A lot of people were texting me on Thursday night telling me that my photo of Roxy was hanging in the Gagosian Gallery at the much anticipated Richard Prince opening in Beverly Hills. I’ve known about him using my Instagram photo for a year or so and the question I’ve always battled with is, how do I feel about it? Am I mad? Do I think it’s cool that such a celebrated artist highjacked my image and reappropriated it as his own (and sells it for $50,000 a show)? I knew the only way I could finally be able to resolve this question was to come face to face with it and interpret my feelings in a physical setting. I walked in, turned to the right and was instantaneously confronted with the quandary that has poked at me since the day I found out about it. There it was, my photo, now claimed by another artist and hanging in one of the most prestigious galleries in the world. I stood there, analyzed it and the only thing that I could think about is when I took the actual photograph on my phone. I remember I was so upset about Instagram banning my account numerous times for uncensored content. In that moment I wanted to make peace with the fact that I will never win against a machine that has full control of how and what we post from a creative standpoint. It was me fighting a censorship that I knew I would never win. I posted the image and then the oddest thing began to happen. I started seeing so many other people censoring their photos with their fingers or in other creative ways which means this one post gave birth to a ton of images that didn’t exist prior. I wasn’t upset that people used it as inspiration. I thought it was amazing because that’s what art is, visualizing something, being inspired by it and then bringing it to life from your own viewpoint. As I walked away to go admire all of the other work I finally felt closure. Out of the billions of photo’s floating around on Instagram, Richard Prince took notice of one of mine. There was something there that spoke to him and he paid it the greatest compliment that another artist can give, he turned it into his own and then hung it on a white wall where it may have never been able to exist on without his influence. 

Everyone go check out the show running until March 21st.

-Danny

It was amazing to sellout of our sweatshirts on the day of the release but I forgot how crazy it is to pack and ship so many orders over a weekend. We spent a solid 48hrs folding, packing and making labels just to make sure everything heads out to you as soon as possible. As fun as it was, we’re already on to the next one. 

-Danny

Now available in our Gift Shop.

-Staff

We’re releasing a couple of new pieces today. Stay tuned

-Staff

It’s been over a year since we’ve released anything. To be completely honest, SS has always been a passion project. I would get a little idea and just want to see if I could make it, maybe even sell it. Then the gift and curse happened, things would sellout in a day, sometimes even less. Once money and outside voices start to saturate your motives, it’s almost guaranteed that your fire will begin to burn out. I felt like I didn’t have full control anymore which is why I knew I needed to take a break. It’s really funny because I get so many DM’s asking where I’ve been? We’ll get into that another time but long story short, for this new year I decided to completely start over and make sure we’re more hands on with everything we produce. Take it back to the humble beginning and DIY mindset that started this whole thing. It feels amazing to get back to a place again where it’s not about the money but purely about the magic of turning an idea into reality. 

-Danny

When I was a kid my parents owned a trucking company. My dad would wake me up at 4am on days that I got to miss school and be his co-pilot. I would reluctantly roll my body off my Ninja Turtles sheets and wiggle down until my chubby little feet hit the cold floor. The aroma of brewing Foldgers coffee would fill the house as my mom packed our sandwiches in an old beat up plastic Igloo ice chest. She would pack my dad two sandwiches and pack me the same so I could be just like my hero. I was his little big boy and whatever she made for him she had to make for me. I would ask to hold the ice chest and metal Thermos but my underdeveloped arms didn’t have the wingspan for both. My dad laughed and handed me the metal capsule that looked like it could survive a nuke and put me in charge of his coffee. Now bundled in winter clothes and wrapped in my Transformers blanket and topped off with one of my dads old trucker hats that boasted his company logo, I was ready to hit the road. I can still remember him having to boost me up the metal ladder that leads to the cabin of the truck. It was as if I was climbing the steps that would lead me into a magical world. A place where it was just me and my dad and we were on a ship and if people below us on the land spoke our language by making an arm gesture, he would let me pull the chain that would release a roaring horn. My pudgy body finally made it to the top and as I opened the metal door a familiar scent instantly hit me. A true truckers favorite diffuser, a mixture of Armor All and diesel. I put my seat belt on with excitement because I knew this ship was finally about to sail. I yelled “all aboard!” as the engine turned and the glorious black smoke shot out of the polished stainless steel pipes. The ground would shake each time my dads tan suede work boot stepped on the gas until the clutch got pushed down and the grinding of first gear was slid into place. The road was about to be our voyage and the destination didn’t matter because everything through my curious eyes and those panoramic windows was vast and adventurous.  

SS©20 Trucker Caps will be hitting a truck stop near you. 

-Danny

Being productive is all about taking a ton of little insignificant steps that eventually lead you to the top of the mountain. No excuses, no putting it off until tomorrow and no waiting for someone to push you. It’s only you, your focus and your forward motion that can get you across the finish line. 

-Danny

Damn, I feel like it has been a lifetime since I had a moment to sit down and post an entry on here. I guess that’s what happens when you decide to take a hiatus from your business ventures and join corporate America as you try to run a never-ending race with top industry leaders. In short, my life has been consumed with marketing meetings, sales quotas and confined within an office space that I feel like I don’t belong at. Don’t get me wrong, I love being surrounded with people who enjoy making money and excel under pressure but my spirit is just too large to be tethered to a workspace that is not my own. So, I am taking a leave and going to jump back into the driver seat of what truly makes me happy; creating through my own thoughts with my views set on my own agenda and the liberation to answer to no one.  I’ll still be working remotely because it would be silly to not take what has been offered but now I have time to spend with you again as well as work on a new project that I’ve been reluctant to release for nearly two years. Let’s face it, starting over from the bottom is a scary thought, especially when you have tasted the champagne at the top but it’s the fear and challenge that builds character. 

Perhaps we should also start this relationship over. Hi, my name is Danny and the last time we met I broke my promise when I told you I wouldn’t leave. Well, I guess all I can do now is show you through my actions that I’m here to stick it out. Through good days and bad.. I’ll be here. 

-Danny

Photos by LC © 2020

Saint Laurent just released a lifestyle capsule that includes photo tee’s, home goods and small accessories. It’s safe to say that they’re trying to target the younger market with price points from around $5,500 to $8. We appreciate the new direction this fashion house is taking and it just reconfirms why they’re one of our favorites and a huge inspiration to us. View more here. 

- Staff

A couple of weeks ago I had an inclination to take up a new hobby. See, this is my first month sober and my latest attempt to kick the bottle, you know, get off the sauce aka stop drinking, again. I’ve been an avid runner for the better part of a year and went vegan about eight months ago but even those healthy lifestyle changes haven’t been able to give me the feeling of euphoria that I feel when I pop the cork and divulge myself into the savory sensation of sauvignon blanc. That is until I discovered something so simple yet requires a vast amount of endurance, coordination and mental strategy; the game of tennis. Never in a million years would I anticipate that two rackets, a ball and a challenge would lead me to the closest feeling I get when I drink my beloved spirits but it totally does. Trying to figure out techniques and motions in which you can transition the ball over the net in a precise manner, the endorphins and logic start kicking in and next thing you know you’re on cloud nine. I read a quote somewhere about how once you discover and play the game, you’re instantly addicted and that is exactly what happened. 

- Danny