Q+A's with I.J. from SKULLS

From time to time, in the searching for certain things on Google, I find dope things (and better). Some years back I was browsing the MF Doom SB's, one of the first links from the results was a Blogspot entry about a Doctor Doom t-shirt, it wasn't what I was looking for but the blog was cool, so I bookmarked it and since that night I checked out that blog weekly. It was Summer 2007 I believe. Following this blog found that Doctor Doom t-shirt was made by an independent Spaniard brand called Wordwide, later checking the blog found the guy behind worked for Nike SB Spain and was who created SNT's Team Edition SB dedicated to BCN Sants Crew and a Don Quijote inspired Dunk SB sample (never released, SHAME ON YOU Nike SB) was more than dope, to later find an entry about New York Hardcore bands... that sealed the deal.
That guy name is Iván Jiménez.

Wordwide Living blog changed to Wordwide2007 and later to what now is Skulls Barcelona -an indy brand and blog.

I.J. decided to leave Nike imperium and opened a streetwear boutique @ his hometown Barcelona, SKULLS store was on the ground. The store delivered selected brands and the house-brand Skulls releasing their first collection of tees and 5 panels caps. After +half year in business Iván decided close doors and later re-launched Skulls brand with Collection 2 (strictly 5 panels) from his now Brooklyn Hq.

After five years following this guy's blogs/life I had the honor to meet him @ Brooklyn in a trip to New York last December 2011, and later again last May.

Some Q+A's with Iván Jiménez aka "Iván Skulls" aka "Skulls Supremo":

Warop Iván! As far as I can see from your blog entries your recent trip to Japan was really cool (drumming like Tommy Lee and all...) Add some more words about that trip. 

• I wanted to visit Japan again to get some inspiration. I have been living in NY for about 8 months now (Although it feels like 90 years now), and wanted a change of visuals. I needed to reset my mindset and fill it up with japanese colors, fabrics, visions and such. I also wanted to have some holidays with my friend Sandra so we met in Tokyo, me coming from NY and she coming from Barcelona. It was a really good trip overall.

(Skulls Japan drum session | image courtesy of Skulls blog)

 check here for the performance AKA Japanese insta-fan girls

So you made a Japan exclusive Skulls printed lookbook... How is the current Japanese reception for Skulls?

• It was way better than I expected. Most of the people I met from stores were really surprised by the hats. It is a very colorful country fashion-wise, and I think Skulls fits more than perfectly there. I got new accounts before I left the country, so I assume the reception was more than good! 

(Skulls is for the whole family | image courtesy of Skulls blog)

Spotted Sandra in some of the trip's flicks, how is she doing? Respect for that lady.

• She is great, she is just handling her stuff in Spain to be able to come to NY. We are going to launch a women line probably for Spring '13 with all her ideas. She is a talented girl, and she is also a funny and sexy lady, so its a good catch! By the way, she will also appear in another SKULLS tee!!!

[Do yourself a favor and go get that first "Sandra" tee now, and yeah lurk around...]

Skulls is a costumer oriented brand, I can tell myself from my experience. How does it feel having good feedback via networks and getting emails from fans? I believe you appresh that relationship/conection with your consumers and Skulls fans.

• Well, I think that brands should respect its clients. I have been "on the other side" and I have always felt that the big and even smaller brands take themselves too seriously. I mean, look, you are doing tees and some sweatshirts, why you think you are better than anybody else? I get fan mail nearly everyday, asking things, asking for some kind of guidance. Im completely fine with it, and I answer 99% of the emails I get (The 1% goes for the weird emails asking too deep stuff). To me, customers are not only customers, they are pasionate people who want to own your products, so it just a matter of mutual respect to show my appreciation and be there. In Spain we call it "dar la cara", in English it might be called "Be there". Is just respect, is just this family idea I have with my customers.

Can I call ourselves Skulls fans "Skull-heads"?

• I would say "Skulls Fam", as it sounds less "sneakerheads"!

[Saw that one coming, hahaha]

From "Coleccion 1" to present, wich is your favorite piece done and why?

• Wow, I have done more than 60 hats in a little bit of more than a year... I'd say my favorite hat can be the "Mia" 5 panel, the one with the dogs, and the "Peru" collection. The "Mia" hat because I did it thinking about the little chiuhuahua I had in Barcelona, and the "Peru" because it was the first limited edition collection I put out while being in NY and the reception was amazingly good, selling everything out in less than 24 hours. But again, every hat I make is because I like it, so I bsically wear them all every now and then.

("Peru Capsule" from Collection 3: Tamia, Luania & Milagros)
image courtesy of Skulls blog

Which piece got the craziest and/or weird story? 

(From making-of to release/sales)

• The "Peru" one was crazy. I bought the fabric in the highest city in Peru (Cuzco), saved the fabric for 3 months until I shipped it to the production facility, they were hesitant to make the hats because it was a really weird fabric, and it was really complicated to make hats out of it. Ultimately, got them and they came out amazing. It's not that crazy of a story but it just funny the whole process geographically to make some hats and sell them from NY. 

(The "Hustlers Marathon" tee, peep the details)
image courtesy of Worldwide Living blog

Browsing in my memory I remember pictures of "Hustlers Marathon" tee and 5 panel from Worldwide Living blog, also you tell a bit of that fine-ass piece in your BackseriesTV interview, but as much as I try can't remember if those pieces were released or just ended up as samples. The tee was released right? Tell me the history and what happened.

• Me and Nima from Digital Gravel talked about doing a t-shirt back in 2007. I was doing this brand called Worldwide and I was selling at Supreme NY, Reed Sapce and other retailers worldwide. I'm and have been into Polo and Ralph Lauren in the 90's, and in Spain was really hard to get the good stuff from the brand. That jacket that came out blue and purple and with the marathon frontal number was my fave piece. I took that inspiration and made a t-shirt that turned out to be one of the most celebrated tees I did those years. Still today people tell me it's their fave tshirt. Then, I wanted to make a hat, I was also heavily into hats. So I contacted the same supplier who was doing the tee for me in Los Angeles and they told me they were begining to make hats, so I took the same colorway and inspiration but ended up as a sample as I dropped the brand in mid 2008 because of personal issues. Back in 2012 I'm launching this new brand DOWNTOWN NY and I was like "Shit, I need to make a proper hat with that idea", so here it is. Dreams come true. 5 years later thou!

("Hustlers Marathon" sample 5 panel) 
still-image from BackseriesTV interview

Did you ever considered re-launch that pieces under Skulls, like a retrospective/roots of Skulls pieces capsule? 
Will we Skull Fam have the opportunite to get those gems? 
(Pray to the Gods)

• I dont think so. Most of the fabrics I have been using are out of stock, and some of the early stuff I did were just one time pieces. Every now and then Im doing some hats, like the "Cosmos" but everytime I drop a reissue will have different details so people can see the difference, like the woven label, or the fabric cut. 

In your interview with BackseriesTV you tell a long-to-short history timeline of Skulls, dropped straight real words about your work, and that classic line: "me la pela lo que digan los demás..." ["I can give a fuck what other say..."] 
Any love words to annonymus e-haters and "e-streetwear consultors"?

• Thats a good one. Well, all I can say is that a lot of people have been dissing Skulls since day one, just saying out loud how ugly the hats are, or the bad quality and stuff. I couldn't care less, as I'm selling out every season, and the people who love the brand like the products, thats all I care. I know my stuff is not for everybody but I don't usually diss other brands or creatives out there. I'M all about delivering fun, exciting and stylish products, and its all up to you guys to give an answer to that. I would recomend the haters to create brands and work with their ideas, would love to see what they came up with!

I don't know what the Skull Fam think, but I do wanna see some dark skinned/ebony/Middle-Eastern/Muslim NYC-born honey(s) on next Skulls collections lookbooks... Actually that girl you posted, Amaya (respect), fits perfectly for a lookbook (gorgeous and classy), I believe.

• She is a friend of a friend who visited NY for a while! I'm thinking about shooting the next lookbook in Puerto Rico so you better find that type of lady out there!

[That's what's up! Got in mind someone already...]

Drop a tease of following and future plans at Skulls Hq.

• Well, working on staying in the US, create the SKULLS HQ in New York, probably Brooklyn, drop a "Japan Collection" in Winter, the new "Red Bottoms" Collection drops in July, the Collection 7 drops in late August, and the Winter collection will be fun too. What else? Well, if everything works out you will be seeing a lot more from SKULLS out there.

Last but not less, tell us about that thing named "DOWNTOWN NYC", I saw something in mint color (niceness) and other green/brown/red ala boys scout (WANTS)

• Yeah, its a new brand I have been art directing and designing too. It's a complete different take than Skulls. its more for the days you want a classic, nice looking good-material hats with a little bit of color pop. Nothing crazy, but super classy. It launched last week and got an amazing good reaction from people all over the world, I'm blessed. The next collection will drop after Summer along with a really amazing watch I'm working on, and I couldn't be happier on the stuff I'm working on. Hope you guys like it.

Side question: Best national and best international Hardcore band?

• I'd say the best Hardcore bands for me, are long gone. National (Spain Hardcore)..mmm... CARRY OUT from 90's. [International / US] Wide Awake is one of my favorites, Earth Crisis "Firestorm" is one of my fave albums ever, an the whole 80's NYC hardcore.... I'm an old school straight edge kid son!

[Fact: Barcelona's SHORTBREAK and Valencia's OWNFIGHT are on my Spain Hardcore top, this blog names is called after a great OWNFIGHT record, very NYHC-influenced]

Side question: Breadfast at NYC, lunch at BCN, dinner at LAX. Drop the names of dishes and places.

• Breakfast in NY I say "New York Muffins", in Bedford [Brooklyn]. I turned that place into my morning office and their red bagel is just fire. Lunch in Barcelona, I'd say "La Flauta" for the best tapas, or "La Barca de Salamanca" for the best paella. Dinner in LA is a tricky one, as I haven't been paying attention to food that much there, but "Yukos" in the Miracle Mile is always a good option for Asian food!

Last words, shout-outs, disclaimers, side-notes, disses and curses.

• Thanks to all the friends, fam and followers of SKULLS, DOWNTOWN NY and the customers who support the brands. You all are part of this! Catch me in Puerto Rico in August!

[Big Pun is smiling in The Heaven already...]

********************************

Check I.J. / SKULLS / DOWNTOWN NYC networks, get into his work, and of course keep lurking around:

SKULLS blog/store

DOWNTOWN-NY blog/store
Skulls BCN on Tumblr
Downtown NY on Tumblr
Skulls on Facebook
Skulls on Twitter
Instagram: ivanskulls

Thanks to I.J. for his time, we're waiting for August!

Skulls BCN

(Skulls BCN Collection 2 pieces | my backyard)

So P.O.N.R. is coming back with some Q+A's with SKULLS BCN/NYC owner Iván Jiménez, creator of lots of pieces and projects, and of course the mastermind behind "the ugliest hats in the game..." 

-a statement perfect for a "Shit e-Streetwear consulters say" video I believe...

Anyways, the note is done 99.7%, hopefully ready for tonight.

Just in time



Detroit Hardcore EARTHMOVER. I was so pump for this + made it just in perfect time.
Earthmover (r.i.p.) featured Mike Hasty & Wes Keely, both current & former Walls Of Jericho's members.

Work shift was smooth; overall, day was good.

Yaaay!



1993 World Series Memories

"Word is bond"
"You got my back, I got your back"

Call it Bro-mance, I like to call it Cro-MagsNCE -between us boys, our brotherhood, we love Cro-Mags.

I hated so much that 1993 World Series: Toronto Blue Jays & Philadelphia Phillies. At home all the money was on Phillies and I was against that, don't know why 'cause wasn't Toronto's fan, I only remember I hated big time John Kruk, everytime I saw him waiting to hit the ball I was mad angry, that fucking mullet guy gonna send the ball out, fuck him; I said that and other blasphemies in my mind, family was next to me and I didn't wanted get smacked for saying bad words. At the end Blue Jays won.

Even when I hated John Kruk and that Word Series, I liked Phillies team, mostly for their burgandy cap from 1990-91 with the "P" logo (f. 1970)
Some months back my boy Kicks told me his work place got some MLB snapbacks cap, so in his last visit Kicks got me a present, a Phillies burgandy snapback cap by New Era -fuuuck, he killed me. That one is one of the dopest caps I got, gonna be next to my SF Giant one -if you know the deal you'll understand.

This days I'm reading a novel from Arturo Perez-Reverte, "La Reina del Sur", in a sentence he said something I can twist and relate to friendship: "Dogs are loyal because them can't speak" -I know few people who could speak and tell...but them remain quiet, I know who are my dogs.

PS- Mitch Williams was a good dude.

Midsummer Cruiser: Q+A's with JeighmeeK.

Back in 2000-2001 I met this girl on Messenger via one of my best friends "Kicks". Jaymee, Jay, Jeighmee, or as I call her: Jay-Lo
(I think she hate it) She is an Irish-enthusiast, loves shamrocks and I bet Dropkick Murphys too (no?), bicycles and photography. Actually, she runs Midsummer Cruisers, a blog about honeys -I mean girls- in bikes, such a nice topic.
When I got questions about Photography Jay is my girl-to-go, she is also my Lopez Burger buddy. Few days back she posted a link at TWTR, a flick of a beach scene, dope B&W image (below)

Two weeks back I was thinking do a Q&A's via Messenger with her, like any other chat, so sent a text asking her and she answered "yes", right after she asked "what topics?", I told her "SEX, DRUG, AND MONEY", but I know she knew I was joking: "strictly Photography and Lopez Burger".
Last Wednesday nite I logged on Messenger and Jay was online, "are you available?", "I'm reading a book, but I am" she said, few minutes later the questions started to birth and she gave me back what she thought:

Do you remember the first picture you took and the camera you used?
I think it was a typical evening at home, rain had stopped and evening was coming, the skies looked like fire, with an Advantix my mom gave me, between 2000-2001, I still got the picture.

You use Canon right? Why? And why not Nikon or other brand?
Hahaha, I don't know, I got a Canon Powershot as Christmas present right after I took that (first) picture and kept with it, but being honest I've been considering switch to Nikon, them handle light better and create less grains than Canon -as I hear, but have to test that. Nikon -supposedly- is stronger; but recently I read an article about a Canon that survived from a 3,000 feet fall.

WOW! I thought Canon was your "favorite-brand-ever". Somewhere I read or heard that Canon are best for sports/moving scenes, and Nikon for portraits and shootings.
If that's true I'll switch to Nikon, hahaha.

What is your favorite film?
Time Zero (SX-70), but are no longer produced, it was instant film and the emulsion did'nt dried for weeks, allowing you manipulate it. Manipulated looked like a Van Gough piece. Beside that Kodad HIE, an infrared film, but is no longer produced neither. [SADFACE]

So what film are you using for freelance and/or works?
Mostly use digital, but I use my Holga alot too, so I use Kodak E100GX, got a $5 dollars film lot-sale, seller wanted get rid of them. Also got Kodad Portra 160NC and I'm crazy to use it with my college's medium format camera, that's what Jil Greenberg use for her pictures.

[Jay tells me about Jil's infamous works]

I thought ask you about Holgas and Dianas. What you like about them?
What attracts me is their lack of perfection. We are saturated with perfect pictures, more colorful than real world it is. Holgas and Dianas, and all the Lomography is the only hope we have for the film to survive -I think. Their product brings us back where the Photography started, first pictures were not perfect but were beautiful, had scraped borders, some light entering, it's like more raw but beautiful.

Is a new trend to use expired films or is a long-time  underground practice?
I think is an underground practice, I don't know from how long. I used expired film for long and later I was reading somewhere in the Internet that you get better result with expired ones; that don't apply to instant film, sadly.

[Serious statements and points about instant film and the instant film industry were discussed, but I promised to Jay I'll edit that]

Did you  used your Holga with expired films?
Yeees, them work better (than non-expired), used with Kodak E100GX films I got from the $5 bucks lot-sale.

Where is your favorite spot to take pictures?
In some far forest, forgotten, the outdoor; I don't like much the studio.

Where and who or what you'll like to shoot?
Hmmm, is a hard question. i don't know who right now, is hard one, let it hold for later...
[I'm still waiting at this moment...]

Tell me about how would be your "perfect day"...
Hmmm. Would be a Summer day, not too hot, don't know what for breakfast but have to have coffee, later take care of my plants and take a ride on my cruiser bike to my boyfriend's home, then go in the car with him and travel to some place with no previous direction and film the place, some hang out at nite and beers (dark Heini's)

What are you working on right now?
I'm doing freelancing for myself, shooting some landscapes, and working on some wedding's pictures to set up my website and business cards. Also I'm in my college's Photography Association Board.

Your deep thoughts on Lopez Burger...
I don't go as often as I should, hahaha. Is the best burger I've tasted! Since first time we went I took my mom and my boyfriend there. I've been taken to "good" burger places around the Island but naaah, except El Hamburger at Old San Juan.

Some Jay's networks:
http://midsummercruisers.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeighmee9/

December 2010

Again there, visiting my new favorite places, shooting some flicks, and getting pissed 'cause things I wanted were sold-out, but also getting confused 'cause found lotta things I wanted; in general was big time fun.
Morning welcome salute was a cold-breeze faceclap courtesy of La Guardia Airport, thank G. the bus to Astoria arrived with the quickness. Fun just started, I got out the bus and took the train Manhattan-bound, pump'd! Manhattan decided to step up his game so received me with a pushing-to-the-floor breeze and a friendly rain from nowhere that got me soaked head to toe. I didn't got mad, actually laugh about that and went place to place from my want-list, later @ nite met with Rony -Gang Starr's "Code Of The Streets" was my jam on route to his space @ Williamsburg. Other days made partially my one-a-day city bus trip, canceled my plans for DC and only did Boston/Lowell and Philly.
Visiting good friends, band practice crash, philly cheesesteaks, hangovers, chinesse food, $3 pizza combos (2 slices + soda), record hunts, Hardcore shows, Fuji films, Youtubin' Jamaican and Japanesse Dancehall parties madness, Cambodian sandwishes, dreams about Sade Abu, spotting and looking @ hipsters/indie "whitneys" (white honeys), ebony honeys were so fine (Muslim ones always got me)



NYC

Long Island Hardcore

 Lowell

 South Boston

 Philly

 

Thanks to "Noid" & "Kicks".

Back to that city.

NYC bound.
the backpack is ready.
soundtrack is ready.
Wee-Lo the Chef is on.