Twice a year the fashion/apparel world converges on Las Vegas for the Magic Tradeshow.  This was our 4th trip and each year we come away with a ton of strong contacts, new brands, and a bit of sleep deprivation from running around to meetings all day and partying it up all night.  This trip  started off a bit rough, we missed our morning flight so didn’t arrive until 1pm instead of 10am, and everything was taking forever, but we got out to the show and were able to catch up with the reps we had appointments with and didn’t leave the show till after 7.  Of the brands we met up with on Tues, Original Penguin looked really strong, Jedidiah was solid for fall and WeSC had a fresh fall collection. I was not blown away by Rocawear, but Artful Dodger (owned by Rocawear) had some dope stuff, and a new style direction with the brand. 555 Soul had a back to basics collection with 3-4 really classic 555 hoodies. Zoo York had a smaller collection from years past but lots of cool stuff, they look strong for Fall.  After the show we went to a suite that a bunch of small brands from LA setup to meetup with the guys from AKRA Clothing, they are a small t-shirt company that we met at both the SF Thread Show and Agenda.  Over the past month or so I have been talking with them about doing some hoodies and they are def into it.  We are hoping to get a limited exclusive on the hoodies to premier them to the world.  They have some cool designs and are super focused on great quality so I have no doubt the hoodies will be really fresh.

The 2nd day was much smoother, we met up with Tokidoki (picture to the right is Simone Legno, Founder of Tokidoki on right), they are growing like crazy and the brand is doing amazing stuff across all their product lines (toys, skate decks, clothing, bags, shoes, sunglasses and loads more).  Famous Stars had a huge presence with all their different brands (Rogue Status, Wild Ones, DTA), the meeting was rushed but Fall line looks dope on both mens and womens side.  We also met up with a small t-shirt brand that is similar to Tokidoki called The Public Zoo, they are launching their first hoodies in Fall and we might get to premier them, but either way they have dope stuff and solid price points.  Really cool people at the company as well. .

Saving the best for last we had great initial meetings with both Puma and Adidias, both were stoked on hp and look good for a fal 2010 launch.  Adidas is doing some great stuff and the sales rep we met with was brand new but came from the marketing team so he was super dialed into whats going on at the company and seemed like he could def get things done.  Overall it was really successful trip, maybe a bit too short but we got a ton of shit done and def good to just show up and network around.

Tags: hoodiepeople.com, magic tradeshow, pool, project, slate, street

Now that we have settled into 2010, it feels like a good time to let everyone know what we have been up to at hoodiepoeple.com.  Here is a quick background to get you caught up, we launched hoodiepeople.com in Nov 2008, our team has grown to four (+3 contractors), there are 44 great brands from all different style categories on the site.  hp is based the San Francisco Bay Area and have a small office in Petaluma and a photo studio in Pt. Richmond.  Since day one all the people you see on hoodiepeople.com modeling hoodies are friends and FoF, and the team grew up together in Marin County and later worked together in software sales, where the idea for the biz was born.

The company is 100% independently owned, we started with less than $5,000 of inventory and five brands and have only taken a few small investments from friends and family.  In 2010 we are going to be out raising some money for the company and hopefully will be able to tap into the new SBA loan programs and connect with a great angel investor.  While 2009 was an extremely challenging year for any business and especially rough on retail, we were small enough to weather the slim months (Feb-July) and aggressive enough to keep building our selection of brands and styles, and firmly establish the website in key search results on google to really blow out the 4th quarter and end the year with great growth.  Overall 2009 was an amazing first year for the company and we are extremely excited about really crushing it in 2010 and beyond.

Tomorrow we are heading the the huge Magic Apparel trade show in Las Vegas, which will be the 4th time we have gone.  This year marks a big change as we are mainly meeting with current brands to do our big fall buy. We will def be walking the floor to scout out fresh new brands, but in years past our main mission was to get out and meet lots of new brands.  Fall 2010 will be our biggest ever with major new brands, new categories, and an amazing exclusive launch Hitting the trade shows is a great way to see the whole macro industry and all the cool niches in one place.

I’ll be doing a few more of these posts to look at a few of the main areas of the business, what we are up to, and how we do it at hp.  Let me know in the comments or email me at hasan@hoodiepeople.com if you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions.

Tags: company news, hoodie company, hoodie people update, hoodiepeople, hoodiepeople.com, startup, startup company

2nd Annual Hoodiepeople.com Hoodie Drive 2009

150 Golden Gate Ave, San Francisco

Clothing donations welcome at the door

Monday – Friday 8:30- 4:30pm

Free Clothing Program 415-241-2600

The 2nd Annual Hoodie Drive was another small victory for www.hoodipeople.com. We surpassed last year and showed up at St. Anthony’s with 100 warm pieces of clothing including items from our own closets. It was actually raining while unloading the hoodies and there were lots of homeless people, including women and small children, squeezing under store over hangings for shelter. Seeing families in the cold is no joke and showed us first hand how bad homelessness gets. When we got inside the worker behind the glass said, “Oh, wow. Those will be gone quick.” Experiences like these certainly make us want to do more and re-confirm why we do this each year. Our bin had hoodies, sweaters, jackets, and rain coats donated at hoodiepeople.com’s One Year Anniversary Party. We had donations from Triumph 4th Street in San Rafael, CA again this year too. Stay tuned for our 2010 3rd Annual Hoodie Drive, we plan on turning up it up a notch and colaborating with more businesses such as the One Warm Coat Drive seen in the video below.

1st Annual Hoodie Drive 94 hoodies and jackets

Tags: hoodie drive, hoodiepeople.com, hoodies, san francisco, st. anthony's foundation

While its a bit of a stretch to think Spring is here we are starting to see the early spring deliveries come in and we can’t wait any longer to announce a few of the major new brands joining the hoodiepeople family.  The fall and holiday seasons were very big and we launched nearly 10 new brands in November and December 2009 alone, including Marc Ecko, Famous Stars, Playback Clothing, Diamond Supply Co., Elm, Supra, KR3W and more.  It wouldn’t be right if we didn’t open 2010 with the same intensity.

So what fresh brands are launching on hoodiepeople.com Spring 2009?  Here are a few to wet your hoodie appetite:

Tokidoki is one of the hottest brands in the world right now and started as a personal website of founder and creative mastermind  Simone Legno. After moving from Rome to LA Legno has built an entire world of Tokidoki including some of most sought after collaborations in the universe with names like Karl Lagerfield, Hello Kitty and new for spring 2010 Marval. www.tokidoki.it

We all remember original Penguin polos from back in the day, and the brand has stayed true to its design roots and is once again making a huge splash.  Original Penguin perfectly balances quirky 70’s colors and patters with modern cuts and a major emphasis on quality fabrics and construction.  The 2010 lines from Penguin look amazing and we are extremely happy to have fresh Penguins hoodies for you. www.originalpenguin.com

Hailing from Sweden and originally making aa name for themselves with their epic headphones WeSC WeAretheSuperlativeConspiracy has been growing like crazy in the US over the past 5 years and is already a major player in Europe.  They describe the brand as  a Street-Fashion brand for Intellectual Slackers and they have gained a loyal global fan base by staying very true to the brands focus and working alongside freinds and fans to promote it. The apparel is extremely current on a global scale and reaches people with a very positive and unique message. www.wesc.com

What I like most about each of the new brands is that they all have a strong cult following of real like minded people that love the style and lifestyle and get out in the streets to represent it.  The authenticity of the three brands has obviously contributed to their success and helps them stay real through the growth.  Additionally each of the brands does a lot of cool work with hoodies and offers customers something unique, style driven, and cool. Big thanks t all the peeps we have been working with at Penguin, WeSc, and Tokidoki.

Tags: hoodies, new spring hoodies, original penguin, tokidoki, WESC

That’s right, our first run of hoodiepeople.com hoodies just arrived and they are perfect. Made from American Apparel, they’re extra soft medium weight pullovers with raglan shoulders in solid black. I’ll probably live in this thing for the next month. That’s a true test of a good hoodie. If you can damn near live in it, then it’s a good one. Needless to say we’re thrilled to be rocking our very own hoodies and can’t wait to get them on the site for all our hoodie peeps to represent.

Tags: hoodiepeople.com hoodies, hp.com hoodies, new hoodies

Big news hoodie people, KR3W the legendary SoCal based skate brand is stepping into clothing and we’ve got their latest drop of fresh new hoodies.  The brand is also launching their 1st Snowboarding team (see video above) and continues to push things forward in all directions.  KR3W Denim is known for phenomenal quality and style and their apparel selections are very strong.  Check out a few of the limited selection offering’s below.

Tags: KR3W, KR3W Denim Co., KR3W Snow team, KR3W Snow video, KREW hoodies, new KR3W hoodies, skate hoodies

If you ask any pro, amateur, or weekend surfer they’ll agree that O’Neill is a legendary surf company all over the world. It may be because co-founder Jack O’Neill actually developed the wetsuit. (Jack O’Neill “The Cheese” on the left) Based in San Francisco, Jack was simply trying to stay warm. No wonder why the brand name is so huge! They are true pioneers of the sport and ever since 1952 O’Neill has been setting the standard for high quality surf products. So, they’ve been on the beach forever and the company was started by surfers for surfers. Whatever the case we have mad respect for this surf giant and in spirit of staying warm up here in the Bay Area we’re pleased to announce our release of men’s and women’s O’Neill hoodies on www.hoodiepeople.com

Tags: hoodiepeople.com, o'neill, o'neill hoodies, surf hoodies

A cheap hoodie that’s warm, super cool, and will last for years…I like the sound of that! Check out the deals on our SALE page. There are lots of great buys for men, women, and kids.

Nikita First Class Hoodie

Sitka Stereo Flannel Hoodie

Analog UAV

DC London Sweater

Upper Playground Sir Hoodie

Tags: Analog hoodies, dc hoodies, hoodiepeople.com, nikita hoodies, on sale hoodies, sitka hoodies, upper playground hoodies

Hoodiepeople.com is pleased to announce the start of Holiday Hoodie Drive 2009. Last year’s Holiday Hoodie Drive was so successful that we’re really excited to be doing it again this year. With the help of our customers, staff, and a couple local businesses hoodiepeople.com was able to collect close to 100 second hand hoodies for St. Anthony’s Foundation in San Francisco. This year we’re going to make an even bigger push to increase the amount of hoodies donated by offering discounts up to 25% on hoodiepeople.com, thowing a 1 Year www.hoodiepeople.com Anniversary Party where you can donate, and placing donation bins in as many local businesses as possible. So, we’re aiming for the amount of hoodies donated to at least double.

Here are some useful links and more information about the incredible work that St. Anthony’s Foundation offers in San Francisco. Everyday around lunch time they prepare warm meals for a line of over 1,500 homeless that literally streches around the block. They also offer a free medical clinic, free clothing, rehabilitation services, and many other social services. So, dropping off our warm and comfy hoodies is just drop in the bucket considering how many resources are actually needed. But, everybit helps and staying warm during the cold winter months helps prevent illnesses for homeless families with young kids as well as single men and women. 

If you are interested in donating a hoodie this year please send them directly to St. Anthony’s Foundation CHP 150 Golden Gate Ave. 94102 Attn: clothing. All donations must be in good condition and laundered. For more information about the 2008 Holiday Hoodie Drive you can read last year’s blog post. You can also email us at team@hoodiepeople.com to get linked up with this years drive.

Tags: donate, holiday donations, hoodiepeople.com, hoodies, st. anthony foundation

I just returned from lovely Cape Town, South Africa, and while there I had the pleasure of meeting up with Shafiek Khan, an old friend and Founder / Director of the Palama Metsi Surfing Development Academy.

Palama Metsi is an organization that serves the youth of Muizenberg (cape town region) and surrounding areas by introducing free surfing and ocean safety lessons to eager learners on the beach. The academy then identifies the social and economic needs of these youth and provides the necessary assistance.

I was really happy to be able to pack a bunch of hoodies and t-shirts for the students and instructors. Palama Metsi is powerful social movement in the Western Cape focused on uplifting these kids and arming them with valuable life skills through a love of surfing.

We were honored to have the oppertunity to make a small contribution of cool hoodies. The kids have also been taking some top honors at surfing competitions in Southern Africa.

Many thanks to the whole Palama team for your awesome work!

Tags: cape town, muizenburg, non-profit, Palama Metsi Surfing Development Academy, south africa, surfing, youth