...And then streetwear and tier 0 arrived and set up shop (not really tier 0). Norwich (East Anglia) is a very odd place, I found this out first hand when I was temporarily relocated to the home of Colmans mustard. There are two clear social groups that co-exist restlessly in the city - the mortal struggle between light and dark is played out by "Emo's" and "Chavs" as is true of many cities and towns across England.. the definitions of the two social groups can be easily found through a little Myspace research. So how, one might ask, would streetwear find a home in such a place!?
I was aimlessly walking around the city one day, and stumbled across two points of interest... one was called Rootsboutique, and the other was called Main-Source... both of which were closed, but I spent the next 3o minutes looking through the respective windows of these two shops, entranced by what I saw. In Rootsboutique I saw all of Crooks & Castles new stock (at the time, this is an old tale!) and another thing that caught my attention was the original 10deep chain gang t-shirt. The white one with the gold ropes! Main-Source had Amsterdam AM1's, Stash AF1's, CLOT AM1's and much more breathtaking pieces beside. I made a note of 'St Benedicts Street' and vowed to return. From that point forth, my student loans would come in and dissapear rapidly at these two places. A year and a bit on from then and this blog was born, and I decided to hit up the people behind these shops for their views on "the game" - where it was, where it is now and where they forecast it's going to go. So this is the first of a two part store feature, starting with Rootsboutique.
BNTL - Who are you and what do you do?
RB - I'm Pasha and I own and run Roots in Norwich. The East Anglian home of 10.Deep, Mishka, TheHundreds, Crooks and Castles, King Stampede and Red Clay. I rep for a brand called GOODLIFE (click here for their myspace) which is now kinda famous for it's Africa T which we have given to many well recognisable heads including Nas, MIA, DIPLO and A Trak.
BNTL - How do you define streetwear?
RB - See I don't know about this question. Firstly I'm not sure you can define it. You can point out it's characteristics and certain attributes that make streetwear, streetwear. If I was to say that maybe 10 years ago you could define it easier then it would be because it has grown as a culture since then. Despite it's growth, or perhaps an overlap into other areas, I feel it still remains indefinable. Saying that, streetwear should be tough and durable, this makes sense when you apply it to skateboarders, however for me streetwear now is incorporating high spec materials that have no regard for durablilty or practicality. If you compare this with a certain look in hip-hop culture of late, where practicality goes out of the window, and you have a certain sneaker company making patent kicks that match just about everything else you are wearing along with real diamond eyelets. These are not for practicality or necessity but the total opposite. Packable jackets and rip-stop fabrics and things like that feel true to the practicality that streetwear was born to incorporate but I can't help feel that they can be a bit nerdy.
Now I feel that the movement has been more towards marrying the two ideas that I previously discussed but bein more clever about it. I think the characteristics of streetwear incorporate various elements: casual, relaxed, comfort... exclusive, desirable, hype... hip-hop, art, urban sports and activites (graff etc.)...underground, non-mainstream...Also sex and drugs. Stash pockets in jeans, jackets, caps. I had some Maurice Malone boxers with a condom holder years ago. Functional streetwear has it's appeal but doesn't feel very high-post.
Taking that non-mainsteam point... I feel that we have been effected here in the uk because we have loads of overlaps - By that I mean you have emo kids, or whatever they are, wearing new eras and all over print hoodies with their skinny jeans describing things as being "well new-rave" - 'fair enough' we say as the cash registers ching. It still does leave me a little confused about the overall direction and almost makes me resent groups for hijacking cultures and crashing them into proverbial towers (just kidding!).
It is annoying when you go into H&M or TOPMAN and see some cheap repeat print hoody or a track top with a translucent nylon shell. These culture vultures need to be stopped. Anyway I don't care about all that shit. People can copy and wear what they want... they will look stupid by comparison. Streetwear is about how you wear certain things... in the past the size would be a factor... baggy, tight... we go for comfort cos we are laid back cats... Two people could wear the same outfit but one could embody streetwear more than the other based on lifestyle etc so yes it is a culture; but it's so broad it dictates the styling of a lot of different groups of people. Two main influences for me would be: Hip-Hop and skating but you have to care about nice clothes or forget about it.Some people just seem to embody that streetwear dork type vibe which I find annoying.
BNTL - What or who cultivates streetwear, in your opinion?
RB - People like me and you, http://www.thehundreds.com/, designers, musicians, politics, contraversy, the Stussy generation, people who want to influence customers with fabricated hype to make money...
BNTL - Often there's critcism that our generation doesn't have distinct fashion iconic of it's era on the same scale as Mods and Rockers and Punks etc. Will streetwear ever be comparable on the same scale?
RB - No, thank god. It's nice that streetwear can evolve. I mean the hoody belongs to streetwear in my opinion and look at how eclectic they get.
BNTL - If fashion is a phase, where will streetwear end? Where did it start?
RB - It can't end. Unless people start dressing uber formal. It depends on how you classify streetwear. I think the glamorisation of casual clothing could be linked with the styling of Dapper Dan in eighties New York. Screen printing the LV logo onto calf skin jackets for 'Nice and Smooth' to wear. These movements are the beginnings of streetwear for me I suppose. Also when skate shoes started getting bigger and DC made a big impact. When serious money started getting pumped into it.
BNTL - What brands do you stock, do you have plans to add any others?
RB - 10.DEEP, THEHUNDREDS, MISHKA, REASON, KINGSTAMPEDE, CROOKSANDCASTLES, LIVEMECHANICS, ACAPULCOGOLD, GOODLIFE, 3SIXTEEN, REDCLAY, LEARMANDDAULEY.
I always am on the look out for something new but there's nothing I'm after at the moment.
BNTL - How do you think the internet has made streetwear huge, and does your store embrace this?
RB - Haha, I would like to emrace it more but my website is still under construction. Financially it's the best way to sell a lot of product. I love selling out of my shop though, I get more satisfaction. Never the less I will be up and running, selling on-line very soon. I hope to have enough content on the site to define what we are doing and what we represent. I do feel that the internet makes bullshitting and ripping people off easier which is why I both love and hate it. Some of the stuff you read is ridiculous and some of the blatent false-hype sales pitches are embarrasing.
BNTL - In your opinion is contreversy a crucial streetwear selling point?
RB - It certainly gets attention. It helps refect the non-conformist elements and shows a certain level of intelligence and consciousness. Shock value has it's place in the media at the moment...
BNTL - When we last spoke there was speak of you making your own brand, has anything come of this?
RB - I'm making some clothes, yes. It's mainly outerwear with some t's. It's cooking.
BNTL - Anything else you care to add?
RB - Yes, if anyone wants to buy or enquire about anything we have in store, feel free to call the hotline on: 01603 766261. Alternatively, hit me up on myspace. ALSO stores interested in distributing GOODLIFE, call me. Website coming soon!!!
Check the rootsboutique myspace by clicking here!!
Many thanks to Pasha for taking time out of his busy schedule, to answer our questions. Much props to Shan for co-collaborating on the questions, he came up with the majority of them, to be fair. Part 2 soon coming!!
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