Interview - Kush Groove Clothing

'80s Influenced Underground Streetwear

Kush Groove Clothing represents the raw, inner core of a free-sprited generation. The KGC brand is built around a like-minded culture of ambitious people from every corner of the globe. Their streetwear collective is the product of several, interconnected worlds: music, fashion and marijuana. Rather than simply an umbrella-brand to represent each facet of 80's hipster culture, Kush Groove Clothing is a movement, or should I say ' Groovement'. Known advocates of this lifestyle include rappers, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa & Curren$y, who use their art as a way of spreading positivity.

"There were two driving forces behind what inspired us to launch Kush Groove clothing. The first was an internal instinct from our founding team members to start something, what ever it was, we just wanted to start something. The second driving force was that we wanted to create a product we know our target market (18 - 35 year olds, in many different segments) would respond well to. We pride ourselves on having a keen eye on the market place and this is what motivated us to pull the trigger and launch our company."

In a similar fashion to eclectic-collective, Odd Future, KGC aren't limited to a single discipline, a quick browse of their twitter page will inform you that they also create original spray-painted murals which carry their inimitable grafitti-style aesthetic. Each one of KGC's tees encapsulates a lengthy history, communicated through intriguing, intricate graphics and cartoon animals. Their understated apparel sits comfortably on your skin, taking a subtle approach instead of being overwhelmingly bold in delivering its message.

"The general sense has been that we have a really solid brand that people are in strong support of. It almost feels like our market has been waiting for something like our brand to hit the market place. We maintain 100% creative control over all aspects of the designs. We come up with every design as a founding team, we then work with our graphic artists to help us achieve the vision we have."

The founders' flirtation with drugs is the defining quality of KGC, a brand which resonates with a partying crowd. KGC is a way for them to invite you into their world, their lifestyle - their real-life fantasy! They're regularly in attendance at cool, underground events that champion the work of young creative, entrepreneurs. The hip streetwear label also collaborates with various organisations to plan events which take place in and around the Boston area. It's a great way for them to connect with and build their growing fan base.

"Boston is a great place to be. There are many advantages of being in Boston beyond having a clothing brand. The best thing about being in Boston in regards to Kush Groove is the constant influx of young, educated, mostly progressive people that come to live in Boston year in and out. For us, we're able to reach a home grown audience that represents our target market but we also have the advantage of reaching a large group of explants that come in the city just for school and/or work and leave back to their home communities. Boston has a very diverse group of young people living in and around the city. According to the Census Bureau, Boston has over 140 different languages spoken representing a vast diversity of folks from all over the world."

KGC's design team merge bold, block-lined graphics with a rich colorway to produce an aesthetic which demands your attention. Their attire occupies a central position on the fine line between streetwear and upscale apparel, setting new quality standards for the underground fashion scene.

"Over the next year, we plan to launch products in the realm of original artwork as well as host concerts and events showcasing local and emerging musical talent of various musical genres."