There are a variety of definitions of what streetwear is. Could you let us know what you think are the major differences between what streetwear is considered in Europe as opposed to New York City.
When I think about New York City I think about street. I think that [is] what a lot of people think. Especially New York City, that is really where the whole streetwear culture developed. Europe adapted the streetwear culture of the U.S. into the environment that [each] city has, like Berlin has a different streetwear vibe than London.For instance, Milan is very fashionable compared to Berlin. Berlin is probably the closest city in Europe to the streetwear mentality in New York. London is one of the main cities in Europe so it has a more international vibe compared to Berlin and Milan. So, every city really adapted [streetwear] to their environment.
Today with the communication, even with your site too, it's easy to get to know what everyone does. So its easy to catch with the eye stuff that American people are looking [at in] Europe and the people in Europe are looking at what the Americans do and combined it makes a unique product.
I'm curious to know if you look at the cities as independent units of fashion. When you are designing and looking at upcoming seasons and what to put out on the market, how do you balance to make sure that all the markets are covered? Do you really just try to stay core to what you do?
Well, first you need to stay focused on what the aesthetic of the collection needs to be and after you have to see each single market. We have a lot of feedback from different markets. From the Japanese, from the U.S., [and] from Europe. Really everybody has their own needs even though we are trying to be as international as possible because this is a global, international brand. We need to have a line that has appeal to every side of the world. Even in the line you can find pieces that will go very well in Japan and pieces that can go very well in the U.S. You have pieces in the U.S. that can go to the east coast or the west coast. That's why the collection is big because if we [would] only sell in Italy, the collection would be, maybe, 30 pieces and now its 400 pieces.
When we look at Higsnobiety and what we do sometimes we feel as though we are not giving a product enough time and attention. There is just so much in the market to cover and things move quickly. The attention span of the average consumer is short today. How does that impact your design and how you put a product to market?
It effects [us] a lot because we are also looking to your site and others. It's giving a perception of what people are throwing out in the market. Of course, there is a filter because if you only take a look at what's around you might find something that people have already done or sometimes you really don't even feel creative anymore 'cause there is so much out there.
