CHAT WIT BRIXTON.

Brixton Ltd. is the collaboration of three friends, David Stoddard, Jason Young and Mike Chapin who wanted to convey their lifestyle through hats. Inspired by the music, cultures, and people who surround them, the designs are timeless. The Brixton collection comes in a variety of styles; each piece is constructed with quality and detail. Inspired by vintage designs, David Stoddard is the creative force behind Brixton.

“I try to design styles that are clean and timeless.”

Format: Brixton is an area in London. You guys are from Southern Cali. Please explain.

David Stoddard: The inspiration comes from the Clash song “Guns of Brixton.” We are based in San Diego, California.

Format: Music is clearly portrayed in many of your advertisements. Is there a certain type of music that inspires you when designing a collection?

David Stoddard: All music inspires us. Some of our favorite musicians and bands are The Clash, Elvis Costello, The Damned, Pixies, Frank Black, Muddy Waters, The Pogues, Fugazi, and Desmond Dekker.

Format: All three of you have worked for the company TransWorld Media, allowing you to gain a solid understanding of marketing, and business development. Do you feel that this prior knowledge gave you an advantage when creating the Brixton brand?

David Stoddard: Definitely. TransWorld gave us the opportunity to work and learn all aspects of business. We were also able to development solid relationships with people at brands, advertisers, producers, athletes, etc. and they are the people who support us today.

Format: Why did you choose to design accessories as opposed to men’s and women’s clothing?

David Stoddard: Inspired by the mixed cultures we grew up in, we were always searching for different hats, jackets, pants, etc. It was difficult to find what we were looking for so that inspired us to create our own company. We started with hats because there was a lack of quality hats with a particular style available. Hats were the perfect way to start our business and fill a need in the marketplace.

Format: How do you decide on the names for your hats such as “Drifter” or “Hooligan”?

David Stoddard: I try to keep the names simple, memorable and fit the style of the hat.

Format: What advice would you give to people who claim that they can’t “pull off” hats?

David Stoddard: You just have to find the right hat for you. Start with the Brixton Hooligan, it has a simple style. Trust me it will be your favorite hat in a week.

Format: Which hats are your favorites?

David Stoddard: Castor and Fiddler. The Caster fedora is classic. The Fiddler is a classic hat with a modern twist. Both hats work for everything and everybody

Format: Your hats appear to be worn by both men and women of various ages in your advertisements. Is there one specific age group that you have in mind when you design your products?

David Stoddard: No. I try to design styles that are clean and timeless. We are fortunate that a lot different types of people can wear the styles.

Format: In your spring collection, your “Anthem” wallets come with a custom Brixton guitar pick. Please explain.

David Stoddard: I grew up playing drums (the guy who hangs out with the band) and I was always waiting around for guitar players trying to find their picks. I just wanted to make it a little easier for them.

Format: You create specifically men’s and women’s hats, but they are all seemingly unisex designs.

David Stoddard: We let our customers decide which styles hats they like. The focus in not on a specific person it is on the quality of the design. Some of our bestsellers are: Stroll, Castor, Hooligan – these designs work with most people’s style. There are some specific women’s styles that are distinctively more feminine than the rest of the line but style belongs to the individual.

Format: Your website features photos of friends which is an interesting way to showcase your designs.

David Stoddard: It’s natural. We are fortunate that our friends have been really supportive of us. We have been surrounded by a mix of people from diverse cultures all our lives.

轉自FORMAT線上雜誌採訪.