:: Attic Online ::

Name? Johan, pronounced Yo-han, but my family and friends call me Jo, and Andrew.
Vendor/Company/Brand? 3sixteen
Years Around? 4

Staff Introduction:
A: Jeff Hamada, our head designer who is based in Vancouver. That’s about it.
J: I gotta give a shout to our interns Caleb and John in LA, Brian and Matt on the East Coast.

Where is your company based from?
A: 3sixteen was born in New York… I spent a short stint in Chicago and moved back in the spring of 2005.
J: Our west coast office is located in South Central Los Angeles aka my crib.

How did the name, 3sixteen, come about?
A: Jeff, Johan and I are Christians – the name comes from John 3:16, a verse from the Bible. Brand names are important… they’re supposed to represent what a company is about. We decided to name our company after something we believe in, and it keeps us honest in our day to day work and interactions. We’re not a Christian clothing line by any means, but our spirituality is important to us and we hope that it comes through not only by the way we design but in the relationships we have with others and the integrity by which we run our business.

Blondes, Red Heads, Brunettes, or Black Hair?
J: I’d be in trouble with my girl if I said anything but black hair.
A: Once you go black you never go back. True story…

Are you guys heavy shoe collectors? What is your prized piece and how many you got?
J: I wouldn’t consider myself a shoe collector because I try to wear most everything I have. But I’m really diggin these Daggers Drawn hemp Chucks that I’ve given a lot of play lately and I’ll always cherish my 4ce Footwear kicks since they’re not around anymore.
A: I am definitely not a shoe collector. Growing up, I only got one pair of sneakers a year – and they were always the wack stuff that was on sale at Filene’s Basement. Like a pair of Ponys… when they weren’t cool. Or Shooters from Caldor’s. I got my first pair of Airs in high school and they were very special to me. Now that I have a little bit more in the ends department, I buy what I like and I wear it. Johan definitely qualifies as more of a shoe collector/connoisseur than me, though.

Would you be bold enough to let MTV Cribs run an episode on your pad?
A: If people really want to see what a one bedroom co-op in Queens looks like, sure.
J: Most definitely, if they’re not afraid of Crenshaw. It was like having a second full time job remodeling my house and it still has a long way to go, but I’m proud of how far it’s come since I bought it.

If you had 100 bucks in your wallet right now, what would you do with it?
A: Pay off some of these bills.
J: Send it to Andrew to pay off some of these bills.

So tell me the truth, about what percent of your designs were done in a sober state of mind?
J: 100%. I have no reason to drink away my problems because I’m living a dream. Alright, back to real questions. I happened to get sidetracked a lot. What do you think of the term “streetwear”? Is it a legitimate genre or a generic label?
J: I don’t hate it as much as a lot of people do, and it’s definitely better than “skurban.” It’s a convenient term that describes a subset of fashion that otherwise isn’t easily categorized. People get hung up on the “street” part of the term, thinking that you have to be street/thug/etc. to wear it or create it. I think the underlying factor, the lowest common denominator, of brands that are commonly considered as and respected in “streetwear” is independence. Almost every brand that I can think of that is making waves in our scene is free from the pressure of financial backers, allowing them to generally be more creative than anything else that is available and reference influences that people can relate to as opposed to constantly pushing a logo or a wider range of watered down product to increase the bottom line. Unfortunately, calling it “independent” or “indy-wear” would connote a completely different style.

Can streetwear then be “labeled” as the new urban with a rise and fall? How will it outlast mainstream exposure and saturation?
J: I honestly don’t know what the future will hold for the industry. We wake up every morning feeling blessed and thankful to be doing something that we love and to have people that vibe with the products we put out. We know that everything could be taken away in an instant, so we’re just enjoying it while we can. Like I said before, I believe that through education and competition, consumers will ensure that the strongest brands survive.
A: Everyone’s trying to put an end date on the explosive growth that is going on right now. As Johan said, we’re not concerning ourselves with the implosion that people keep saying is inevitable. As long as we put our best work forward and continue to carefully manage the line’s growth and distribution, we’ll be ok. I’m not so sure how the rest of the industry will fare, though. There are a lot of guys who’ve jumped in headfirst because it seems like there’s a lot of money to be made (and there is, if a company is built properly). When it becomes apparent that this game really isn’t that easy – after all, if it was we’d all be rich – I think the bottom will fall out for a lot of brands that weren’t dedicated to making it work to begin with.

What percent of Magic and Agenda is business? I want details.
A: As the line has grown over the years, the shows have become more and more about business. I would say that nowadays MAGIC and Agenda are all business… I don’t mean that we write orders every minute of the day, but the shows are just as much an opportunity for us to show and sell our line as they are to connect with our stores and chat with them about how business is going, what they are up to these days, and how we can work hand in hand to build sustainable growth. It’s also a pleasure to meet up with our industry friends and catch up on what’s new with them. All of that is work-related, but it’s also a lot of fun. One thing is for sure – a week of tradeshows, parties, dinners and networking wears you out like nothing else.

What type of people would you fear rocking your brand?
J: No one. We want our designs to resonate with people across the board. Not to mention that we’d really cripple our business if we sat around worrying about things that we have no control over.

Any plans for a women’s line?
J: We’re bad enough at designing for guys. I think we’ll stick to that for now.

Any secrets or heads up you can give the anticipating 3sixteen fans?
A: We’re pretty excited about our fleece program. The first pieces are dropping this spring, but you’ll be seeing us stretch ourselves this Fall/Holiday season from a construction and design perspective.
J: I’m personally stoked about the line of headwear that we will be releasing in the Fall and Winter which will include much more than our usual fitteds and 5 panel camp caps.

What brands out there you think got this shit down?
J: There are a ton of brands that I respect and feel are really making moves right now. I definitely have to thank the originators for paving the way: Stussy, Freshjive, and GAT. In a more global sense, Apple is absolutely killing it (even though I don’t own or use any of their products) and Nike is unstoppable.
A: The level of excellence in this industry has really grown in the past few years… so many brands were content to sit still and make a living off of tees earlier on, but as the stakes have grown and brands have made a conscious effort to demonstrate maturity in their work, many have been forced to step up into the world of cut and sew. I’m very impressed with how many brands have built strong lines overall – to the point where it really does qualify to be called a line. Anyone who has successfully made that jump has earned my respect because it’s such a hard thing to do.

I see 3sixteen as a brand that is maturing with advanced cut and sew designs. Is this the direction you plan on going with it?
J: We’ve been very careful about how we grow the line. We didn’t want to rush the issue and put out clothes that we wouldn’t be proud of. Because the personal styles of our team are classic and minimal, we wanted to make sure that there was enough demand for our product to put out clean pieces that would sell based on detail and quality of design. With that said, we’re offering a few custom pieces each season and growing it organically.
A: Johan pretty much summed it up. I’m a grown man – I don’t find myself wearing wild and crazy stuff, so my eyes are usually peeled for clean and classic pieces with nice details and a bit of an edge to it. That’s exactly what we tried to do with our initial cut and sew pieces… “grown up” clothing with mature cuts. We’re pretty selective with our distribution which presents issues with meeting minimums that overseas factories demand, but we are thankful to have partnered up with people that are willing to work with us in this next stage of growth. We’re really excited for a lot of the things we are developing for the seasons to come. We hope to continue bringing subtle, clean pieces that will hold appeal with many.

Any brands you want to put on blast or talk shit on? Talk shit if you choose to LOL.
J: That’s not really our style to put other people/brands on blast. Consumers, ultimately, have the power in the progression and longevity of our culture. If they choose to spend their money on brands that put out original products of high quality, then the biters and brands that are only in it for a quick buck will naturally get weeded out. There will always be demand for creativity and lasting construction.

Tell us about NHTVSN and its purpose in terms of media and fashion. I personally enjoy it because I am too lazy to read. Pictures and audio is genius and makes my life and brain work a lot less.
J: Jeff Hamada, our lead graphic designer, has a strong background in film and we didn’t want his talents to go to waste. We have met some extremely talented people through 3sixteen and we wanted to raise awareness about them in appreciation for all the inspiration and help we’ve been given. We’re energized by creativity and we want to use every opportunity and medium we can as an outlet, whether it’s a t-shirt, a DVD, or a photograph.
A: Our original idea a while back was to create an actual zine, photocopied and all. We wanted to use it as an educational tool to supplement the fast growth of the industry which we feared was lacking knowledge and substance. We also enjoy writing and thought it’d be something fun to do alongside 3sixteen. Eventually the idea resurfaced in the form of a video magazine and we decided to introduce a tshirt line to go alongside it.

Any other interests besides running a successful brand and image?
A: 3sixteen keeps me pretty busy but when I do have some free time on my hands I enjoy reading and dabbling in photography.
J: Anything active; basketball, football, snowboarding, biking, wakeboarding etc., making music, and traveling.

What sets 3sixteen apart from the other cats of the industry?
A: I think authenticity is important. We never make a design that doesn’t represent us, our values, or our passions. The same can be said of plenty of independent brands because the lack of financial backing enables designers to be free with what they want to put out. I don’t think you’ll find the same thing with bigger, corporate brands who have to meet quarterly sales numbers.
J: In all honesty, 3sixteen is not mind-blowingly inventive. One of my favorite designs that we’ve put out is a t-shirt based on the old adage “There is nothing new under the sun.” We didn’t put that out to say that we were more original than everyone else, we were including ourselves in that statement. We know that even our designs are referencing past ideas and influences. No one is inventing the t-shirt or zip hoody. We just hope to be true to ourselves in what we put out, offering the highest level of quality and creativity that we are capable of.

I like to thank the family at 3sixteen for taking the time of putting up with my bullshit (I meant questions) and listening to my random ramblings. Big ups to their lineup and you can be guaranteed 3sixteen Summer and Fall will defintely be something to be anticipating. NHTVSN is pure genius and you can check out the insightful videos at www.3sixteen.com. Look for 3sixteen products at an ATTIC store near you playas.