I went to Fairfax HS in LA every summer and we’d do nothing but hang out at the Starbucks on Melrose every day playing cards, spitting on the floor, and basically anything but go to class. The only store around at the time that was worth checking out was Workmens, and later on came Brooklyn Projects. Shout out to Vlade (Workmens), thanks for NOT giving me a summer job…it’s ok I’m not mad at you and thanks Dom for selling me those Chad Muska’s (Circa, not SUPRA) even though I was short, which I bought from you with a pocket full of quarters and dimes. Anyway, growing up my dream was to have a t-shirt company and to just have a shirt displayed in any of these two stores (Dom, where you at bro??).
It was an interesting period in street wear for all of us because there were no brands that embodied everything we were about. T-shirts were nothing more than a stamp on your chest that said “I like skateboarding” or “I like graffiti”. It prompted a friend and I to try and start a t-shirt company called “Kardia” which meant “heart” in greek. We wanted a company that didn’t shove you into any one category, but one that lifted those passionately doing whatever it was they loved to pay the rent. It was so pure…beyond grassroots. We had absolutely no idea in how to start, or how much it was going to cost us, but nevertheless it was exciting. I stayed up til’ the sun rose coming up with designs (all the while teaching myself Adobe) but being 17 at the time with homework and school, our plans were forced to be pushed away.
As of now (3 weeks in) we still only have a handful of customers. We’re still working hard in planning for the upcoming year, trying hard to be super careful in every investment and decision we make. We just finished shooting our first photoshoot, and we are on the way of developing a full website with our first look book (no, that info page isn’t our full website). I’m  praying on every step forward we take, and for humility knowing that everything can disappear in a blink of an eye. Kennedy is really more than a company that makes jeans, it’s really special. It’s definitely not my last project, but I really do look at it like it’s my first. For those of you reading this, I want to thank you for your support. We’re your hometeam and I acknowledge that you share with us all of our wins, as well as our losses. I’m trying hard to do whatever I can to make all of you proud.
“Treat my first like my last, and my last like my first and my thirst is the same as when I came. It’s my joy and my tears and the laughter it brings to me, it’s my everything”
– Jay-Z (My 1st Song)