What's your thoughts on OBEY?

[kracksnack]

I think they're outwear stuff is on-point at time, as for everything else..blah.

What do yall think?

[RedFoxxworth]

Hit or miss-

The girls shit actually is cooler-- some nice pieces.

Actin' bad like a kid at Six Flags...

[smurf]

I've been a Shepard Fairey fan since before he started doing clothing. I have a couple Obey Ts and have been interested in a few other items, but never bought. It so happens that the shirt I'm wearing now is Obey and it's one of the nicest Ts I own. I just bought an Obey Mao T, but the quality isn't even close. Just a regular AA shirt.

He used to have a manifesto about his clothing on obeygiant.com, but I don't see it anymore. I also don't know if he's directly involved with the clothing line or not. Except for the screens, of course.

[evlhunter]

Quote:

Hit or miss-

The girls shit actually is cooler-- some nice pieces.

--- Original message by RedFoxxworth on Sep 19, 2005 12:16 PM

yeah, my gf bought some nice tees from them.

I only like their vintage look tees.

[Selegna]

IM A BIG SHEP FAN, BUT THE GEAR JUST AINT ME..

HOPE YOU GET IT LATER...

[kracksnack]

I'm interested in grabbing this jacket from digitalgravel.com but I hate that green lining.

Edited by kracksnack on Sep 19, 2005 at 12:59 PM

[minya]

Quote:

I'm interested in grabbing this jacket from digitalgravel.com but I hate that green lining.

<img src="http://www.digitalgravel.com/dgImages/products/BigPic/6687.jpg"

--- Original message by kracksnack on Sep 19, 2005 12:46 PM

Really? I think it offers great contrast. I like it.

I think Obey's "schtick" is pretty lame, but their vintage t-shirts have some great distressing and ok graphics (if the OBEY logo isn't plastered all over it) and they're very well priced.

[triniboy27]

I'm actually a pretty big fan of some of Obey's stuff..especially their tshirts..I love the actual feel (uber-soft) and fit..highly recommended if you can get one in a colour/print that you like...

I also have a pair of their cargo pants (comfy as hell), their Danzig belt buckle (bought in an extreme moment of weakness) and I'm expecting a windrunner-style jacket in the mail anytime soon (if USPS can fricking deliver that damn thing)...

All that being said, their prints can be hit or miss.....

[doom]

they have been using the same formula for too long. time to move on cause it is getting boring. very predictable. i would not even look at it.

the eclipse is nigh

[neawts]

I don't like the basic Andre logo. That just kills it for me.

[wild_whiskey]

I have never been into the OBEY clothing, but Shepard Fairey is an amazing artist. His stuff is on display in a gallery downtown right now. He's one talented guy.

[ok]

here is my take:

i think shepard did something amazing by canvasing the countrty with his graphics. then i think someone with some $ saw an opportunity and licensed the brand for all intents and purposes. they could have gone higher end with more quality but i think they tried to straddle the action sports market.

so...had potential but i wont really rock it.

[Handlethevibe]

this obey jacket is cool.

Edited by Handlethevibe on Sep 19, 2005 at 02:26 PM

[kracksnack]

Anyone know how to get those annoying pins off the jackets?

[verb]

I love his work and own a few posters that I bought from the site a few years back... I have to say I was excited to see them promoting a fashion line then fucking disappointed when I walked into The Buckle and saw it plastered everywhere.

[boystory]

whether it's how it is or not, it kind of comes off like it's trying too hard.

i think that jacket on digital gravel (with the green fur hood thing) is totally awesome, though.

[andewhall]

These Jackets look totally amazing IMO, and the branding isn't really in your face. How much do they go for?

[CactusArmy]

I respect the dude as an artist but his shirts are really hit or miss. And yes lately I've noticed the quality has gone down. That Obey Posse tag is horrible, I'd take it off before I wear that - nice jacket though.

[woejozney]

those jackets are like 115 for the green lined one, which isn't bad. And the other one is 99 or so.

Oh Gawd!

[My Pal the Crook]

Quote:

this obey jacket is cool.

Edited by Handlethevibe on Sep 19, 2005 at 02:26 PM

--- Original message by Handlethevibe on Sep 19, 2005 02:25 PM

I've been a shep fan since god knows how long, but i've never bought or owned any Obey clothing. I guess in a way because of how quickly it got popularized turned me off to it in some way, but at least i'm honest and will admit it that.

But I have admired some of their non T-shirt designs for the past few years, their jackets in particulair. They are always simple takes on classics taht are tweaked withs ome really awesome cuts. I'm not sure about the the quality of their jackets, but look at the above jacket for example... If it said "neighborhood" above the pocket instead of "Obey" their would be a near stampede.

[sassafras]

their stuff except for the graphic tees is pretty nice. jackets in particular are quite well-designed and prices are very reasonable (made in china, I guess?).

however, there is something about the brand that doesnt sit right with me...maybe the guy should start over with a new name and logo, its just a bit too in-your-face right now.

[kracksnack]

I guess I feel the same way, just something about the brand doesn't click with me. But i'm a cop that jacket anyways. Probably take the tag off though and the pin. Anyone know the best way to get those two things off?

[bobbyhundreds]

[WARNING. OH GOD THIS IS LONG, SORRY FOR THE RANT. I KNOW I KNOW --> "GET A BLOG!"]

Yeah, I share the same sentiments as many of you..

Have also been a fan of Shepard Fairey's art since being a part of his "street-team" in 1999/2000 down in San Diego. He didn't invent the act of postering/wheat-pasting, but he certainly made it accessible, and as much as graf artists wanna hate, dude got UP. I had a huge print of his manifesto in my college dorm-room and I'd be lying if I didn't say his philosophy/art influenced me and how I viewed advertising, graffiti, and the visual world. Again, Shepard wasn't the first, but he was the most visible.

When he started going beyond mere posters and stickers, and screen-printing t-shirts, and selling 'em in local skateshops, many of his original supporters raised an eyebrow. Then came more graphics on various types of clothing, hats, and skateboards. The underground started to bubble, but then Shep wrote that essay in Strength Magazine, defending his making money off of commercializing an anti-commercialism movement .

Shep wrote on his website that it was interesting how the Andre-face played into people's insecurities, -- he critiqued San Diegan outsiders who assumed the Andre the Giant face was just another logo for a clothing company or skateboard co.

Of course, the irony was that years later, that's exactly what it became.

I guess at some point years ago, investors found out that there was a lot of $$$ to be made off of all the street-cred that Obey had built, and OBEY GIANT sold out...err...I mean "bought in." In my opinion, however, the brand never really had any legit focus. How do you make a corporate-fashion-line based around an anti-corporate ideology?

In terms of commerical succe$$, I think the brand has really established itself over the past year. It's pretty much become the younger generation's Stussy in many regards. Kids from OC to Lincoln, Nebraska have closets full of Obey gear now, and many of our industry's finest designers are now producing that line. What other line is on both Karmaloop AND Digital Gravel AND GiantPeach AND...every online store imaginable?... And is one of the best-selling brands on each site?

I need to clarify something though - I'm not knockin' dude's hustle. Sure, he sold out, but that's not always a bad thing. I hope I can be as successful as he has become at some point in my life.

But as for the CLOTHING, blech. I think the reason why many of us are not really feelin' it, is because it really doesn't make sense to those of us who've followed Shepard's art since the beginning. For the new-jack kids who have their moms buy their clothes, the stuff looks ill. But to US, everything that "OBEY" and that Andre-face meant to us, has absolutely NO CORRELATION with cut-n-sew neo-hip-hop turtleneck military-jackets. NONE. If this same exact clothing line came out under a completely different name - for example, "LRG" - then we'd probably be able to admire the clothes for what they were. But in the back of our heads, that little voice keeps saying to us, "Hey.! Something's not right here! The other side of that Andre-the-Giant face has an $89.99 price-tag on it!"

[/end rant]

(patiently waits for someone from the Obey camp to sign up on supertalk under an anonymous name and basssssssssh with furious vengeance)

thehundreds is huge.

www.thehundreds.com

[andewhall]

^^^awesome dude, that was a good read.

[BumbaClot]

word Bob,

I didt read ur whole post but i was going to touch on how obey was originaly about "anti-consumerism."

My boy actualy had a conversation with shep about the clothing as "sellout" when it started back in like 2k-'01. He talked bout how much of his own $ he has put into stickers, posters, ect. as justification. I can understand that.

-so i'm bitter-sweet on obey

[ocstreet]

I think some of their stuff is pretty cool. Definetly can't miss their sample sales. Ts for 10 bucks. Gotta be in orange county though.

I think the girls stuff is the best. Erin is the designer of their collection.

Here's an interview that I did with both designers, Mike and Erin.

http://www.ocstreet.com/obey.html

Hopefully i can get an interview with Shepard soon. I would love that.

http://www.ocstreet.com

Real Orange County Street Fashion and Culture

Edited by ocstreet on Sep 20, 2005 at 11:57 PM

[protectthagoons]

obey fell off...i dont ever check for this or ever think of buying it!

"Brothers start to shake when i dig in the crates"

[triniboy27]

Hmmm..all good points so far..but I guess that since I didn't really grow up in the OBEY subculture, when i see the clothing, my mind doesn't necessarily see the graffiti/anticorporate stuff first...i essentially see some decent tees and well designed sweats/pants, etc..obviously, I recognise the origin, but I guess I look past that...oh well.

[showbiz00ditc]

Quote:

I think some of their stuff is pretty cool. Definetly can't miss their sample sales. Ts for 10 bucks. Gotta be in orange county though.

I think the girls stuff is the best. Erin is the designer of their collection.

Here's an interview that I did with both designers, Mike and Erin.

http://www.ocstreet.com/obey.html

Hopefully i can get an interview with Shepard soon. I would love that.

--- Original message by ocstreet on Sep 20, 2005 11:55 PM

whys the font so small? or is that just my computer screen?

[sybaritical]

Bobbyhundreds: Nice one. But you're asking How do you make a corporate-fashion-line based around an anti-corporate ideology?

I reckon Vexed Generation do it pretty well IMHO. I've lurked here for time and a half and I'm surprised they don't get more of a big up on supertalk.

www.vexed.co.uk

The site's not even close to a decent representation of their work, and they remain pretty inaccessible I guess, but I know these guys well and BELIVE they are on it, and have been for years.