A friendship T-shirt turns into a complete collection – Munich skater and snowboard fashion labels
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An ongoing skate and snowboarding subculture has been developing in Munich since the nineteen nineties. The growing number of skateboarders and snowboarders has also led to the launch of individual clothing labels. Small, young and creative brands experiment with ideas in their Munich studios. These include labels such as unitedskateboardartists, ISENSEVEN or ZKHT that is now operating at a professional level. The Munich-based skateboard label unitedskateboardartists was founded in 1998 by three skateboarders Phil Pham, Matt Wiegele and Kryshi Mirkovic. It started as a friendship T-shirt that depicted the silhouette of a skateboarder inside a star. unitedskateboardartists quickly went on to become a skateboard crew – a pool of skateboarders who wanted to represent the label at international and national skateboard contests and events. Besides focusing on business aspects there has always been a big friendship factor. Do-it-yourself in a Munich studioThe label is made up of the initials USBA and is now a big part of the skateboarding scene in Germany where it is well established in skater and internet shops. The label’s characteristic features are flash colours and sleek prints, and also the use of jute and cotton fabrics. The label’s founders always awarded top priority to do-it-yourself (DIY). All textiles are still printed by hand in their studio. They draw on the ideas of friends and welcome inspirations that come from these circles. There is nothing artificial or gimmicky about USBA, the team has plenty of drive and also a lot of fun creating new exciting sketches and graphics for their prints. Today you will find jute bags with the oversize lettering unitedskateboardartists or coloured hoodies with the discrete logo border in other German cities as well. |
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Unisex for skateboardersAnother label always seen at larger skateboard events, in addition to unitedskateboardartists, is the ZKHT label. ZKHT was founded in 2008 and is based on a diploma project of Nico Winzinger in communication design. The plan was to set up a unisex fashion label for skateboarding and snowboarding. The ZKHT style differs fundamentally from USBA. Crazy motives, neon colours and unusual cuts are the prominent features. ZKHT create and prepare all the designs themselves. The label also features multifunctional accessories that underscore the specific style, such as the Shake-beanie that can be turned into a cap, headband or neck warmer just by shaking it.The designs of Nico Winzinger, who runs the company, reflect her experiences and feelings. These are “personal memories“ she explains. This is where dream-world and reality clash. It is a comic/reality mix with fantasy figures printed on T-shirts. The most recent collection was called “Fakeworld” and was aimed to show up the illusory world in the fashion business. Splendid and perfect on the outside, but in reality a sham, an illusion of perfectionism and an obsession with beauty. With its younger, cheekier image than that of USBA women are particularly attracted to ZKHT. The purple red heart on the label’s homepage suggests playfulness, an unusual nature and a love for detail. |
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Film and FashionA more well known label that is also scoring great success outside of German-speaking regions is the snowboard label ISENSEVEN. Back in 1999 seven young lads from Isen in Upper Bavaria founded their own brand "Snowboardcrew". The idea was to earn money with snowboard films. The first film was made in 2001. Three years later they set up a company and turned their hobby into a profession. The corresponding clothing label was not founded until 2008 by one of the filmmakers, Alex Schiller, who designs all patterns and graphics himself. ISENSEVEN now has a production site in China. Schiller wanted to design an own collection to complement the professionally produced films. “To transfer ISENSEVEN style to fashion“, as he puts it.Besides the striking, bright colours that are an essential element of the snowboarder style, the collection now also includes sleek designs with V-necks. Each year the prints become more varied and of a higher quality meaning that those who are not so interested in snowboarding are now also turning to ISENSEVEN T-shirts. With his clothing Alex Schiller wants to give young people a feeling of “belonging to the crew”. Every snowboarder can identify him or herself with their favourite sports professionals without having to spend too much money. All three Munich firms have implemented their dream and have their own fashion label. These are young visionaries who have combined fashion design with their passion for sport. ISENSEVEN operates at an international level and has a fan base that is growing from day to day. ZKHT and unitedskateboardartists have also set themselves this goal. They are well known in the Munich skater and snowboarder scene, and are already making a name for themselves throughout Germany. Alisa Vornehm |
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