Growing up skateboarding we at Artform were in an interesting predicament. Me from a broken home, and my partner Tim the last child in a house full of brothers. We lived in nice homes in the suburban areas of Los Angeles, but due to our family situations, we were dead broke.

Thrift stores, 5 for 10 tee shirts, Super K Mart generic Nike's, and a LOT of shoe goo. This forced us to seek shop sponsors as soon as possible, and eventually start our first business first venture led by Tim called Faith Skateboards. We were 14 or 15 years old at the time. 

Buying full priced decks was out of the question. I skated (and won) the C.A.S.L amateur championships one year on a deck I found in someones garage that I re gripped to look like a new skateboard. Full price anything was out of the question.

Me on the actual re gripped deck at C.A.S.L. state finals, Los Angeles 1995

Fast forward to the recession of late 2007-2009, where for a while I was pushing a Murdered Out 7 Series BMW without gas money in my pocket. Times change and they change fast. I went from balling back to crawling, without warning. 

When I look at the average Hype outfit being worn around by kids on Fairfax that costs as much as an Armani suit, I start to get concerned. This isn't going to last, history repeats itself. When the economy hits hard times there's going to be a lot of people wishing they had $300.00 towards rent, maybe not a hype new pair of kicks. Hype will likely die. Only brands that provide real value will survive. I've lived it. I was working as a high level Stock Broker when the market crashed, I saw it all up close and personal. 

You won't see Artform with hyped up prices, and hopefully not a hyped up brand. Our goal is to keep it 100 from start to finish. We know these cycles turn, and we aren't about to be caught with our pants down. We have no retail stores currently, allowing us to sell better products for lower prices. When you see Artform Gear upwards of $100.00 or more (it's coming), you'll know there was a high cost of manufacturing that garment, and you're getting a really special piece with high quality fabric and trims.  

Hard times come and go. Don't get too high, don't get too low.