A Conversation With... ASSID

Introducing the new kids on the block

Establishing themselves as the latest DGAF crew in streetwear, fresh-faced British brand ASSID made their END. debut for SS18 with a range of staple silhouettes decorated with irreverent graphics and fresh urban flavour.

The brain-child of three industry insiders who have cut their teeth at brands including Palace, Thames, Carhartt WIP and Edwin Jeans, ASSID was established as a place for the trio to realise the graphics and prints that wouldn't have made it to market by any other means.

More a labour of love than anything too official, END. sat down for a conversation with Benny, Simon, and Tommy at ASSID.

END.: First off, talk to us a bit about your backgrounds?

ASSID: The 3 of us have been working in the clothing industry our entire careers, working in different areas from art direction to design, marketing through to production. We met while Benny was Art Director at Edwin and Simon was at Carhartt WIP in Germany. Our offices were just down the corridor from each other. 

END.: How did the idea for ASSID come about?

ASSID: Well, the idea for the name came about after seeing a guy on the news, and then the brand was crystallized in the Scolt’s Head pub in summer 2015. Although it took us another year or so to pull our fingers out and actually make a t-shirt. SS18 is our real first collection to be released into stores. Really Assid was started to allow us to do the graphics and communicate however we want without being restricted in the ways we sometimes can be working for other brands.

END.: You’re pretty selective in your distribution model, what’s the strategy behind keeping things pretty limited with the brand?

ASSID: We cherry-picked a list of stores that we respect and wanted to be affiliated with. We are now in the 13 stores that we want to be. Next season has increased and we have added 4 further key stores across the world. It’s more of a good feeling than a strategy really.

END.: You've all had experience working for prominent brands, what was the motivation to do something on your own?

ASSID: Vanity. Money. Boats and hoes.

END.: What inspires the ASSID graphics?

ASSID: Anything and everything. Lassie, Beaujolais, Olamide Oloyede, Jim Jarmusch, Mao, Funkadelic, Beak, Google Images, Sausage Rolls, William Eggleston, Freddy Kruger, Danny DeVito, Playing Candy Crush on the bog, Martin & Gomez, Girlfriends, Soul Train, The Spurstowe, World Wrestling Federation, World Star, ARE Weapons, Jesus Christ, Omar S, Sabbath, Crumpets, Angel Witch, James Henning, Hall and Oates, Mobb Deep, Otis Redding, Arthur Russell, Skulls, Greg Finch Crucifixes, Freeze, Melvins, Robert Morris, Tom Ordoyno, Marine Edith, Talking Heads, Trilogy, Eddie Murphy, Ed Roth, Ed Ruscha, Lemon Incest, Falling Down, Townes Van Zandt, Vanilla Ice, Lego, the Hypebeast comments section, Pringles, Dozer, Nirvana, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Paris Mitchell, Chilli Sauce, Alien, Aliens, Aliens III, Serial Mom, Kindergarten Cop, Conan, The Daily Mail, TK Maxx, Mescal, Fish tacos, Pieter Hugo, Gino Iannucci, Toilet Paper, Biggie Smalls, Bad impersonations, Murakami, WhatsApp Ricky, et cetera.

END.: The brand has a dark sense of humour, do you think it’s important not to let style become too serious?

ASSID: Well in this day and age, if you don’t have a sense of humour you might as well take a running jump off a very tall building.  It’s only a fuckin t-shirt. It isn’t that serious. #lifeisacatwalk

END.: What can we expect next from ASSID?

ASSID: A nice slow burn. More stupid jokes. Artist collabs. Accessories. A website. Condoms. Basically more of the same…but better…hopefully…