The Style Makers
Name: Leah Christine McSweeney
Brand: Married to the MOB (Most Official Bitches)
Location: New York
Twenty-four-year-old Manhattanite Leah McSweeney is confident her gear is the shit and has no qualms about big-upping her brand. “I have the female game wrapped up,” says the CEO of Married to the MOB. The label began in 2004 when McSweeney decided most streetwear for girls sucked. “It just clicked one day when I was chilling on my stoop. And that same night I got to it. I made four or five tee designs and had them printed that week,” explains McSweeney. “Word got around and it kind of exploded.” A tiny operation, MOB consists of Leah and only one other employee. Together, they’ve consistently inspired and blocked would-be biters with every emerging design. “Married to the MOB is not only a brand, it’s a lifestyle with real people doing real things behind it,” says Leah. “We keep shit real and I think that shines through.” JR
Name: Jeff Staple
Brand: Staple Design/Reed Space
Location: New York
Hailing from the Garden State of New Jersey, thirty-two-year-old Jeff Staple made a beeline for New York City straight after High School. He enrolled in Parsons School of Design and promptly set up Staple Design on the school’s fourth floor. “I started hand-printing tees and handing them out to friends,” he says. “The original aim for the brand was to communicate concepts and ideas as directly and simply as possible.” Today Staple is way more than just your average streetwear brand. It also functions as a graphic design studio, producing anything from start-up projects to multi-million-dollar endeavours, including streetwear boutique Reed Space in NYC and Tokyo, as well as collaborations with brands like Nike. “We have our hands in more pots than most,” says Jeff, who’s become an icon of the Sneaker Freaker collecting phenomenon. Ten years after its first tee, Staple Design continues to grow beyond city limits. JR
Name: Shannon (Dmote) Peel
Brand: RVCA
Location: Costa Mesa, California
Australian-born Shannon Peel is that rare beast, an artist cultivated on the street who hasn’t strayed from his roots. Since the age of fifteen, the graff writer has been carving out his territory in the urban art world under the auspices of Dmote. Today the Aussie-turned-Californian local is injecting a dose of urban authenticity into streetwear as Men’s Creative Director for clothing label RVCA. “My work is a cross-culmination of all aspects of street culture,” he says. “I started skating before I started a twenty-year graffiti career, still skate occasionally, and have always been interested in clothing and sneakers.” A man with fingers in many a pie, Dmote’s resume reads like an A to Z of coolest ever jobs, with his name put to everything from book collaborations to high-end exhibitions. And, with the board series he’s due to design for Santa Cruz taking the honour of ‘childhood dream’, his best work looks yet to come. AK
Name: Andrew Reynolds
Brand: Altamont
Location: Los Angeles
At twenty-nine, Andrew Reynolds could easily pat himself on the back and retire tomorrow a happy man. It’d be premature, no doubt, but it’s a luxury afforded to skate legends such as him. Instead, the founder of Baker Skateboards and master of the frontside flip has added another string to his already massive bow. As Head Designer for Altamont Apparel, Andrew is dissipating his straight-outta-bed natural style around the globe. Founded in 2006, Altamont has the worn-as-fuck look nailed. Its second-skin jeans and throw-on hoodies could grime up the most clean-cut of Nancy boys. And yet, true to its urban roots, the range is ergonomically tailored to the life of a skater. “You can go out and rip in the clothes and look cool while doing it,” says Andrew. With an equal measure of skate and street cred, Andrew has helped make Altamont the real deal. AK
Name: Tim Hoad
Brand: King Apparel
Location: London
The people of Britain should thank this man. While their political leaders were dousing the country’s name in shit, Tim and long-time friend Paul Linton were busy resurrecting it. Together, they’re the brains and muscle behind King Apparel, a streetwear label that’s proud to be British. The brand was founded in 2002 when Tim, a former pro skater/snowboarder, joined forces with graphic designer Paul to create a clothing range that would reflect the eclectic UK scene. Uniting grime, hip-hop and skate, King has helped to reaffirm London as a hub of creativity where anything goes. “We’re a cross-over brand, and the most fundamental thing is that we don’t pigeonhole ourselves in any category and don’t alienate anyone from any sort of culture from wearing our products,” says Tim. With big names in music, skate and snowboarding spreading their motto, King Apparel is bound to ‘reign supreme’. AK
This story originally appeared in Huck #006.
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