10 DEEP 10 years strong and going
The streetwear market is changing all
the time at a very high speed and it is hard to keep track these
days, especially with new brands being launched all the time.
That’s why we are really happy to present you in this issue
for the first time 10 Deep. Unlike most others in this industry,
they have been already in the game for over 10 years and are
one of the New York City foundation brands, one of the few that
are left. These days 10 Deep is stronger than ever and presents
one hot collection after the other, storming the streetwear markets
worldwide. Here we give you a look at the 10 Deep Spring 2007
collection and a little insight into the brand. We had a chat
with Scott, founder and designer of the brandto find out where
10 Deep comes from, what they are about and where they are going.
You can set your expectations high.
10 Deep has a lot of success
these past months and is growing a lot. Unlike many other brands
in this industry you guys have been around since quite some time
already. Give us a quick look into the past of 10 Deep, how it
all started and how these past couple of years have been for
you.
Well, up until about 2003, 10.Deep was mainly a creative outlet
for my ideas. I had always hoped it would grow into a full fledged
business, but didn't believe that the desire would ever become
a reality. For most of that time the business was focused on
a very small number of American streetwear styled boutiques,
and a larger market in Japan. There weren't many brands in the
space, and audience was minute. It almost felt like I was designing
for the other people within the space. There was this weird silent
competition that was going on, and most of the product being
produced was being consumed in Japan. I think our Japan business
accounted for about 70-80% of our sales in 2001, and in 2004
that business had nearly disappeared. By the time the streetwear
phenomena started to take hold here in the US, many of the NY
foundation brands had disappeared, or were on their last legs.
Our spring 2006 line, the one that launched us into minor notoriety
was almost our last.
How would you describe 10
Deep? What brands would you compare yourself to or actually want
to be compared to?
10.Deep is New York streetwear. What that means is changing as
people are adopting the streetwear moniker as a description of
any clothing that they want to sell to young people. For me it
is something that embodies the attitude of this city, and of
progressive culture. It was something that sat outside of the
packaged arenas of urban and skate, or hip-hop and rock, and
dabbled in all elements of youth and creative culture.
You guys are also based
in New York. Would you say that a lot of your designs are influenced
by that or not necessarily? Where do you guys take most of your
inspiration from?
In designing I am influenced by what is going on in the city.
When I need inspiration I go out to see what music people are
listenning to, what they're talking about, and what they're wearing.
We are previewing here the
Spring 2007 collection, which is the most expansive collection
you are showing to date. Please tell us about the themes running
through the collection and what you would point out as the signature
pieces of the collection.
Well a lot of what you see with special regard to the color pallet
is the bridging of the maturation of the streetwear culture here
in the US. Last year we saw all of the brands go color crazy,
and while that was fun, I felt like we needed to offer a more
restrained and mature version of that same look. Thats why we've
got the bright primary pallet and the black tonal pallet. It
was my way of addressing the transition in style. All of the
styles come in a black and white or tonal colorway and a bright
multi-colored version. Here it’s 50/50, but for our Fall
'07 line it’s going to be about 80/20 in favor of restraint.
For Spring 2007 you also
present your first toy, Murko, in collaboration with Thunderdog.
How did that come about and what are your thoughts in general
about the designer toy movement?
For me personally it was an opportunity to get involved with
design outside of apparel, and for the brand it was a chance
to reach out to a new audience. I like a lot of
what is happening in the designer toy movement. I don't even
think of them as toys, but more as an extension of the high art,
produced in multiples.
What can we expect from
10 Deep in the future? Will the line grow further?
Well we certainly hope the line will continue to grow! For summer
and fall '07 we're continuing to add categories. We've started
to add tiers to the line so that we can maintain our current
account base and expand into newer doors. We're considering opening
a flagship store here in NY sometime in the next 12-24 months.
Maybe some more toys, some more accessories, whatever helps to
keep moving forward.
Thanks for the Interview Scott and keep up the great work guys! [df]