GRIME TV 3 | SCRAMBLED EGGS from GRIME BIKES on Vimeo.

I was just clicking through some pictures on my hard drive and came across this little gem.

That’s Christopher Formosa, owner and operator of Start Today Printing, doing up our first shirt ever.  It seems like this picture was taken forever ago and it feels good to take a look back to the very beginning.  I can see how the whole thing is evolving and it’s really exciting for me.  Every time we put out a new collection we are creating a more cohesive idea of what our brand is about.  I just finished going through the samples of the new collection and I’m proud to say it has some of the best stuff we’ve ever done.  The shirts will be up in the shop section in the next few weeks!  Stay tuned!

Spending thousands of dollars on a clothing brand, working on designs by yourself in front of a computer screen for hours on end and often times feeling like you are in it all alone can be…well…LONELY! Luckily, I can talk to Derek from Single Second from time to time and we can cheer each other up.  We both started up brands around the same time and face the same challenges of owning and operating a clothing brand.  I don’t think enough people know about his brand and i thought it would be a good idea to take some time out and do a little interview with Derek.

Rob: I got some OJ so I’m ready to interview you ahhah.  First off, introduce yourself!

Derek: I’m Derek from Single Second.

Rob: For those that don’t know, what is Single Second?

Derek: Single Second is a clothing brand from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in Canada. We’re a street/skate brand that draws influence from hardcore punk, skateboarding, the occult, nostalgia, religion, hip hop and cartoons.

Rob: I guess it’s safe to say there is an over-saturation of streetwear/t-shirt brands out there. What do you think sets Single Second apart from others?

Derek: The main thing would be where we come from. A lot of streetwear brands are based in major cities all over the world. We’re from Saskatoon, most people have never heard of it, so we have a unique view of the world and pop culture because of how isolated we are here. We also do all of our own artwork, and are very committed to not putting out anything unless we would actually buy it. We’re not in your face about being the dopest brand out there, we’re not trying to be.  We’re just passionate about making clothes that we like.

Rob: I think with any underground movement that gets super popular there are people that think it’s dead. Do you think streetwear is dead and, if so, why?

Derek: No I don’t. I think when people want to call streetwear “dead” it’s because it’s changed from what they knew and they’re mad about that. It’s sort of becoming more of a broad term in my opinion, there are a lot of brands out there that I would consider streetwear that have nothing in common with each other. So I think these people are seeing things they don’t identify with and they’re mad.

Rob: I completely agree…I would liken it to punk rock. People that are into punk and are older than me often times don’t like the punk bands I grew up listening to. They’ll even say “That’s not punk, man!”  But who has the right to say that anyway. Sometimes I even start thinking that way about some of the new punk bands coming up and I have to stop myself hahahah. I guess we are getting old, eh?

Derek: Exactly, people are such selfish things. As soon as something doesn’t fit into their view of what “it” should be they get angry. But it happens to everyone, nobody wants to see their favorite things change or go away.

Rob: I think people get upset seeing an underground movement grow into something larger and less exclusive. Sometimes I find myself in a mall and I’m in a Zumiez or a Pac Sun and they are selling an “exclusive” streetwear brand and it surprises me. What’s your take on that and could you ever see SS being sold in a huge mainstream market?

Derek: Sometimes I feel like the big chain stores are a necessary evil. Kind of like a filter for people who give a shit and people who don’t. Some people don’t give a shit and they just want to go buy a blue shirt, for that person, sure Zumiez is good place to shop. But for someone who wants to know where their clothes come from, why their made etc. those aren’t the best places. So when there are those “exclusive” brands in these stores I think it can help some people dig a little deeper and it can be a good thing. As for Single Second, you’ll never see our stuff in a larger retail store. To have your brand sold in those stores you really have to want it, and it’s not something we really want.

Rob: What is next for Single Second?  Where do you see the brand going in the near future?

Derek: Right now we’re working on a release for Fall that should be out some time in October. We’ve also got our 3 year anniversary in October that we may or may not be making a tee for. In 2012 we’re hoping to see the brand in a few more skateshops here in Canada and also on the backs of some skateboarders. We’re also planning on adding a few more bands to our family over the next few months. I say family because we’re not just trying to get our shirts on to “celebrities” or do one off collabs with artists.  We want any band or artist we sponsor to feel like a part of Single Second and not just a photo op.

Rob: Sounds great. I’m really looking forward to the next collection. What can we expect from that?

Derek: It’s going to be sort of an introduction to some newer ideas we’ve been working on for a while now. It’s only going to be a few pieces but you know what they say, quality over quantity.

Rob: Tell us a little bit about The Other Guy.

Derek: The Other Guy is literally the other guy behind Single Second. That’s not how the name came up but it seems to work now since I’m usually the person doing the talking for SS. To get specific, he’s my brother  Trevor, and he does art under that name. His work includes a lot of the illustrations for SS as well as ridiculously good custom painted Munny’s and art in general.

Rob: His custom painted Munny’s bring a smile to my otherwise super depressed face…which is your favorite that he’s done?

Derek: He’ll be happy to hear that. My favorite so far is his Wolverine. I’ve bugged him since he started painting them to make a Wolverine and when he finally did it was literally the best one yet.

Rob: We’ll that about does it, Derek. Anything you wanna add?

Derek: Nope, that was good.

Rob: Thanks for your time, pleasure as always!

Derek: Thanks for being interested in interviewing me, haha.

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