FLY53 surfaced in the mid ‘90s through music, art, associated culture, and a failed band attempt. Will Rigg, Creative and Managing Director of FLY53, cornered the market at an early stage with his band merchandise tees and a shit load of passion. Always inspired by positive change and music, Rigg has developed the brand to a global status while learning through trial and error. Today, FLY53 is an internationally recognized label outfitting “the children of the resistance.”

“It has soul, creativity, and a meaning of its own. I imagine it is very similar culturally to the ‘60s except the drugs and methods of communication are different.”

Format: Please state your name and role at FLY53.
Will Rigg: Will Rigg, Creative and Managing Director

Format: You began as a limited series t-shirt collection. How did the brand come about and who were the key players at the time?
Will Rigg: I was playing in rock bands in the early ‘90s; I had just completed a degree in textile designs and naturally created and printed my band’s own merchandise tees. A few of our contemporary bands on the circuit at the time saw how well we used to do with these tees and asked me to do theirs, which I did. A few of these bands got pretty massive at the time and my business producing tees grew and overshadowed my own band. At the time, streetwear in the UK was a band tee, so by accident I had the market cornered. From doing the merch artwork it expanded into designing sleeves etc. We soon got bored and started putting our own designs on tees with no particular plan other than we liked them. Soon we got ambitious and started making clothes the hard way, learning by trial and error.

Format: You seem to be a very lifestyle-oriented brand. Can you paint a picture of the lifestyle that your consumer leads from Thursday to Sunday?
Will Rigg: Our customer generally works hard in the week, be that in a job or at school. Come the weekend they blow out and get involved in all the things that interest them culturally. Work hard, party hard. They spend the weekend indulging in both creative activities and complete wanton partying. It’s a hedonistic lifestyle that is irreverent to the standard lifestyle that surrounds them. It has soul, creativity, and a meaning of its own. I imagine it is very similar culturally to the ‘60s except the drugs and methods of communication are different. It’s a classless thing, everyone loves music and likes to party and feel they are creating something they can identify with.

Format: You’ve collaborated with various musicians and artists. Please describe.
Will Rigg: We are all musicians ourselves and have a genuine obsession with music. We like to incorporate this into our brand, and other artists and musicians recognize this. This solid link with artists, whether we know them or meet them, allows us to work with them with integrity and not as a cynical brand marketing exercise. We work on many levels. We have musicians designing collaborative clothing collections with us, and we have a three-way project with a famous instrument maker to create signature guitars along with our favorite musicians. We also have an evolving project—the T-shirt shed, where we ask an artist or musician to curate a project and ask their favorite people to design a t-shirt and create a collection—kind of a t-shirt ATP or Meltdown.

Format: You say that you inject integrity into an increasingly bland corporate market. Please explain.
Will Rigg: We mean everything we do. Everything we do is creative, considered, and original. We stand out amongst the passionless mainstream product. We essentially stick to the Punk Rock spirit we started with–even if it means taking the hard road.

Format: How are you contributing to the environment?
Will Rigg: All our manufacturers are checked to ensure they adhere to decent environmental standards. We don’t use environmentally damaging product. We don’t shout about organic principles as we think it should be a given. And unless it is completely environmentally sound in every way you should not shout about it. Too many companies say “Hey, organic denim” then you find out they airfreight goods halfway around the planet; or “Look, organic cotton” when the dyestuffs used on it or the laundry process uses polluting chemicals. Too often it’s marketing bullshit. Only a few companies go the whole hog, many pretend. Again it’s the Punk in us—don’t say it unless it’s real.

Format: What separates FLY53 from other collections?
Will Rigg: We’re British for a start. Creativity, quality, and individuality. Our heritage and lifestyle.

Format: How does the UK streetwear scene differ from other streetwear scenes around the world?
Will Rigg: The UK is way behind the US. Until now it’s all been about sportswear brands. Now streetwear is coming through. The styles and silhouettes are very different here. It’s more about fashion in the traditional sense—evolving seasons and the product range is much wider and we have a consumer who wants more than a tee, hoodie, and jeans. Canada is more similar to the UK. Japan is all over the place–there is an element of wild fashion but for the most part it’s quite conservative and follows and replicates global trends.

Format: You are distributed mostly in Europe. What are your current efforts in further becoming a global brand?
Will Rigg: We started an international push eighteen months ago and now have distribution in almost twenty countries: all of Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, Canada, and Australia. We tend to not rush but wait for the right partners to approach us. We find if someone seeks us out and has passion for the brand then we do well together and build long-term relationships.

Format: Please explain “Outfitters for the resistance.”
Will Rigg: We outfit the children of the Resistance. We believe in passive resistance: changing things for the better with clever and sometimes subtle moves. We like to think every wearer of FLY53 partakes in this resistance.

Format: Tell us about the FLY53 ‘08 Tour.
Will Rigg: Again, it’s a music obsession. Simply, we pick artists we like at the time, sometime eclectic, sometimes a genre. Book a load of venues and take them on the road. We cover all the costs and the FLY53 family gets to come for free. But you have to be part of the family to get in, that’s the hard part—becoming part of the family. Haha we like to be elusive. That said, there are now 68,000 family members in the UK.

Format: You partner with some of the UK’s hottest events. How do you make your selections?
Will Rigg: Christ, I have no idea, some things just seem right. The people are cool and the vibe fits ours.

Format: What can we expect from FLY53 for SS09?
Will Rigg: Galactic Dominance. Well, more of the same just better. Always getting better.

Suge Knight and DMX are out on bail, Michael Phelps won eight gold medals, Laurie Ann Gibson is back on “Making the Band 4,” OJ Simpson was reportedly beat up by his daughter (for real!) and Usaian Bolt has, quite possibly, the coolest name in Olympic history. All is truly right with the world. Too bad the same can’t be said for the music industry. Sales continue to fall, Lil Wayne is still … well, being Lil Wayne, T.I. teamed up with Justin Timberlake for his new album (say what?), Lil Kim won’t stop making music, and Saigon’s album is still set to drop sometime this century (don’t hold your breath). Yet in the midst of all this chaos, the STD crew continues to find ways to dampen your spirits with substandard—yet witty—reviews about your favorite artists. Like Barack Obama says: “Yes we can!”

The Game
L.A.X.

Listening to an album by The Game is like listening to someone read off the guest list for a not-so-exclusive party. If you’ve ever met him—or even know someone who has met him—you probably made the list. I mean, this guy drops more names than the “with appearances by” list at awards shows. As annoying as it is, by now you’ve come to expect it from Jayceon so it doesn’t ruin the album too much. Whereas most thought that his departure from under 50 Cent’s umbrella would cause him to drown in the torrential rains that are hip-hop, The Game has surprisingly begun to rise in popularity as Curtis continues to do his best impression of leaves in the winter time.

- A. Hugh Leonard

Ice Cube
Raw Footage

Ice Cube is old. Ice Cube is a legend. Anytime you listen to his present-day material you have to hope the former prevails over the latter. With a string of less-than-desirable albums in his recent past, Cube recaptures some of his aggressive/anti-government attitude that led him to classics in the early 90’s. But like any other senior citizen, he can only keep it up for a short time before reverting back to the off-beat delivery and simplistic rhymes that had two legs and an arm of his rap career in the grave. But his latest effort looks to be enough to keep the casket open for a little while longer.

- A. Hugh Leonard

V.I.C.
Beast

Sometimes you just have to question the competence of music executives. Common sense would tell any reasonable person that after lucking up on Soulja Boy you won’t be successful with another kid from Atlanta that raps about nothing and makes his own beats. Apparently Mr. Collipark didn’t get that memo. V.I.C. makes Soulja Boy look like a musical genius At least Soulja Boy had a gimmick that was responsible for his popularity. This dude V.I.C. didn’t even make an effort to create a catchy dance to go with his music. He couldn’t have possibly thought people would like him just for his lyrics, could he? After listening to this album it’s apparent that Atlanta has yet another “V.I.C.(K)” that should be thrown in jail. Ouch!

- A. Hugh Leonard

Jonas Brothers.
A Little Bit Longer

Imagine N’Sync backed by a live band and slightly more doucebag looking. Jersey-born Jonas Brothers, Kevin, Nick, and Joe return with their third G-rated album—A Little Bit Longer—of bubblegum rock. Along with scream-worthy cuteness of every young, white suburban girl, the Jonas lads offer up their training-wheels version of vintage rock, chockfull sappy love songs and high school hissyfits. Despite the limited shelf life and artistic merits of the G-rated threesome, it’s nice to finally see Miley Cyrus has some boy toys to play with at recess.

- Jason Parham

Solange
Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams

Always being compared to your older sister must suck. Especially if said older sister is Grammy winner, platinum selling artist Beyonce Knowles. Actually, that must really suck. Besides questionable wardrobe choices, the album is pretty decent. It’s saturated in the sounds of late 60s and early 70s soul, with retro-inspired tracks from beat mavens Mark Ronson and Raphael Saadiq. If nothing else, Solange makes it very clear throughout the album that she doesn’t want to be compared to big—better, stronger, faster—sis, which is only fair seeing as there’s really no comparison. Give Solange a few more years of divatude, some singing lessons, a secret marriage to a hip hop giant and she might be on par with B—though those are some big prada pumps to fill. Still, you’ve got to give her points for trying.

- Jason Parham

The streets of New York City embody an unequivocal vitality. The culture harnessed within the walls of the five boroughs is palpable, and it speaks to the masses through a litany of outlets. One of the most visible, which has been an undeniable staple – is fashion. Twon clothing emblazons their products with the icons reflective of life in the “Big Apple,” resulting in garments unique as it they are aesthetically deft. One shirt boasts the infamous NewPort cigarette green and white as a vibrant backdrop to the silhouette of the skyline. Corey Ng, Sales Director at Twon, discussed the genesis of the company with Format; from graffiti riddled brick walls to Canal St.

“If someone’s bootlegging your shit that means you’ve made it, because it deserves to be bootlegged. If someone bootlegs our stuff, I’d be honored because that means that it was good enough for someone to talk it and then make money off of it.“

Format: What does “Twon” mean?
Corey Ng: Twon evolved from two N’s, the number two, and an “N.” We started back in 1999 as a graffiti crew, so we’ve been doing it for nine years now. We evolved with the name and started spelling it out as “Twon” and we stuck with it (in like 2002 or 2003). And pretty much, back then we were young, so the two N’s represented two nice, or too “nyce.”

Format: How did New York City influenced the designs?
Corey Ng: I mean, this our first season ever, and you can tell from our designs we’re very New York based right now. We’re all about New York street culture, downtown culture, LES China Town influenced us a lot- I mean, everything that’s happening in China Town and LES the whole hip-hop scene here. Graffiti, as of right now we’re straying away from it, but that’s what we were brought up on as kids. Like all the LES crews.

Format: How many people do you have working on the clothing designs?
Corey Ng: Right now we’re just starting off. I have a Creative Director named Wing Li. He’s basically generating most of the designs and it’s also a collaborative effort with the rest of the organization, which consists of only five people right now. It’s definitely grass roots, this is our first season and I think we’re doing real good. We’re getting ready for the next season to come out soon, and we’ll see where it goes from there.

Format: What message are you trying to convey through the clothes? Corey Ng: We’re not trying to convey a specific message to those that wear the clothes. We’re more just representing the New York City street culture and what we experienced throughout our lives. I wouldn’t say it’s personal, but it’s what we know, what we learned growing up, what we see and other things that are happening in the New York area. Like, the “Client 9” shirt has to do with that whole Elliot Spitzer scandal and the skull, if you see it, it’s not a regular skull and crossbones. It has an Asian feel because we’re Chinese.

Format: I noticed you have a Canal Street shirt in the new line, what do you feel about bootlegging in general?
Corey Ng: I mean, bootlegging I feel personally there’s nothing wrong with bootlegging. If someone’s bootlegging your shit that means you’ve made it, because it deserves to be bootlegged. If someone bootlegs our stuff, I’d be honored because that means that it was good enough for someone to talk it and then make money off of it.

Format: How do you think music influences fashion?
Corey Ng: I think music has a huge influence on fashion. You see nowadays, especially in the street wear, the shirts have lyrics on it they have biggie, Tupac, Wu-Tang. The musicians and hip hop artists, they’re the ones who are going to be wearing your clothes, and so it influences us a lot.

Format: Has the new line generated a substantial buzz?
Corey Ng: Yes, the two shirts which have especially got us a buzz out there and on the block are the “New Port” and the “Canal” shirts. The Canal Street lV, it got us out. I was actually watching MTV the other day and someone was wearing the New Port shirt on the artists of the week thing.

Format: Are there mainstream artists who are willing to endorse TWON?
Corey Ng: As or right now, no. But we met Pete Rock and gave him some of our shit. We met U-God. Actually, U-God was in the studio last month with one of my boy’s friends, and he was wearing the “Canal” shirt, and U-God was like “Give those dudes a call, I want that shirt right now,” so we headed over. He was in the middle of recording his album, so we had a little meet and greet and we gave him some stuff. We’ve met Just Blaze, and gave him some stuff. We don’t have any celebrities officially endorsing our stuff right now, but that’s always a possibility we’re very interested in doing things like that and of course we want celebrities to wear our stuff.

Format: Where are the clothes currently available?
Corey Ng: Well, we have a new website Twonnyc.com, we’re out in boutiques like Union New York, Union Los Angeles, in Miami at Shoe Gallery…we have two stores in Hong Kong that carry our stuff and a store in Japan.

Format: Where do you see the trends in the fashion world heading?
Corey Ng: Honestly, a few years back when street wear started booming it was all overprints, crazy ass colours. And that’s when you see people with those 80s haircuts like flattops and shit, but I think in a few years… it will come back full circle where you’ll see people starting to wear more subtle stuff, more plain stuff, without all the crazy colours. But right now, I only see crazy rainbow colours all over the shirts, crazy shit with the sneakers, but it will be back to the plain style in a few years.

Format: Are the designs going to remain exclusive to New York, or does Twon look to make clothes that reflect the cultures of other major cities?
Corey Ng: Oh of course, we’re definitely going to diversify. The thing is, we’re always going to have those shirts that are New York because it’s where we’re from and its what we represent- but we’re going to move out. We have a store in Hong Kong- in the front it’s a boutique and in the back it’s a tattoo studio. So now that we have the clothes in Asia, we’re going to continue to diversify. But, we’re always going to have those one or two things that have that New York theme to it.

Format: What can we expect from Twon in the immediate future?
Corey Ng: In the immediate future we have stuff that’s going back to the graffiti. The trains back then were the red bird trains, the all red trains, and they don’t exist anymore. So, we’re going to have shirts paying tribute to them, representing all the old graffiti writers and what we used to do. We’re going to have a Street-Tech t-shirt, because the retro Street-Tech are really coming back into play right now. We’re going to be working with other artists also, and also other companies doing a ton of collaborations and stuff. Look for bigger lines because our first line is only five designs, but we’re going to be doing hoodies, crew necks, and other stuff like that. Crew necks are definitely going to come into play in the fall, I have a lot of people asking me about that. Word.

The “MWM 20/20″ Skateboard Series is now available at DeckPeck. Top quality North American wood, crazy vibrant color printing. Scoop one and shred it to the ply, or scoop the set and hang them on your wall. Only 55 bucks per deck. Enjoy! Click-Zoom.

Resonate has released their fall/winter 2008 collection and it includes everything from light-hearted, 70’s inspired t-shirts, to some sharp cut and sew items. Resonate has put an original twist on the traditional men’s collared shirt, with interesting stitching and patterns. However, they haven’t neglected the casual attire, with a lineup of denim and graphic tees. Have a look at all the items –that are available now at Nos.

Converse is keeping the new releases coming in celebration of their 100th anniversary. The latest release is for October, and includes some funky versions of the classic Chuck Taylor’s and also some new styles that aren’t typical converse models, i.e. the “Camping Hi” (pictured above), which almost looks like a rugged version of the All-Star’s. All of the new styles are all at Converse Japan.

Lets face it, streetwear heads carry a lot of shit around with them on the daily.  iPods, weed, extra sneakers it all gets toted around.  So naturally a dope backpack is needed in cases like this.  Incase and Paul Rodriguez have cooked up this functional, yet plush pack to suit your needs.  Complete with lots of pockets, straps, and a fake fur lining for your prized possessions.  Available in October.

Info.Image:  Incase