may well be what sets The Hundreds in a league of its own . They made collabs an art form : teaming up with record labels , classic cinema icons , even Tapatio hot sauce . They choose what they do wisely , though : with a high-profile collab like Disney , for instance , the obvious move would ’ ve been for the mouse . But The Hundreds opted for Peter Pan ’ s Lost Boys instead , a better fit with their ethos and fan following .
04 . THEY GOT RECOGNIZED . The Hundreds struck upon their own iconic character when Bobby sketched out Adam Bomb , an illustrated explosive alarmed by its own lit fuse . It ’ s a good analogy for Bobby ’ s sticky relationship with the mascot — as its popularity exploded , Bobby worried it could overshadow the brand ’ s purpose , reducing the spirit of community to an eye-catching cartoon . Despite demand , in the end they dialed the bomb back and now reserve it — as is the practice — to limited edition releases .
05 . THEY GREW , STAYING TRUE . To be in shopping malls was a perilous thing in the streetwear space — you could reach tons more people , but you risk losing those who ’ ve connected deeply via the intimacy that comes with relative obscurity . Bobby himself probably had the most difficult time with it , an internal conflict of principle —“ I was embroiled in a war with Bobby Kim ,” he writes . But knowing that early adopters
AN OPEN BOOK Bobby ' s recent memoir is as much a history of The Hundreds as it is a comprehensive chronicle of streetwear .
may well have been growing out of the brand made the mall move a bit easier .
06 . THEY REPRESENTED . Back when Bobby was Associated Students communications commissioner , he devoted funds to Voz Fronteriza , a Chicanx student publication with a long and storied history . “ When I was on campus , minority communities had a very clear lack of representation , so I wanted their voice to be heard and represented .” The Hundreds likewise brought much-needed nuance to an industry that largely polarized
cultures as “ urban ” or “ action sports .” “ The ethnic makeup of this country has changed quite a bit , and with us , Ben being Iranian-American , and my parents being Korean immigrants , we felt that there can be room in streetwear for people like us .”
07 . THEY LEARNED FROM MENTORS . So , so many of them : From his college internship to the fabric districts of Hong Kong , from figureheads like Tommy Hilfiger , who almost bought the company , all the way to Abe Edelman , a law clerk Bobby worked with back in the day . These people made their impact on Bobby ’ s life and , in doing so , made The Hundreds what it is . Through it all , Bobby sought out people he admired , learned from them , and shared what he learned with the world , putting those lessons into practice with everything they make .
THAT SURE COVERED SOME GROUND , and it should convey how The Hundreds did too , spreading like wildfire and now firmly seated as a major player in streetwear . But just as Bobby joined clubs and causes throughout college , his interests are exploding all over again . Beyond the nonstop collabs and new merchandise , The Hundreds has developed a food festival in L . A ., a business incubator to help other start-up brands , various podcasts and video series ’, and over the course of all that growth , Bobby wrote the book on streetwear . Now that he had a following , he writes , “ I ’ d like to say something .”
But for as much as the book says about The Hundreds ’ history , it ends — or better yet , continues — with listening . To the historic lack of female representation in streetwear , for instance , or the need for more sustainability in the clothing industry in general . That willingness to listen — the openness to , and interest in , what his community has to say is so unexpected it comes almost as a shock . Even writing this article , I was amazed at how easy it is to straight-up send Bobby a text . For real , try it : 323-310-2844 .
“ I built this brand to connect with other people . And in that process , those people connected with each other . And before I knew it , I had created a community-based business . And I think that ’ s the future of all business , really . For me , it started by just being curious , wanting to learn and to listen to what others had to say and grow from that .”
It ’ s a good word , growth , and really , there ’ s no better way to get huge . “ Graduating from UC San Diego was just the beginning of my education . I ’ m learning now more than ever how important it is to be receptive , to stay curious . Never stop .”
MENTORS MAKE A DIFFERENCE .
Students could use your advice , or other alumni can help you out , too . It ’ s all on TritonsConnect . com
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