"Welcome to our very first post! Im excited to share our stories with you all."
Today we have decided to start a blog so fans like yourself can get a better understanding of what is going on in our community and to also get an inside look on what us as a clothing company have been & will be up for you guys. We will be covering a wide range of local topics. Such as; local restaurants, upcoming artist, influences, collaborations, newly released merchandise & all that goes behind it. A lot of people think our cities are just tourist attractions. However, there is a lot more to our cities than a ferris wheel and trendy murals. Our cities are fueled by hustling, filled with hidden talent, incredibly diverse and rich with ethnicity and culture. There is much more to this concept, but by reading our blog and taking a deep look at what our clothing brand consist of, these 2 components will give you a true understanding of what our cities are really made of.
"Trust Your Struggle"
My name is Jesse Madera and I am the creator of 310 Raised Gear. I will be just one of many authors that will be writing in this blog. Many people ask the question; "What influenced you to start your own business?" The answer is not that simple. However; to give a simplified answer, there were 2 major moments in my life that inspired me to start up a business. "The root inspiration of the clothing brand arouse from my upbringing."
I was born in Santa Monica in the 90's and raised all around Los Angeles, California (310 Area to be exact!). The root inspiration of the clothing brand arouse from my upbringing. I was brought up with my mother and older sister. Growing up as a child, we bounced around neighborhoods. It was a struggle growing up, but every-night we had food on the table and presents to open on Christmas. I was not born into a broken home and I definitely was NOT born into a privileged one either. We made the best out of every situation we were given. And every situation had taught us life lessons. We moved around Los Angeles quit a bit and lived in cities around the West Side; Culver City, Mar Vista, Venice, Inglewood and many more. As a young child I always seen the beauty in our struggle. Even tho we were bouncing around different areas, there was so much beauty happening in front of our eyes. As crazy as this sounds; (for those that are not familiar with the area) - these cities are just a few miles apart, but each city is an entirely different world! I appreciated that so much growing up because it opened my eyes to how rich L.A was with culture and community.
"Vandalizing walls? Nah, we're leaving beauty marks!"
Graffiti was the next chapter in life that inspired me to create 310 Raised Gear. A huge influence that got me interested in graffiti was the 80's film "Beat Street." I remember watching this film as a little kid and rocking with it hard! It was everything I was into at the time; Hip-Hop, B-Boys & Graffiti. Plus; growing up, all of my kin in and outside of school were deeply into graffiti. They carried around black books, rocked snapbacks that had burners underneath the bill and talked about late night missions they were planning. Graffiti was everywhere, and I was hooked! I got into graffiti when I was 12 years old. One day after school I took a trip to Fox Hills Mall (now Westfield mall), and custom made a black fitted hat that had the numbers “310”embroided on the front. It was in all black numbers and a white outline; stitched in a Western Font. Next day I wore it to school and it caused a lot of attention! My friends went wild when they seen it and were trying to take it off my hands. Kids were stopping me in the halls and asking me where I purchased it? & How much I was selling them for?... This is when the light bulb in my head lit! …
When I went home that day, I sketched out a few other ideas and hit Lids for the second time that week. This design was an all black snap back. A more universal (and modern style at the time) style so the kids with different head sizes can adjust to fit. It had a Burgundy bill and plastic snap on the back. Stitched on the front was the phrase “310 Raised” in Burgundy, in a Modern font. When the employee at Lids handed me the finished product; I smiled, slid it on my head, adjusted the snapback, creased the bill and looked in the mirror. I knew this was the one! When I took it school the next day I had kids putting money in my hands demanding that I buy them one. Word got around that I was making 310 hats and a lot of great feedback and buyers were on my head. Funny part was that I wasn’t selling or making hats for anybody; just for myself and my crew. I would go on making hats, windbreakers and beanies at a T-shirt Warehouse in Culver City. It wasn’t until a a few years later I decided to put 310 Raised Gear on the market for the people to buy.
"Esto es para siempre."
These were the very first steps that inspired me to create 310 Raised Gear. To me the 310 is my life story, to others it just a chapter… or it might just simply be a visitor in our area for the moment. What ever the case may be; this brand continues to expand and has created a culture and community. It is something that many people can relate to. This is something that is very deep and significant to the community.
Comments