I call this group of collaborations, The Pioneers for obvious reasons once you see this list. Words (whether spoken on typed) cannot convey the respect I have for these individuals. They were able to take their talents, and explode onto a global level. It is one thing to have a great skill or a good eye. Its another thing to be able to spread that message globally. Whether these guys like to admit it or not, they are great brand builders, like Nike or Starbucks Coffee. The only difference is that the brand they are building is themselves.
Just a couple of posts ago, I retold of how I came to meet WK many years ago. Besides his amazing creations, WK also thinks outside of any box you or I might even imagine. He is literally on the next level at all times. With his studio, sculptures, collaborations, books, and clothes; WK continues to be an inspiration of being true to yourself and holding firm. The anagram I chose for him was TRACE/REACT. His signature motion inspired style was the perfect match for this anagram. I love how he added a little CCTV camera in this design.
There are only a handful of people who were in this game before people even knew what it was. Today, its all nice and neatly packaged for you. A few keystrokes and mouseovers and you’re cooler than thou. But a couple decades ago, it meant blood, sweat and tears. And possible death. Enter Eric Haze. This cat can authentically claim Since Day One. The incredible thing was his ability to go from street artist to corporate dollars but always retaining his authenticity. Take a look at his design history and allow your jaw to drop. Tommy Boy logo, EPMD logo, LL Cool J logo, that little old Public Enemy logo with the man in the crosshairs. Yeah, that was all him. Pay respect to a living legend. I assigned Eric the anagram BACKWARD/DRAWBACK. His iconic use of arrows and stars is pretty much THE most ripped off icon in the artworld today. I am so proud to have a Haze arrow bless a Staple tee.
I remember when I first met man the named KR at the original Alife spot on Orchard and Houston. He just wrapped up a solo exhibition there and I went the next day to check out the show in solitude. He was there adjusting some pieces and we just started building. Many people will take a quick glance at his work and think the man is an idiot with too much paint on his hands. But spend 3 minutes talking to him and you’ll see he’s on some other shit. After all, how many other street thugs do you know that manufacture their own ink! Complete with packaging, color variations and everything. If there was further doubt, check out his book from AKA called It’s All In My Head. His specialty ink is unfadeable. Hence, the anagram HATED/DEATH.
A lot of people think everything happens in either Tokyo, London or NYC. And while I truly believe that if you’re from a smaller city, its harder to get proper exposure; Cody Hudson (and his company, Struggle, Inc.) has had no trouble making his mark in the design world. He has done design work you have lusted after from Girl/Chocolate, to Burton, to Stussy, to AKA, to Nike. His personal art is also genius and I was proud to be able to host his solo exhibition at Reed Space a few years back. I gave him the anagram of TEACHERS/CHEATERS. He came up with this sick all over print design. His concept was based on his early upbringing of hip hop music with the likes of Afrika Bambatta and Public Enemy. His “teachers” if you will. But today, he feels like he is being cheated by what people are calling hip-hip. The 50 Cent’s of the world do not resonate with him. Hence, the “cheaters”. The artwork is a collage of different medallions these teachers and cheaters used to wear. I loved this concept so much, its one of the few I ran in 3 color options. White with Silver. Black with Silver. And white on white tonal.
You ever see a shooting star? It’s pretty amazing. When you track the history of Jose Parla aka Ease, you are literally witnessing a star in the making. He is a true renaissance b-boy. Part member of The Barnstormers, Inkheads, colabs with Agnes B, Dr. Romanelli, Stussy, Takeshi Murakami, Celux, Visvim, oh and did I mention selling out his first solo show at last year’s Miami Art Basel?
I recently had the chance to chill with him in his native Miami as he took me on a tour of his city. It was dope. This dude doesn’t forget a single thing from his past. The mark of true greatness: Never forgetting where you came from. Ease’s anagram is UNITE/UNITE. A nod to his style of continous line strokes.
David Ellis is the founder of The Barnstormers. One of my favorite artists of all time for one not-so-simple reason…he refuses to be pigeon holed into a particular style. David aka SKWERM is constantly evolving and I’m always amazed at what he is working on next. Speakers made out of gourds? A room sized catfish made out of vinyl records? Oversized robotic monsters? A latex painting using oil drums as a canvas? Why not? I had the perfect anagram for David: HUSTLING/SUNLIGHT. Nature is always a very strong theme in his works especially that of trees. Trees are the ultimate hustlers…of light. They take sunlight, use it for themselves, then make us puny humans rely on the waste product (oxygen) to survive. It’s like nature’s crack game.
All these are now available at Reed Space and other Staple locales worldwide. Again, I cannot thank the collaborators who have made the Staple 10th Anniversary collection possible.
Oh, I ain’t done…much more to come.
