In my head it's weird, it's like I'm still 23, that's all I need. Just let me hang around, let me stay in the party, let me draw another t-shirt, let me make some more clothes, let me write another blog, take a photo...
"Let me stay here as long as I can - as long as I can pay my rent."
In the second installment of Criterion, we will be digging deeper into the interview with Bobby Hundreds. The post has three tables which highlight the values and principles shared from the different parts of the interview. I mark certain points and expand on them further below the table, with my own opinions, further references and statements from the interview, and sources or links to educate further.
I plan to encourage readers to expand further on the values from the table in the comments. To reduce the amount of reading, I'll only be sharing one point from each table. However, at the end of each post, I'll share the Blueprint video for anybody who wants to dig even further.
Hopefully, we can turn each Criterion post into a mine full of golden wisdom nuggets for the future.
The foundations begin at a young age. Bobby Hundreds has parents that were doubtful of the goals he had to turn his creative flair into a successful career, but that didn't stop him.
The introductory part of the interview explores the particular path that Bobby took on his way towards creating, The Hundreds. From the high school years at the skateparks taking photos; to the turning point at the pinnacle time of his law internship, creativity and art excited him, which provided the stepping stone to his desires.
He left town and traveled to Japan with his girlfriend, now wife, and soaked up the atmosphere and culture all around him. Pulling inspiration from artists like Kaws, Future, and Barry Mcgee, his mind's eye began to bring together The Hundreds in his black book.
"What do you talk about every day that makes you light up? Do you really wanna be 40 years old and then realize you've spent the entirety of your life doing something you don't care about?"
| FOUNDATION |
|---|
| 1. Identify your passion |
| 2. Start experimenting |
| 3. Find your scene |
| 4. Follow your inspiration |
| 5. Make a plan |
Inspiration comes in many forms. It's a feeling, a drive, something to ponder and mold. Inspiration can be found in the most unlikely of places and it can be brought on in the direst of times. The main differing factor between someone who succeeds and someone who fails is how they transmute inspiration into action.
Bobby's mentor, at the end of his law training, told him to follow his heart. He was a fantastic intern and he spoke very highly of him, but he knew that the career was not a right fit. Bobby would speak about the art and trends that he was passionate about at any moment he could squeeze in, throughout lunch, with his friends, his peers, etcetera etcetera.
It was evident that his passion was elsewhere, he just couldn't see it for himself.
You do not want to ignore your heart and soul, extinguishing the spark of your inspiration before it even ignites. You have to follow your inspiration. Throwing sticks to catch the embers along the way; until it's a roaring flame that can't be put out.
I just want to do art
What happens after the turning point? The concept starts to be formed into something tangible.
The meat of the interview is found in the middle, where the real bread and butter principles are discussed between Bobby and Noah. From finding the name of the brand in a law journal to the explanation of the hard-hitting meaning behind their Atom Bomb logo.
I don't care about clothes, I care about drawing people together and bringing cultures and communities together. The Hundreds, strength in numbers.
There is a strong presence formed by Bobby as a true peoples person who understands the value of community and unity. In the early years of the brand, they encouraged a clubhouse mentality in the stores which inspired and formed a strong connection between the employees. A solid creation of a team, which proved to be difficult and tasking as they grew.
| INITIAL DESIGN |
|---|
| 1. Find your name |
| 2. Know what you’re about |
| 3. Find the right partner |
| 4. Do the groundwork |
| 5. Fake it |
| 6. Make some noise |
| 7. Try something different |
| 8. Encourage the community |
Your groundwork is the plan, and baseline, for where you are going and how far up you will growl. You can adapt and evolve outward after the fact, but you still need the solid footing to push yourself off first. Creating this initial foundation for your idea, and sedimenting strong principles which will filter outward, makes your journey less prone to compromise and inevitable self-destruction/collapse.
Once you have formed your stable base to build on, you start to create columns for your next steps. Equally strengthened by the principles you set to begin with. Don't cut corners, don't compromise on your underlying values. Your stability comes from the strength and belief formed by your underlying principles, once they are questioned the foundation starts to crack.
Where is your hustle?
In the interview, Bobby shares his story about the first stores they filled with The Hundreds merchandise. Without going into to much detail and spoiling it, himself and the team managed to spread their influence across five of the biggest stores in NY, in a week. Yup, that's all you're getting.
Starting at 23, Bobby has grown alongside his business and experienced upsets along the way, and now he still struggles as the times passed. Constant stresses of messing up orders, missing the trends, or being deemed as uncool make the day-to-day pressures of running The Hundreds a constant tip-toe on the edge of the bowl
Moving across generations also poses problems with trends, and your personal link to the audience, in good ways and bad. While he may not understand the mentalities of the youth when it comes to the style and the trends, he knows the mentality they have of him as an OG.
Bobby has imprinted their legacy on the world as the streetwear brand that values People Over Product.
| RENOVATIONS |
|---|
| 1. Family comes first |
| 2. Enjoy it while it lasts |
Without your people, you are nothing and without people, it's a lonely road. Being grateful for your support and family ensures their growth alongside your own. No matter what, they come first.
Forming a core group of people around you is important to your success. Not just because of the help and added effort put in by these people, but also for their beliefs and understanding of the idea and movement you have created. Without this shared narrative, you will overheat and exhaust yourself from repeating the words.
Building a strong narrative around your principles will help the family grow stronger. You want a strong family to enjoy the house that you've built around them.
Oh yeah... The atom bomb.
If you notice, the bomb never explodes. It's always just under the surface of blowing up. That's how we should run our brand, we should always be right about to get there like it's about to hit...
"But no, lets never blow out and then disappear."
The Criterion series is a review and closer look at some of the points highlighted in Blueprint, a Youtube series created by Complex.
I have no association with Complex and I'm not sponsored in any way. The use of their video is for educational purposes as a way to expand further on some of the points highlighted in the interview.
On this week's episode of 'Blueprint,' Bobby Hundreds explains how he channeled his love for music and culture into one of the world's most iconic streetwear brands.
All of the headers are credited to the photographers in this post
