Fashionware: Sub_Urban Riot of Los Angeles, California

Clothing line name : Sub_Urban Riot
City / State : Los Angeles, CA
Established date : Feb, 2006
Website : www.suburbanriot.com

Price range for clothing : low $30’s to high $40’s.
Where to buy your clothing : www.suburbanriot.com

How did you come up with the name ?
– It started as sub_urban, which was a play on suburban. Then we added RIOT because we liked the idea of juxtaposing two things (suburban and riot) that don’t really go together normally.

Description of clothing line ?
– Progressive lifestyle apparel for men and women who bicycle ride as a way of life. Casual tees and cut/sew pieces that are both bold and basic at the same time.

Who are your influences ?
– We make a lot of tees for the characters on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, so their comedy influences us a lot. We try to keep it wry and clever without taking ourselves too seriously. We’re influenced by cats, karate, hot air balloons, perms, space, motorcycles, fondue, jet packs, dinosaurs, tiaras… The list goes on. We find humor and enjoyment in everyday mundane things.

What sets your brand different from others ?
– Sub_Urban RIOT’s mission is to provide functional fashion for people who use their bicycles as part of their everyday life. We’re not tough, we’re not surf/skate, we’re not street wear. We can’t be categorized. Our focus is on the modern young person who is leaving behind old structures of work and play and creating a new set of rules. If you need a Beemer to announce that you’re cool, Sub_Urban Riot is not the brand for you.

Are there any challenges you run into while running a business ?
– The biggest challenge we face is not listening to what the industry tells us we should be doing. 9 out of 10 people in the fashion world will tell you all the things you’re doing wrong, and why you aren’t the next huge hit. Problem is, you will never be a huge hit if you just do what everybody else does. You need to have your own vision. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, then at least you gave it a try. Our challenge is to stay true to what we’re all about, and let the rest go.

Any plans for the future with your clothing line ?
– We’d like to start a mall concept, and go to battle against the Abercrombie type chains in malls. Malls don’t have to be so lame. They just are because large chains feel like they have to “dumb it down” for the masses. Maybe they do. But maybe they’re just scared to do something really interesting. You gotta take chances, or you’ll end up forgotten.

Here are some photos of there recent line :

Interview by : WWS Mag Jerry Rodrigo