1.) Where are you from? What do you do for a living?

Located right in the heart of the Jersey, we are an hour away from the greatest city on the planet: NYC, the inspiration of all inspirations. Our living is our passion, and that is making Profound Aesthetic the next big thing. They say once you start doing what you really love, work doesn’t seem like work anymore and that’s the holy truth!

2.) What kind of product do you produce? Also, your name is dope, how did you come up with that?

We create concept tees that are visually appealing yet profoundly stimulating to the new trend of intellectuality in urban culture. You see it everywhere, rappers are becoming more conscious of their lyrics, well spoken, well read; fashion is becoming more sophisticated and daring and we are finally starting to use our own mind to think and be conscious of our surroundings. It’s a beautiful thing and we celebrate it.

We landed with our name when we sat down and thought about what it is that we are trying to promote and we kept it simple. We wanted an aesthetically pleasing tee that was profound beyond just the visual and that’s exactly what we did. It’s kind of like Kanye’s music; if you like the sound of his songs and don’t listen to the lyrics, cool. But if you love his composition of finely tuned beats with well thought out lyrics you develop a deeper love for it. But, either way, you really enjoy his music. Our concept is pretty much based on the same principle and it’s been working quite well. You can love the design or you can love the design and the message behind it.

3.) Your artwork is clean and as your name suggests aesthetically profound, who does the artwork and where did you perfect your craft? When did you get involved with selling it to people?

The founder of the brand, Faraz Zaidi, does the artwork. He is a graphic designer of the highest mark with a vision that is truly impressive. He started his very own graphic
design company at the age of 15 and its been magic since. I imagine he perfected his craft with a crazy artist mind that needed to release the tornado of his thoughts and ideas on a computer screen. With his artist ability and the collaboration of the entire teams creativity, we started to release our stuff in the market when we came to the realization that we really had a solid concept. When the founder of Porsche couldn’t find the car he wanted to drive he went into his garage and made his own. We did the same thing, our mind-lab being a mac monitor screen.

4.) Highlight 2-3 items and briefly describe the purpose of them.

Our very first t-shirt was the Peace by Piece tee. The concept is as simple as the layout of the design. It sort of mimics Michael Jackson’s, “Man in the Mirror” concept. Peace
cannot be attained overnight, or by some grand scheme but rather you have to start with yourself and be the change you want to see in the world. It’s a positivist attitude,
primarily, that we stand for which is duplicated in each design we release.

The bird with headphones tee is another one that really highlights the vastness of our creativity. We go to a lot of tradeshows, events, charities, conferences etc. and this tee is always the most interesting with respect to how people react to it. It’s truly up for any sort of interpretation and we’ve gotten some pretty dope ideas since its release. One of my favorites is, “the hummingbird is known for the beauty in its melodious chirp, it’s therefore ironic that the bird is listening to the melodies of man-made sounds through headphones/speakers.” I actually wrote a blog entry [on the brand] at I AM PROFOUND BLOG about the different interpretations we’ve gotten since its release. Check it out. It just goes to show you how amazing art is and to be able to express your art on a t-shirt that every single person you pass by gets to see, that’s pretty powerful, and hey, if you just like the image that’s cool too.

The “Mind is my Nine” tee is perhaps one of our best selling t-shirts. Something about it really appeals to people and we’re happy to see that, not because we are selling them like hotcakes but because people are actually starting to appreciate their given ability to use their minds and peace is actually becoming a trend. When we first came up with the design, I was thinking it was only going to appeal to men but, that is certainly not the case. We sell this tee equally to women. The beautiful part about it is the irony presented in the tee. The words say to use your mind as your weapon, but visually you see a gun blasting with what is seemingly blood. It kind of forces you to look a little deeper and wonder, “whats up with the gun?” and once people understand it, they stand there for a second and say, “that’s dope.”

5.) What kinds of influences are reflected in what you produce?

We are influenced by everything around us. From hip-hop, to technology, to art, to something as simple as a tree. We come up with our design concepts just by living our
day-to-day lives and observing our surroundings with a constant feel good attitude. Einstein once said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” You can imagine, we chose the latter and it feels pretty damn good.

6.) What are the ultimate goals of your line?

We ultimately want to develop a full-fledged clothing line beyond just t-shirts. Fashion is in our blood; being unique, well that’s pretty much what we do. When you collaborate the two it’s powerful. We want to share our abilities with the world and be as strong and influential as one of our greatest fashion heroes, Ralph Lauren. He started by making ties, and it’s pretty safe to say he is timeless now with creativity that never seizes to amaze. We want to mimic his success and we are confident we are on the path to achieving it.

7.) What are your opinions of the new Karmaswap? How do you see this affecting concrete culture?

Karmaswap is a real dope concept. A lot of people don’t really realize that what karmaloop represents is more than just some shoes or clothes, it represents an entire
culture, a culture of hip-hop heads, sneaker heads, and fashion heads that are unique, think outside the box and got some serious style and a feel good attitude. Every single
thing on your site is different from anything you see at your local mall. It is no wonder you guys are the gurus of concrete culture. And the ability to exchange, swap, buy, sell and recycle is genius. I know I don’t mind exchanging a solid pair of kicks with someone across the country so I can constantly stay fresh. And that’s exactly what karmaswap is, a recycling of the freshest stuff to stay fly. It’s solid.

1.) Where are you from? What do you do for a living?

My name is Brian McAlister and I’m from Columbus, Ohio. I work in technical design at Abercrombie & Fitch. Hopefully BMC will become my sole occupation in the future.

2.) What kind of product do you produce?

I produce hand-crocheted beanies [inspired by] urban culture.

3.) Your beanies are very classic and have brilliant colors, describe the thought process and development of your hats?

When I start making a hat I first think of the fit. A beanie can be worn in many ways to give a certain attitude. For instance, some guys might wear a snug-fit pulled back to their hair line, or want it to slouch a little too. The achieved look determines the important shape and construction I work with. That “achieved look” is what inspired me to teach myself to make beanies. From there I choose stitch techniques that can give detail – then I choose colors. Sometimes I see colors in graphic tees, a shoe, movie poster… anything really, then use that in my own way [for] a hat.

When designing a line I make everything by hand, which takes a while. A few days ago I spent 6 hours making an infinity/snood scarf for my friend Angela… which will be available next year – keep a look out. When going into business I had to find a vendor that could make them by hand exactly as I do. Luckily, I found one overseas, but it is very challenging.

4.) What kinds of influences are reflected in what you produce?

The designs are influenced by my personal style and that of my close friends. For instance, I’m not a slouch fit kind of guy. But a friend would request a slouch fit, so I’d figure it out and that’s how my line began to grow. A lot of the designers at my work are very hipster, too. So it helps when people wear and try new styles. It keeps me inspired to do the same with my hats!

It’s hard too, because I like bright colors and for my hats to look different. But the general feedback is that a neutral beanie is easier to wear. People wear crazy pop-color ball caps, but it’s not always the trend in beanies. So I had to decide whether I should be safe and make my line neutral and similar to what’s out there, or take a risk hoping that something different might give me more distinction and stand out. I chose risk!

5.) Check out some of BMC’s most popular and best-selling designs:

One of my favorites is the snug-fit named the 5^th L. The color options we derived from a vintage tee, a street wear tee, and a color way used on a YouTube music album cover.

I have also had a great response from the large slouch-fit named The Beeskie.  It has done really well this season.

6.) What are your ultimate goals for your line?

Overall, I would like to make beanies specific to different sub cultures, like a snowboard line, a fashion line for women, an urban line, etc.  I think I can do this when BMC is a little older and have revenue to reinvest into development.

My goal for next year is to develop my other styles which include bills, ear flaps, several scarf-style and many more. I want people to associate BMC with beanies. Once I get that then I’d like to get into some clothing too.

7.) What are your opinions of the new Karmaswap? How do you see this
affecting streetwear culture?

KarmaSwap is sick… it gives the new, small guy a voice, a place to test their brand and see what is working for them. It’s pure opportunity.

1.) Where are you from? What do you do for a living?

From Minneapolis MN, owner of Sneaker Headz/Sneaker Chic Clothing.

2.) What kind of product do you produce?

We are a clothing line that currently sells [tees for men and women] but will soon be producing a larger variety of things.

3.) Your line is unique because it requires team work between popular kicks and the tees you design; describe the thought process and development of your gear. You also have your own custom kicks, how did that come about? What inspires their development?

The people that wear Sneaker Headz/Sneaker Chic clothing are those who are bold, brave and confident. They are leaders in style and trends and our clothing speaks for them. Each design has a different inspiration and each designer has their own style of doing things which keeps all of our looks original and fresh unlike some repetitive brands. The colorways are inspired by limited edition, rare, and hard to match kicks so that our fellow Sneaker Heads male and female always have something exclusive to rock with their new kicks hence our slogan “The Perfect Match.” Soon on our website (www.snkrheadz.com) you will be able to type in the name of the shoe you want to match and see if we have matched it or not. The custom kicks section is also something new we are going to offer and basically we are teaming with some hot shoe artists to give you an even more exclusive feel when shopping with us.

4.) What kinds of influences are reflected in what you produce?

Individuality is influenced in our designs and products. Sneaker Headz Clothing is all about being you and wearing what makes you feel like a million bucks. We don’t expect people to just buy our clothes because of the brand – we expect them to buy our clothes because of the design, how it makes you feel when you wear it and because of what we stand for.

5.) Some of Sneakerheadz’ designs:

Florida rapper Tay-Dizm rocking the Expensive Tastey tee – “This shirt speaks for itself, it’s for those with expensive taste and it comes in a few different [colorways].”

How Much? – “This shirt smoothly represents how society is always worried about how much you have in your bank account so we put a confident twist on it asking every onlooker ‘How Much Do You Think I Got?’”

6.) What are your ultimate goals for your line?

The ultimate goal currently is to put out hot product that everyone feels and can relate to in their own way so that we can individualize and unite at the same time. We want to continue to grow as a company and perfect our craft so that our customers can continue to enjoy our stuff for years to come.

7.) What are your opinions of the new Karmaswap? How do you see this affecting streetwear culture?

I like Karmaswap and I think that was the most logical next step for karmaloop to take. I think Karmaswap will grow greatly in the street wear culture.

1.) Where are you from? What do you do for a living?

I am from Los Angeles, California. I am a co-owner of royalprospects.com and studiotee.com. We are a company that specializes in custom screen-printing and embroidery in Signal Hill, Californa.

2.) What kind of product do you produce?

We produce graphic tees with a variety of street-centered messages. We feel our clothing line is about being who you are and being a king or queen of what you put on – that’s why we call our clothing line Royal Prospects. Our influences come from many aspects in everyday life such as music, politics, the streets and family. Also, we will be producing some kids’ shirts, which are in the works for the near future.

3.) Your shirts are very iconic and “in your face,” describe the thought process and development of your designs.

Our designs are very much in your face so you can not only see the creativity, but also the message that is behind every single design. Whether it is a subliminal message or not, the thought process reflects what is going on currently in everyone’s world that is influenced by street culture. So we put ourselves in their shoes and create something for them with a message.

4.) Take a look of some of Royal Prospects most popular graphic designs:

We designed this shirt called skater hater which had a pig in the front and the message “Skate Free – Stop the Hate.” There are tons of kids that don’t have a place to skate and if they’re not destroying property, let them skate.

Duck Hunt is one of our favorite designs that we have created. This came from our childhood on the NES. We would play for hours and incorporated a message behind it: shooting down the competition–meaning shooting down the politics, the haters, or anyone that’s trying to stand in your way.

This design we called Honesty Integrity. It just came from what we go by and live for Honesty Integrity Hardwork and Family and also is a famous line from Mr. Lucas in American Gangster.

5.) What are your ultimate goals for your line?

We have a couple of goals for our line. We want to continue exapnding so larger audiences can see the messages we are trying to send. We want to also create other brands underneath our company like a kids’ line.  We have a lot of potential and we ultimately hope to create job opportunities for others and our families.

6.) What are your opinions of the new KarmaSwap? How do you see this affecting streetwear culture?

It’s an excellent way to showcase up-and-coming brands, which is great because a lot of the boutiques will not support you unless you are a house-hold name. I think this will help smaller streetwear labels show big-name brands that there are artists out there that create as well anyone can.

1.) Where are you from? What do you do for a living?

Well I’m a bit nomadic. I was born in Inglewood, California, spent most of my youth in Pomona, California, did a stint in Denver, Colorado, got REALLY educated in Toronto, Canada, now I live, love and work in Brooklyn NY. I’m a hyperactive maker/designer and the gal behind Junkprints.com

2.) What kind of products do you produce?

I make smart clothing accessories and general dopeness. The items aren’t “smart” within themselves but I like to think that they represent and adorn thinking, questioning people.

3.) Describe how you got started. What led to your recent popularity?

I never intended to go into fashion and it’s kinda ironic that I taught myself to sew because my mom use to design clothing, but I was convinced that I was going to make cartoons. To this day I don’t consider my self a fashion designer, I just use fashion to display my work.

About 2 years ago I started modifying vintage clothing and printing my graphic on tees and hoodies. Junkprints as a company is actually 7 years old, but before the clothing line it’s primary focus was Photography and Graphic Design. I’ve found that the clothing aspect has allowed me to communicate directly with the audience and essentially bring the art to the people.

The clothing line kind of started as an accident. Just for fun, I started making myself clothing so that I could wear things I like and believe in. I love men’s clothing, it’s so practical and usually the messaging isn’t making a fool out of the person wearing it. Unlike women’s clothing that usually has too few pockets, isn’t quite warm or comfortable, and has dumb graphics such as ‘sexy.’ I think people identify with my work because it’s a varied perspective that allows room for growth and questioning. It’s fun and loose but deals with important issues.

4.) In looking at your products and other designs on your site, it is clear that you are extremely artistically talented, what drives your artistry? Who or what are some influences?

I’m first content inspired and then medium driven, meaning the story or topic comes first and the execution. I enjoy irony and have a tendency to deliver loaded topics sautéed in a sugary aesthetic. I’m inspired by the past and the present. I’m a savager and duplicator who is super fascinated with propaganda and how we as people relate to our social environments.  At first, I think my work was about race but it’s evolved into inclusion, exclusion and the strange nuanced that come with social binary opposition. The thin division lines between social separation are what push me to cover the topics I address in my work.

5.) Here are some samples of Junkprints hot designs and artwork…

Colored fountain Illustration (2008)

I sat on this design for a while because I wanted to make sure that it brought people together vs. pulling them apart. I’ve heard the story of folks that were unfamiliar with segregation in the U.S. visiting the South during that time and thinking that the colored fountain contained colored liquid… if only it had been as simple as water or Kool-Aid.

Visionary Glasses (2009)

Made from recycled records and plexiglass, this is one of my fun ironic pieces. It puts a smile on faces and in some ways inspires us all to have some vision and be a visionary.

Watchers Illustration (2004), 
 Medium: Giclee Print
• Size: 31″ x 22″

This illustration was part of a series I did called Good Housekeeping; it deals with stereotypes and imposed values placed on many American women of color.

6.)What are your ultimate goals for your line?

The ultimate goal for the line is more of the same with the inclusion of unique collaborations and co-branding in a fair sustainable method.

7.)What are your opinions of the new Karmaswap? How do you see this affecting streetwear culture?

I like the concept of KarmaSwap and look forward to seeing it evolve as more people become aware of it and utilize it as a forum and e-commerce tool.

I think the most recognizable images seem to be the Pap Art, The State of Being a Skateboarder and the Apocalyptic lAb Monkey.

The Obey Pap Art NOT Pop Art started in 2007, it was kinda the first big campaign I did all-city with the same image under the bACk eASt name. I wanted to do something that would speak to the residents of the city, a local flavor. The image of a Red Sox player is obviously representational of Boston, but baseball in general is considered as American as apple pie, so the image was well received by the public, for the most part, but it was still being presented in an non-conventional manner by being street art, so I was trying to challenge people’s understandings of what they like, even if it is illegal, but does that really make it “bad?”

The State of Being design is of a skateboarder kneeling down, in somewhat of a religious stance I guess, or so I’ve at least heard, but really I think it’s more representational of the spirituality of skateboarding, and the state of mental being that it puts you in, or at least that’s what I was going for. I see a lot of parallels between skating and street art, not just the cultures and communities, but the emotions, the rush, the way you look at a city and scope out a spot, it’s a whole new set of eyes to see the world through.

The Apocalyptic lAb Monkey