Derrick: So how long have you been working on ROOK?
Jon: It’s been a full year as an official brand, but Joe and I have been doing this for about two years.
Joe: The idea has been around for longer than that, but we actually started to put it in motion about two years ago and it’s been established for about a year.
Jon (to Joe): You alright man?
Joe: No blisters yet.
Jon: Dang, blisties.
Joe: Yeah these shoes are not comfortable.
Derrick: What are those?
Joe: KR3W shoes. Those are one of my side things I do.
{One minute lapses on talking about how Joe gets shoe samples that are too small, then Joe and Jon trade British accents and we are back on track…}
Derrick: How did you guys come up with the name?
Jon: Honestly, I will give you the real story behind it. This is exclusive only to your interview. One of our friends thought of the name. There were other names we wanted to use, but every single good name was taken and our friend was like “What about Rook?” We thought it was a really good name. It was short, simple, not taken, and we liked that it was a chess piece with some meaning behind it.
The whole idea is to have the branding second to the art. We didn’t want to have some crazy, trying to change the world, thought-provoking name. We wanted something simple where people could say the name really quick, get past the name, and look at the art.
Would you attest to that Joe?
Joe: Yeah I do, I concur.
Jon: I am going to slip into my interview slippers real quick.
Derrick to Joe: So this is your domain?
Joe: This is my domain. For years we have been working at home and I tried to set it up like I have it at home. I even brought in my art table. It’s rare that you see artists in the office anymore.
From being the illustrator, I have seen illustrating start to gain traction again since the boom of graphic design where everything became solely computer based. I feel it is important to keep it in my hands and marry the two together.
(Jon re-enters the room)
Derrick: How did you two get into the industry?
Joe: We have worked with some of the major brands in the streetwear and action sports industries. I don’t want to drop names, (turning to Jon) unless you think it is ok to drop Obey’s name.
Jon: You can drop whatever dude.
Joe: Well then, ok, say it all.
Jon: At the same time when Joe was working at Obey, he was doing Crook stuff. I was working with Stussy and Vans.
Joe: At the same time during all of this, I was working on another brand that I thought was bigger than it really was. But when that ended and I was starting to get tired of the freelance game, Jon and I started to put our heads together and said to ourselves, let’s do this. Jon was also doing, what’s that company?
Jon: What company? I don’t know. I wasn’t doing anything.
Joe: I think you were doing another company in there. You know with that guy…
Jon: Derrick knows, Derrick remembers.
Derrick: Which guy? Number 7?
Jon: Joe and I have had other projects we have worked on. We would call each other and be like, “Dude, I am working on this and I am working on that”, but had really never worked on anything together. It’s cool because we have grown up together. We are on the same page too and when we come up with an idea we can just do it and it’s in the line. We don’t have to jump through any hoops. We have drawn from our previous experiences, but at the same time do things our own way. It’s not really that complicated. We try not to get too analytical about it.
Derrick: Where do you guys get your inspiration?
Joe: It can come from anywhere. It can come from the music we are listening to that week. It could come from…fill in the blank Jon.
Jon: Dude, I was just asked that question the other day; I was like most of my inspiration comes from when I grew up as a kid. All the old TV shows that I used to watch. I think this is the same with other people in the industry. I was talking with someone and I was like do you remember Boglins or Garbage Pail Kids. I think that humor always played a big role to what I was attracted to as a kid. Still to this day I am trying to recreate my youth.
Joe: I think a lot of the old skate graphics too, because they weren’t really that serious. The hand that they were drawn in was really light hearted as well. I gravitated a lot to those. Skateboarding and action sports were a huge part of my life.
Jon: Joe and I always have our receptors up. Like, before our meeting with Pacsun today we went to Disneyland.
Joe: We wanted to see what middle America was wearing. It was really educational.
Jon: I think a lot of people try to romanticize the design process and I think the fashion industry in general does that. Everyone self promotes to glamorize what it is, but at the end of the day you are just putting silly shit on shirts. You just come up with cool concepts. Take it away Joe…
Joe: I don’t know where you were going with that. I am just too focused on this blister right now.
Jon: Maybe we should do a shirt with a blister on it.
Joe to me: See you are becoming part of the process right now.
Derrick: Do you see ROOK expanding into other categories aside from t-shirts?
Joe: We are working on that right now.
Jon: Fall 12 is going to have full on cut and sew. It’s going to have pants, jackets, hats, and the whole nine. We are going to be an apparel brand. T-shirts are cool and our bread and butter, but we don’t want to be known as a t-shirt brand. We want to go beyond just apparel. We want to be involved with all different things, like making muppets right now. Whatever comes to mind that is creative is how we will continue to expand the line.
We have first protos coming in right now, so things are gradually progressing. We are also getting into womens stuff right now.
Derrick: Who designs everything? You guys?
Jon: Yeah, pretty much. We are always questioning what we do before we put it out. We are excited at first when we put stuff out, but since we’re stuck in our own little worlds we don’t know what others are going to think of it. Then three weeks later we might hate it because we have looked at it for too long. Then a month after that, we get the orders back and find out it is our best selling style and then we are like, “Oh man we are smart.” You are always going back and forth and that is why we aren’t always trying to filter ourselves too much and be too serious.
Joe: Right when you think you have it to a science, you’re proven wrong. Just as quickly as you think you have it.
Jon: I think that is going to be the same with cut and sew. We have a vision right now as to where we want to go.
Joe: It is always important for us to do what we like because that is always going to be the best.
Derrick: Many brands are opening retail shops these days. Do you see ROOK going down that same path?
Joe: We have talked about it.
Jon: It could be two to three years out.
Derrick: What would be a dream collaboration for either of you guys?
Joe: We already tried to reach out to one of them. It may be too silly to jot this down.
Jon: Jot it down.
Joe: Ok, we reached out to John Pound. He was part of the first series of the Garbage Pail Kids. We talked about inspiration, and the nostalgic factors. This was one of those cases where we pulled from the past and reached out to John Pound. Unfortunately he was too busy, but he did take the time to write back.
Jon: We definitely want to do nostalgic things from childhood. A Gremlins collaboration would be sweet, like a Gizmo tee. Taking some of our old favorite movies like Karate Kid. I am into more things that have history and would do collabs that are a little unexpected.
Derrick: What do you guys think of the current state of fashion?
Joe: It’s fine. Jon has more to share with you.
Jon: The lines are blurred. Because there is so much information out there, people aren’t classified under a certain look. You can’t really pick out people saying they are an urban kid or a skate kid. Things are mixed and matched. You can pick out someone in the public with good style because they are eclectic. You don’t have to wear a uniform anymore you just have to be interesting.
Derrick: What’s one trend you want to see die?
Jon: Nautical stars. Big, stacked obscure hip-hop references about money. Sunglasses indoors. No more “I am the best” shirts.
Joe: The whole 2006 – 2007 colorful “streetwear” look where everyone is “too cool” needs to die. I want the “cool” guy trend to die and everyone to be humble. Check your attitude at the door.
Derrick: How do you guys plan to grow the brand in this tough economy?
Jon: It’s keeping it slim and not getting over our heads. We didn’t have any investors in this. We put our own money in and built it in a bad economy. We hustled for this and chased a lot of opportunities. Being flexible with our accounts is the key to success in this economy.
Derrick: What advice would you give someone who wants to start a brand?
Joe: Don’t do it. I get this on my website all the time, and I just tell people not to do it.
Jon: I have an opposite stance on this. Anyone can start a brand, but you have to set the bar really high for yourself. You have to make a plan to get there and be professional about it. You also have to do it for the right reason and have fun. Joe and I have fun with this and I think it shows in our work.
Joe: We have our serious days, but also have our fun days like today where we are joking around about blisters and stuff. Don’t listen to me. That’s the real answer I gave earlier, but I wouldn’t change the path I’ve taken.
Jon: You won’t know until you try it. You will always hit a wall, but you will have to jump over it. As long as you jump over these walls you will be fine, but if you hit a wall and you stop, then you don’t have what it takes to start a brand.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Derrick: If you were going to die tomorrow, what would your last meal be?
Jon: I am actually allergic to everything. I am allergic to corn, wheat, milk, and eggs. If I knew I was going to die tomorrow I would just go for it and eat a bunch of corn syrup shit. I would get a bowl of candy. I would eat Nerds ropes or a bowl of Skittles.
Joe: I would eat human.
Derrick: I get answers like spaghetti or sushi, but your answer tops them all.
Joe: I have always wondered what human would taste like. Would it require sauce?
Jon: I heard it tastes like alligator. Go online and they have this product called hufu. It’s like tofu that is supposed to taste like human.
Joe: Send me a link.
Jon: Let’s get it in the office as a sponsor, forget Red Bull.
Derrick: If you could have coffee with someone dead or alive, who would it be?
Jon: Probably Abraham Lincoln.
Joe: I was going to say my grandpa.
Jon: Ah dude, I am a dick. I was going to say my grandpa too, but I thought that it would bring the mood down too serious. Ok, now I am going to say my grandpa.
Joe: I went straight to dead. I didn’t hear the alive part.
Derrick: Do you want to pick one of each?
Jon: I would drink coffee with Abraham Lincoln and my grandpa and just hang out.
Joe: You are asking for too much. You only get to pick one person.
Jon: Oh, I have to pick one person…then it would be my grandpa. I just stole that answer from Joe.
Joe: Who would I pick…
Jon: You know what? I would have coffee with my first cat Blinker.
Joe: Would you actually give coffee to Blinker?
Jon: I would give him a little cup of coffee or hot milk. He was my favorite cat. He had a twitch and that is why we called him Blinker. One day he ate anti-freeze and died.
Joe: Where did he find anti-freeze?
Jon: I don’t know, but that is what the doctor said. He obviously wanted to die, so I would have coffee with him and ask him why.
Derrick: If you could hop on a plane right now where would you go?
Joe: I would go to Egypt.
Jon: San Diego.
Derrick: You would just take a plane to San Diego?
Jon: I have a fear of flying. I would take the shortest flight possible.
Joe: Where is that place in Peru you were talking about?
Jon: Oh, Machu Picchu.
Joe: Wait I take Egypt back. Maybe like Egypt 10 years ago, it is too dangerous to go right now. Scratch that. I would go to Japan.
Derrick: What is on your iPod or music player right now?
Joe: I got Benny King…Jon we can do a little back and forth here.
Jon: Benny Goodman.
Joe: I have been into American spoken work like Joe Frank.
Jon: I have been listening to a lot of my friends who are into low end theory. My friend Chris has a group called Free the Robots. However, the most consistent music I listen to is Lil B.
Joe: Any early 90’s rap is really good.
Jon: I’ve been listening to a lot of radio too. I just do radio seek and if a song pops up that I really like, I listen to that. I haven’t updated my iPod in a while so if we were to throw it on random I would be really embarrassed and need to make excuses for songs.
Joe: Here is a good question. What was your last download?
Jon: I just downloaded the new M83.
Joe: I’ve got Patton Oswald’s latest album.
Derrick: What is your favorite piece of clothing you own?
Joe: Any pair of jeans that I’m wearing I will live in them for a good month. The only time that I wash them is when my wife tells me it’s time.
Jon: My slippers for one. Oh, and this Opening Ceremony Animal sweater I got.
Derrick: If your house was on fire and you could only grab three things, what would they be?
Joe: My wife and two kids.
Jon: Dang, I wish I had one or two kids. Well I don’t have a kid, so I would get the wife, my dog, and my laptop.
Joe: I have a hard drive that is like my brain, so if I lost that…that would be a toss up.
Derrick: Would you strap your hard drive to one of your children?
Joe: Yes, I would strap it to the littlest one and make a prefab backpack.
Derrick: And the last question…something you can’t live without?
Joe: I kind of touched on it in the previous question, but I would have to say my craft. If I spend too much time away from it I start to get stir crazy.
Jon: My wife…oh you are in trouble Joe.
Joe: If my day goes wrong I am blaming it on you.
Jon: …and also Joe.
Joe: Ah, yeah right. Just reference my answer to the last question.
Thanks to the fellas at ROOK for the flow and one of the most entertaining interviews ever. Stay up to date with what ROOK is doing by following their twitter and tumblr.
by Derrick Klunchoo
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