Andrew Chen is the founder of 3sixteen and an all-around nice guy. In just a few short years, Chen's brand has grown into a relative powerhouse in a market dominated by younger streetwear brands and constantly changing trends. Tightly distributed with a well-maintained image, 3sixteen is a brand we expect to do some big things in 2008. We recently got the chance to sit down and ask Andrew some questions about himself, streetwear in general, and 3sixteen specifically. It proved an interesting experience and we hope that you enjoy reading what he has to say. More... photo: Dan Chen
1. How and when did 3sixteen come to be?
3sixteen was established in the Spring of 2003. I wish I had a complex story to tell about how the brand came into existence, but it was as simple as a desire to create something that I would personally spend money on. There were no shortage of brands out at the time (albeit a small fraction of what's around today) but it was just something that I wanted to try my hand at and see if there was something valuable that I could contribute to the market. I imagine that my story might not be so far off from that of many others.
2. What is your background? My background is actually not in design. I was an Economics and Public Policy major from the University of Chicago and worked for several years in the field of IT consulting while working on 3sixteen on the side. I made the switch to 3sixteen as my fulltime job in January of 2007.
3. What has been the most difficult aspect of creating an identity for your brand with so many new brands out there?
The toughest thing is exactly what you've mentioned – the market is crowded and there's so much for a customer to absorb at once. The real truth is that everything's already been done... No one is making a tshirt with three armholes, and no one is touching anything graphically that hasn't been touched before. When we brought on our new lead graphic designer, Jeff Hamada, in the Spring of 2006, we made an intentional push to establish a strong story and campaign to back our brand. There are many lines out there right now that do a good job of pulling from diverse interests and inspirations and providing an esoteric product that always has surprises from season to season. While we certainly admire that approach, our desire was always to build a strong identity that would be easily recognizable every season. Thus, we built our brand around the concept of "The New Royalty" and utilized medieval motifs to visually back the concept up. While it's true that we have different themes, color pallets and influences from season to season, you'll always find a consistent thread to our work that will enable new and old supporters to tie seasons together that tell an ongoing story about where we as designers are at in life, what we're experiencing and what weighs in on our hearts. Hopefully this story is one that resonates with others as well. To answer your question, I'm not really sure what the hardest part about it is... We do what comes naturally to us, make sure that our pieces always flow together visually, and hope that it communicates to our customer base what we're trying to say.
4. Many have labeled 3sixteen a streetwear brand, and we are seeing this definition seems to changing and evolving on a consistent basis. How would you personally define streetwear? Do you see 3sixteen in this category?
One can talk all day about streetwear and its roots and what its definition is evolving into, but to us, streetwear has always been a genre that is characterized by independent ownership and development. By that definition, we are certainly in that category. We go through the struggles of limited resources but also enjoy the freedom and flexibility of making the kind of product that we are passionate about.
5. What do you view as the target demographic for 3sixteen?
Our target demographic is growing up with us – I'd imagine it is an 18-30 male customer with an appreciation for strong graphics and detailed cut and sew garments. Our pricepoints aren't high by any means but I won't pretend that they're cheap either. We put a high emphasis on premium materials and construction in the hopes that our customer can appreciate it and want to invest in it. Our cut and sew designer, Johan, has made sure of this.
6. Your 'Cousins' design seems to generate a lot of press and attention for your brand. Did you expect that kind of response?
Jeff always knew that the graphic would hit hard... It was the unlikely juxtaposition of a common phrase and images that aren't usually associated with it. We're pretty happy with how it came together, but in the interest of showing growth and progression we've decided that the graphic has breathed its last and won't be making a return.
7. Where do you find design inspiration? Which designers inspire you?
We are all Christians and thus our faith plays a big role in not only the way we do business and build relationships with people, but also in our source of inspiration. A fair number of our graphics have a Biblical basis, but like "Cousins" we enjoy creating graphics and themes around these verses in a way that would not be expected. Aside from that, we have a diverse set of passions, hobbies and interests and all bring something unique to the table so I would say our inspirations are a big melting pot of nonsense that somehow comes together in a pseudo-cohesive way. Putting seasons together from graphics to cut and sew garments is a really fun process for us.
8. One of your more stand out graphics claims that "Nothing is New." Do you care to explain this a bit? Quite a few people probably recognize "Nothing New" as a Nas lyric: "No idea's original, there's nothing new under the sun" but the actual source of that quote is from the book of Ecclesiastes. With the influx of new brands and the continual rehashing of inspirations, ideas and themes, we wanted to make a commentary that there really isn't anything new or creative anymore – and that we are a part of that. It wasn't mean to be a condemning "streetwear is dead" remark, but rather a simple observation that we all draw inspiration from similar sources and that it's important to be careful as to how those influences are executed. Contrary to what many would think, there's a big difference between inspiration and biting.
9. What is your favorite part about doing what you do?
Hands down, my favorite part of working on 3sixteen is the ability to create something that is a reflection of who we are and what we care about, and to know that our work resonates with others. Perhaps 3sixteen serves to encourage a new designer to try something on his own, or speaks to a consumer who can relate to our worldview, or just is the brand that made your favorite hoody. Whatever role we play, I'm glad to be a part of it.
10. What is next for streetwear in general and for 3sixteen specifically?
Honestly I don't know what's next for streetwear. I think the industry is experiencing the fallout of too much too soon and realizing that the market really isnt as big as we all made it out to be. For us, we are just focusing on what we do best – progressive graphics and grown-up apparel that hopefully endures from season to season.
Any Last words?
Thanks to Ross at The Land Salmon for the opportunity to wax poetic, and to my team for being the most talented and inspired group of guys that I could ask for.
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