In the streetwear circuit, you’ll hear tales of tragedy and triumph, relationships falling out, and the abrupt ending of eras which were seemingly meant to last forever. There is no formula for success and every brand has an equal opportunity to fail. No matter how omnipresent you are in this culture, you have to do what’s best to keep your lights on. The ability for a brand to “pick up the pieces” and recoup is a trait we admire at SlamXHype, so for this week’s Collaborator Profile, we’d like to feature a brand which we feel has persevered.
Since opening its doors in 2004, Patta has been at the forefront of Amsterdam’s streetwear circuit. Its founders, Guillaume (Gee) Schmidt and Edson Sabajo, proved to the world that you can make your wildest dreams come true through the power of networking with the right people. The Patta shop was a necessity; it was a platform for expression. The shop served as cultural hub – a creative space for designers, musicians, and all purveyors of streetwear to assemble and immerse themselves in what was once seen as the “counter-culture”.
We had the opportunity to speak with the illustrious Masta Lee, Patta’s media director and designer.
SlamXHype: How would you explain Patta to someone unfamiliar with the brand, or unfamiliar with streetwear in general?
Masta Lee: Patta is an Amsterdam-based sneaker and streetwear store founded in 2004 by Edson Sabajo and Guillaume Schmidt. It came into existence out of love and a necessity to provide people in our region with exclusive footwear and everything that comes with it. The store also functions as a platform for other things in our interest, such as music, art and events. Thirdly, Patta is also an apparel brand, producing full seasonal collections of clothing and accessories.
SXH: As far as collaborations with other brands, what’s your criteria for who to work with? What’s the process after you’ve decided to collaborate, and how much is Patta involved in the final product?
Lee: Affinity and mutal respect are the most important factors, a sense of connection and understanding one another. We feel that a collaboration has to make sense to all parties, and not just for the sake of putting an “x” between words. With pretty much every project we work on, we are blessed with creative freedom. Everybody on the team gets to pitch in ideas and we cook up our designs from there.
What’s been your favorite collaboration thus far? And why?
My favorite one is the “5” Air Max 1, because of the significance of the silhouette in Dutch street culture; plus it celebrated our 5 year anniversary. The most important one however, might be the Gel-Lyte III. We feel that one really put Patta on the map.
Where do you see streetwear headed as a culture in general?
I always draw comparisons between music and streetwear. It will always have its ups and downs; there’s times where anything goes, and there’s times where it returns to its essence, all the while refining itself. There is always stuff out there for everybody, you just have to seek it out.
What do you see trending in the near future? Are there any style trends that you like right now (perhaps ones that you sparked)? Conversely, what current trends could you live without?
We don’t let ourselves be influenced by trends too much. Every style that truly represents you is a good style. The one current trend I could live without as a skateboarder is all these non-skateboarding brands producing decks and poser fashion editorials.
What’s the craziest story you can tell me about Patta?
That would probably be the release of the Patta X ASICS Gel-Lyte III in 2007. We consider that our first official collaboration, and as confident and proud as we were of the end result, we didn’t expect hundreds of people from all over Europe and camera crews camping out in front of our doorstep.
What collaborations are you working on right now, to be released in the future?
The ones I can share right now are: a very unique project alongside Converse, jackets with Mitchell & Ness, a capsule collection with NYC legend Bobbito Garcia and a Patta X Carhartt collection. All coming soon.
What’s next for Patta?
On to the next 10 years! Stay tuned.
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