Why am I referring to someone who died years ago, and that has nothing to do with this brand? Well, keep reading my broken english story…
The reality of all this industry we all kind of populate around, is that, in the middle of 2013, a huge portion of the consumers of this culture, call it “streetwear” or “urban market” can voice his or her opinion. The interaction a brand owner, designer, musician, jewelry maker, photographer and such, can have with its fan base is amazing. You can tweak your designs, adapt with the comments of your friends, followers or just peers, and create a beautiful final piece.

What Warhol meant in the 70′s was being famous for 15 minutes is something everybody should feel at some point of his-her life. What it means nowadays is to leave messages on social media and interact, hopefully, positively.

If you follow “ivanskulls” on Instagram you will be able to see the process of things, a little bit of my personality and what surrounds the brand, and no, Im not afraid to show you I like veggie burgers, 80′s HC bands, stupid 90′s toys and martial arts.

Smile.

While walking around the city on a weekend these are some of the sightings available: tags against the police, dirty walls and sex dolls drying from a house balcony…

Just to kick it at SABOR, hiphop artist “Marte” vintage store and barber store.

More or less, these have been my days here: Sleeping, handling paperwork (Its not easy to be an inmigrant) and handling basically spanish paperwork, which sucks.

I will be back to the office and back on track this friday ready to work on winter’13 collection and samples, finish some new sunglasses and some new accessories and to answer a lot of emails I have left for my return.

Spain has a 27% “official” unemployment rate, with more than 50% between younger citizens. These are the official numbers, although a lot more of the spanish population, legal or not, are also jobless. A lot of american friends have asked me if things are “that” bad in Spain, and my answer is yes. It is bad, and will get much worse.

Most of my friends make around 1000 euros a month and just to get you a vision of the daily life in the country, rent can be anything from 500 to 1000 euros for a “cheap” apartment. What this does is forcing people to share apartment rooms, some to squat abandoned buildings, and others to live with their parents.

If you think that being creative is one of the solutions, think again: To be a freelance worker, designer, painter…anything outside the usual salary from a company, you will be forced to pay 250 euros a month, no matter how much you make a month to cover “Social security” taxes, and from whatever you make, pay 20% to the government, forcing a lot of freelancers to wether lie on their expenses, or to survive with some euros a month.

Owning a company is no different: Setting up a company in Spain takes around 42 steps to do, and around 3500 euros to set up, having to deal with “notaries” that will charge you just to sign a paper stating “they allow you and approve” the new company creation (Just like a pope). Whatever you make with the company, will be charged 20% in taxes, and if you get paid from the company, you will also be charged around another 20% and from there, you will have to file for a tax return at the end of the year, most definitely, to pay again to the government.

American friends who ask me about Spain dont know any of that. But Spain is in deep shit, and if you want to create, to make things, to innovate, you have a short short short margin to make things happen and to actually make a living with your craft. If you want to get a job, you will be lucky to be able to pay the rent, food and clothes, and maybe you will be able to go out every once in a while.

This will only get worse, but at least I vented and now you know how hard are things in the country where I am from.

Living in America has been a blessing. Thanks America, thanks for having a tax system that makes sense for small companies, freelancers and creatives.

Supreme has sued the brand married to the Mob for $10 Million over the use of the “supreme Bitch” logo on everything you can imagine from tees, towels, mugs and on. I have my opinion, but this is not my point, my point is that whatever this case verdict is, things will get weird in the streetwear industry.

Whats most important about all this is the fact that two “brands” from New York fighting over a logo, that none of them own. Let me explain with pictures:

You can read all the technical details and the paperwork that MOB has sent over to the court HERE, its worth checking how they included all the copied logos Supreme has used in the past as a way to settle precedent.

Does somebody remember the cease and desist letter Jason Lee got from Burger King in the 90′s when he used a whopper image on one of his boards? is this the same?

If this goes on, when can we expect more lawsuits? We built this to escape from corporate crap, and we are slowly turning our playground into a corporate one.

You might have a dog. Maybe not. maybe somebody you know had a dog. Maybe you have heard dogs are humans “best friends”. Well, this a post dedicated to dogs, intelligent animals and friends, and definitely companions in life.

I did a hat and tees a while back called “Mia”, as a homage to a Chihuahua I had back in Barcelona. I never gave her the attention she deserved, and I didnt give her the time she deserved. When she was gone with my ex, I realized how bad I missed her, and decided to do a hat and a tee for her.

Well, time went by, and my actual wife had this pitbull called Mina she rescued 2 years ago. We all moved to LA from Spain and now I have been living with this sweet one eyed monster and feeling how bad she needs love and attention, and realizing this dog spent 2 years locked in a cage until my girl gave her a new life.

It might sound corny, it might sound “not streetwear enough”, but couldn´t care less. The way I see it, if there is any way we can help in making somebody’s or “someone’s” life better, we can at least try.

Im reissuing some units of the “Mia” tee and sweatshirt, and donating 20% of the sales to a Los Angeles animal shelter, to provide food, or a better care, for some of the dogs there. it might not be much money, but with your help, we can, at least try to give these animals a better life.

Tees and sweatshirts will have a very special price: Tees $25 and sweatshirt $40, Made in USA and tagless, with free 5% discount in your next SKULLS purchase.

Thanks.

1. My Iphone 5 screen issues:
Yes, broken. Broken in maybe a gazillion tiny pieces of $600 glass. There was a time when phones didnt break, and when screens were eternal. That time is long gone, but thats why I bought the HEX case with the credit card pouches on it, to protect my phone from unwanted damage. Well, it looks like the “new” HEX case doesnt protect s*it if your phone feels attracted to the forces of gravity. I can swear this phone has fallen twice on its entirely existence with me and both times the unit has suffered glass damage. So, not only I spent $40 in a case that doesnt protect, but I also spent $600 on a phone that breaks. My advice? Well, wether you use another case other than Hex or get another phone with unbreakable screen (Samsung anyone?).

2. The Blackberry commercial:

I have worked with a Blackberry for years. I remember getting sucked in into emails every minute of my life. Its a not-so-funny feeling when you realize the line between life and work is not only blurred, but pathetically non existent. Simply, the idea to “share my screen” while Im on holidays simply sucks, and I have no idea into what mind fits that the commercial should address that. Someone on holidays and the assistant calling to ask about a project issue. Simply unacceptable.

3. 99 problems:
I know, I dont need anybody telling me Im not american, I cant vote or that Im too narrow minded to only see the good on Obama´s, fine. Wont argue about politics in a country Im not native on. BUT, whoever came up with the idea to have this speech filled with funny jokes, is a simply genius. Have never ever seen or heard a speech like this. Maybe this a sign we are improving as humans?

In collaboration with RIPE, we’re excited to announce this photo show and zine release party featuring Julio Pardo currently of Valencia Spain and Reggie McCafferty of Brooklyn New York, each presenting a selection of their photographs from their travels throughout Asia. Both photographers have an incredible transcendental quality to their work, which takes the viewers and instantly inserts them into the moment that the photo was taken, giving them access to a world that would never be described in a travel book. The zine will be limited to 100 copies, available April 26.

links:
www.juliopardophoto.com
http://www.reggiemccafferty.com/
http://www.riperiperiperipe.com/

Dont get me wrong, I love the planning of running a brand. The more you want to make, the better you must plan your moves (And production quantities). Why do I state that our system is a little bit different than everybody else’s? Well, I try to stay closer to the release date than the rest when it comes to getting stores to order.

If you work at a store, maybe this happened to you:

-You go a tradeshow and you see “that” new brand, cool stuff, exciting, your heart beats faster. You want to order. You put an order in, you are excited. Then, you ask for delivery dates, and the answer goes something like this:

-”We are shipping in about 6 months”.

I have been there. In 2004 I was one of the few europeans selling a sought after sneaker brand who just stepped into the skateboarding industry. I remember stores calling and asking if they ordered this or that shoe, and all the excitement they got when I was showing them shoes, was gone completelly when they received the goodies.

I understand certain industries work one way or the other. I have never played fully by the rules, but I have always tried to do things a little different, even if that means losing a few accounts in the middle, or getting less bookings in the process.

My Summer’13 production only has one single order so far. And most of the other brands out there are getting ready to ship their stuff. I know, and I understand the risks, but it gets interesting when more and more accounts ask for stuff “sooner” or “quicker”.

Here one of the new hats for Summer, july delivery, the “Tropic 2″, a second rendition to the popular “tropic Thunder” 5 panel I dropped close to a year ago. This time, a 6 panel hybrid, the fit of a 5 panel with the shape of a snapback. Simply perfect.

Enjoy.

“From: Joseph
Subject: You are the best

Message Body:
You guys kick ass. Nothing more

–
This mail is sent via contact form on Skulls International http://www.skullsnyc.com”

Emails like this make days better. Thanks.

Brands like Bad Boy Club, Vision, Powell or Santa Cruz were “the brands”, and no, skateboarders didnt have the resources, the money or the balls to launch companies like today. Only Etnies and vans and a handful other footwear brands existed then, and ruled the market with huge market percentages in dominance fashion.

I cold go on and on about how cool the 90′s were, but this is a post about skateboarding.

I wanted to post some of the interesting stuff that has been around lately that I personally love:

Enrique Lorenzo “Bits and pieces” was put together by Enrique himself after some people didnt want to use the coverage, check it out by yourself to decide if its good or not.

This is “amazing” to some other level…

The best Guy Mariano interview ever.

The “Pretty Sweet” video was simply genius, amazing and mind blowing, and for the first time in a long time I had fun watching a skate vid.

Propaganda was the very first VHS skate tape I owned. THis part made me believe that with a skateboard, I was able to do anything I wanted.

And thats it for today. I don’t skate too much now because of injuries, my jiujitsu training and my knees, but ey, I have my board ready to roll with my switch ollies and my manual tricks!