the city, the way those mentioned above, do for New York.
On a smaller scale, out here there is Metal Wood, who are doing with their ode to 90s and 00s golfe plus the bootleg brands like Who Jung Who & McDowells that are making a splash with their own communities. And there is soon to be Salehe’s ‘Spunge’ - Whilst the future for them is bright, it’s disrespectful to include them on this list, as the site is currently password protected.
Not to bring it back to an East Coast vs West Coast type battle, but my mind happens to go there. For the sake of this article, if Aime is prime Bad Boy Records then who is the Death Row records? What brand has made the claim to be the biggest and baddest of the Wild Wild West?
Before we get into it, let’s not forgot this iconic moment in rap.
Let me make the case for each.
Fear Of God / Essentials. Now let’s get this straight, Fear of God is the higher-end, menswear brand and Essentials, is its more accessible streetwear sibling. Fear of God sells relaxed suede pants for $2,695 and Essentials sells nylon track pants for $145. Essentials have mainstream success and popularity. I’m even seeing people on the Gold Coast back home wearing Essentials around. Is this to do with the Hailer Biebers of the world wearing it? I’m not sure. But either way, designer & founder Jerry Lorenzo (great name btw) has figured out his visual language and who these brands are and more importantly who they are for. You know what the brands are all about. Each collection that comes out comes with a strong campaign, usually shot by Pierre Toussaint, so no pennies are spared on the campaigns. Now, I’m more likely to be wearing a vintage NWO t-shirt but how do you feel about walking into an industry party and letting an Essentials (or even FOG for that matter) t-shirt fly the flag for your style and who you are?
You wouldn’t get any judgment from me but we both know this industry…
Rhude.
Is a design venture born out of Los Angeles, founded by Rhuigi Villaseñor (fashion’s next golden child) in 2015. Rhude balances luxury techniques with streetwear elements, showcased as ready-to-wear collections.
Rhuigi is only 30 years old and whatever he touches seems to turn to gold. The brand’s look and feel keep evolving. The brand has gone from oversized logos and a luxury streetwear brand to a legitmate player at Fashion Weeks around the world. When you think of an elevated and aspirational lifestyle, Rhude comes to mind. Unfortunately my skyrockets aren’t yet deep enough for a cashmere tracksuit but I know Jay Z is a huge fan of the brand and is often seen decked out head to toe in the young designers’ collections. Personally, I can’t justify the price point, so I can’t comment too much on the actual quality of the product. Although there are a lot of Cali roots in the design - releasing collections in Lakers colours, or having runway models wear leather flip-flops, Rhude feels more global. It feels more like a brand that sums up the life of Paul Pogba as opposed to somebody living in LA. I could understand if you are living in West Hollywood and think this brand has the crown but for me, it doesn’t. And for these people I’d question if a collab with McLaren is their actual reality? or just the reality their dating profile says.
Side note: Rhuigi has recently become the creative director for Bally, which is yet another high-end brand, tapping into the younger demographic through streetwear roots.
MadHappy.
A feel-good story and brand that’s hard not to get around. Something that fashion/streetwear needed, a brand focussing on mental health and wellbeing. Founded by 4 college grads, the brand has made its way into the NBA tunnels with King James repping the brand from time to time. MadHappy is a great name, the graphics are fun and young. Does it sum up LA? It does, but does it deserve the crown, no.
I love what they are doing here with the Local Optimist, a media platform focused on mental wellbeing.
Sporty & Rich.
Now, I’m not the target market and a lot of streetwear snobs will stop reading after this but they do deserve a mention. Emily Oberg has used her platform and teamed up with a credible & knowledgeable partner in David Obadia, who happens to be the founder of Harmony Paris to create a brand that is the uniform for the chic IG influencer. She has given these people a wardrobe that Princess Di would rock and she’s done it well. I’m still not over the whole Diet Prada saga (do your own research) that happened a few years back but moving on… They have a nice vibe and it sums up the people who are always posting fancy things on social media and you have no idea what they do for work or for money. Do they get the crown, no.
The Hundreds.
I’m a huge fan of what the brand is all about and the longevity they have, but I don’t own or wear any of their product. They are still holding down the fort with the prime shop location on Fairfax but anytime I’ve walked in, I’ve left empty handed and I can’t figureout why. I somehow feel I’ve matured from the brand but this is definitely a ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ moment. I no longer wear such heavy graphic designed products and they have lost me with some of their collabs - for example this latest collab with Harry Potter. But if there is one brand I want to win, it’s The Hundreds. I think they sum up a part of LA that I just haven’t lived or experienced yet but having read Bobbys writing for nearly 15 years, everything they do is about the city of LA. I prefer reading about the founder and the brand instead of wearing their clothes. Crown no, no crown.
Stussy.
You can’t talk about West Coast fashion, without talking about Stussy. They are the original streetwear brand and after all these years, have kept evolving and progressing as a brand. They are crossing over more and more with their collaborations, working a lot of CDG, and they even got their hands on the Nike Air Penny 2 (did you see Devon Booker warming up in them?). As a brand, they still know who they are and what they are. They make products with a reasonable price point with some statement pieces here and there. Whilst I personally don’t judge hype as always a positive, it’s often very hard and sometimes nearly impossible to get your hands on their collabs. Personally, I love how they have matured as a brand. Take the styling on the model below. The oversized vest could be seen both at Hinanos or Barneys and overstyled at a fashion party worn by somebody like Tyler, the Creator.
Now, do I compare Aime and Stussy, no I don’t but the west coast crown can’t be left empty. Stussy has hardly put a foot wrong in the last three decades, so they deserve it. And the winner is…
If I was a betting man, I’d seriously consider Spunge as the brand to challenge the crown. It has the energy of somebody who has moved around, it feels fun, well made and also well done, especially on the branding front. But as stated earlier, it’s simply too early to even talk about them. Salehe Bembury(the guy who suddenly made it cool to wear Crocs) is going to own 2023 and his brand, Spunge will be right along with him.
When you think of West Coast fashion, who do you think of?
As much as I love Stussy and think they had a very impressive 2022, I don’t feel the same way I do when I think of Aime. I can tell the block in Queens they are from. You know the people who wear the brand. You know the subway they catch to work. You know where you’ll find them hanging out.
Is LA simply too big to have this same feeling? Is it not cool enough, as I’ve heard a few people say? Or is it simply just not being done super well?
I’d love to hear what you think.
Thanks for being you but also reading my thoughts.