A rose by any other name…is still a rose.
Ah Freshjive….the former skate/surf brand from the 90’s turned streetwear brand has decided to take an about face, throw two middle fingers in the air and drop their brand name and logo from all products beginning Spring 2010. According to owner/designer Rick Klotz, “when I see kids wearing company logos it reminds [me] of people who are trying to be a part of a “tribe” or “gang”, as if they need to be part of something, which seems to go against the idea of individualism in style.”
I admit, I’ve always liked the Freshjive ethos. As a surfer for close to 20 years in the mecca of surf culture (Orange County) I’ve watched many clothing companies come and go. Some, like Quiksilver, have “whored out” their brand to virtually no end (Roxy shower curtains anyone?) while others try so hard to be different they actually end up looking just like everyone else (Volcom).
Freshjive dabbled in the action sports market for several years in the 90’s but didn’t truly find a home until it’s shift to streetwear. Fashion forward graphic t’s and knit tops seemed to define the brand, enabling it to stand out from the sea of cookie-cutter garbage that littered shop stores from coast to coast. Their stuff was ahead of it’s time and, well…fresh.
However, this latest stunt of dropping the logo/brand is a complete laugh. The irony, of course, is that if it wasn’t for the Freshjive brand/logo being a cultural fixture for the past 15 years, Rick would be in no place to “drop” it and still have a company to work with. Okay, so the brand is no longer labeled ”Freshjive” yet all clothing will still include an identification tag–in this case a black tag with white box. In short, the brand is still there…it just looks different. Customers will still refer to this faceless line of clothing as Freshjive and I imagine some of the less pretentious clothing retailers will too.
In an interview with The Hundreds, Rick was asked “how is this expected to sell?” His response…
“I’m only gonna rest on the laurels of our relationships with stores, customers, and the design of the actual pieces in the line.”
Translation: “I’m going to bank on our established brand equity to carry us through this transition and basically re-purpose the brand instead of starting from scratch.”
The bottom line is, if you work this hard to control your company image–regardless if it has a name/logo–you still have a brand.
I guess my problem with this move is Rick’s attitude about how “punk rock” he is for making this choice. Really? Stripping the logo from your already established line of clothing makes you a rebel? Did the perception of Price, or the artist formally known as Prince, or The Artist, or “symbol” change the essence of what he was creating? Nope. It just made the guy look a bit douchie. You want to be punk rock? Try starting a line of premium priced, blank garments using a vertically integrated manufacturing model.
Finally, the idea of kids buying clothes to feel part of a tribe or gang. Give me a break. If you’re really behind this idea of individualism, why produce/sell more than one t-shirt design? Shouldn’t all your products be one-of-a-kind? Furthermore, why would you design a t-shirt that glorifies a local sports team’s playoff run if you want to preach the idea of being an original or individual?
Look, this will no doubt be a successful move for the clothing line formally known as Freshijive. As I mentioned before, Rick’s designs kill and he has a solid reputation for delivering quality threads. But please get off the pedestal and stop pretending this is some “statement” that will send shock waves through the streetwear industry.
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