Kevin Wong, the Vice President Global Creative Director at Hypebeast, × Kosuke Kawamura, the Creative Director of UT

Hypebeast is a leading global platform for contemporary culture and lifestyle. Now, Hypebeast is collaborating with UT on a new T-shirt collection titled UT HYPEBEAST COMMUNITY CENTER. Together, the two brands envisioned the kinds of clubs that such a community center might host, then reached out to four collaborators—Actual Source, Sean Wotherspoon, Peaches., and FaZe Clan—to design T-shirts for these clubs. Although the designs are emblematic of each collaborator’s unique community, there is a clear sense of cohesiveness to the collection. Kevin Wong, the Vice President Global Creative at Hypebeast, and Kosuke Kawamura, the Creative Director of UT, discuss what excites them about this latest collection.

Kevin: Community is one of the most important aspects of Hypebeast, something I personally consider all the time in our work. Driving culture forward means connecting different cultural communities. It means shedding light on the stories being told by different creatives from all over the world, from fashion to design, car culture to gaming – as with this collaboration. We want to tell the unique story of each community but also establish ourselves as a community center in a way that lets these communities build connections between each other and influence each other. That goal was at the forefront of our minds with this project.

Kosuke: As for me, I want to drive culture forward by welcoming everyone who I’ve established a relationship with on the UT platform. So I’m of the same mind when it comes to the importance of fusing diverse cultures into one. The collaborators who participated in this project are so different in style and character that I think Hypebeast is the only one that could have pulled them all together. Some of the collaborators I’d never even heard of before. Could you talk about how you selected them?

Kevin: We first reached out to Actual Source, who are close friends and collaborators of ours. They are a design studio and a publisher who make unique limited-edition books, so we felt that they were a great collaborator for our idea of a book club. Also, a big part of the Hypebeast DNA is collecting clothes and shoes and art. Who better to work with for the collector’s club than Sean Wotherspoon, one of the biggest collectors of vintage in the United States? We also had the idea of an auto club, for which we linked up with Peaches., a collective of young creatives from Seoul who are dedicated to custom car culture. And working with FaZe Clan for the computer lab was a no-brainer, given all that they’ve done to bridge e-sports and pop culture. The collaborators all have one thing in common, which is that they’ve taken their niche interest and created a larger community space out of it.

Kosuke: Interesting. When I first heard the concept for this collection, I thought it would be hard for a T-shirt design to capture a community’s story. But when I looked at the completed designs, the visuals are expressive and playful, and my first impression was of how cool they all were. If you’re trying to drive a culture forward, it’s important to give people an accessible entryway into becoming part of that culture. I think these shirts are more than capable of playing that role, and I hope that people who buy them because they like the designs are inspired to learn more about the communities behind them.

Kevin: Exactly. We want to be a gateway for people to discover new communities to look into, so I hope that will be the case. You mentioned the playfulness of the designs, and the Actual Source T-shirt is one that strikes me as very light-hearted. The illustration looks like an old woodcut print of three scribes reading books, but they’ve added little phrases beside each one—“Good point!” and “Thank you!” and “I agree.” I laughed when they first showed it to us. A book club can feel very serious and scholarly, but that’s why we wanted to use a graphic with witty remarks—to show that you don’t have to take things too seriously.

Kosuke: Since we’re talking about clubs, I have to ask—have you ever been part of a club? I would go skateboarding with my friends as a kid, but I never joined any school clubs.

Kevin: Yeah, definitely. I played a lot of sports when I was a kid, so I was on different basketball teams and traveling teams. When you join a club, there’s an excitement about being able to share something that you’re interested in, and that holds true even as you get older. I hope that this project will inspire the same feeling in others.

Photo:Takaki Iwata

The HYPEBEAST COMMUNITY CENTER project is a collaboration between UT, Hypebeast, and four creative teams—Actual Source, Peaches., Sean Wotherspoon, and FaZe Clan—who have each founded a creative community centered around a niche interest. Here, they tell us about their work and their thoughts on this latest project.

Actual Source

Q1: How did Actual Source get its start?

Actual Source was created by the two of us, Davis Ngarupe and JP Haynie. We met in Utah and stayed friends over the years, even after enrolling in separate design schools in 2008 (Davis in Los Angeles and JP in Salt Lake City). After graduation, we started working together at a tech company in Utah, but neither one of us forgot our desire to work in design, especially book design. We started designing and publishing books in 2014 and founded Actual Source the following year.

Q2: What do you guys do at Actual Source?

Our practice is a balance between commissioned design work and our bookstore, which is home to our publishing and product releases. In the past, we’ve worked with a wide variety of clients, including publishers, schools, corporations, film studios, footwear/apparel companies, coffee shops, and many more.

Q3: Where are you currently based?

We are based in Provo, Utah. Provo is a college town located at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. We both live close to the studio and have three kids each. Provo is a pretty ideal spot for families.

Q4: What do you keep in mind when designing a book?

We try to make the best thing we possibly can with the resources at our disposal. We are always learning how to do things better.

Q5: How do you see the future of the book industry?

People love books, and so there will always be books. Things change over time, but we don’t think the format of the printed book is at risk.

Q6: Tell us about the design of your T-shirts.

The shirt with a person reading in many different positions was inspired by an old golf T-shirt that we saw, where the golfer was shown in all the different stages of his swing. We thought it would be fun to portray reading in the same way, so we commissioned our friend Korey Martin to draw a person reading in nine different poses. The shirt with the woodcut came about when we found the image and thought it was a funny scene that could potentially resemble a book club. We felt that it was a humorous way to show people from long ago meeting for a book club. We love work that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Peaches.

Q1: What do you guys do at Peaches.?

Peaches. was founded in Los Angeles as a lifestyle and fashion brand and is currently based in South Korea. Our primary mission is to meld car and street cultures among young people with various other subcultures to help people envision new ways to enjoy the automobile industry, regardless of their purchasing power. That’s why our brand has collaborated with many different domestic and global creators, combining street and car cultures with a diversity of other subcultures. In 2021, we established our first offline store, D8NE, in Seoul, where we have a lot going on at once: wrapping and styling cars, selling our fashion line-up as well as food and beverages, and operating a smoking lounge. In 2022, we announced our plan to open gas stations around South Korea, where our customers will be able to fuel up on not just gasoline but also unique experiences and enjoyments. They are a way for us to extend our core vision.

Q2: How do you think the car industry has impacted pop culture?

The impact of the car industry on pop culture is immeasurable. These days, a car is not just a means of transportation but rather a fashion item and an expression of one’s lifestyle. There are so many great examples, from hip-hop songs and music videos to the recent collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Virgil Abloh.

Q3: Why do people like custom cars?

Cars, especially customized cars, represent a lifestyle. People invest exorbitant sums of money to swap out wheels or wrap their vehicle. We find it exciting and love helping people share their passion with the world. When you think about it, cars appeal to our sensibilities in diverse ways—through their sound, color, speed, scent, and age, to name just a few. We spend a good amount of time on our vehicles, so we want to bring out the fun and joy of all these aspects. That is our main motivation.

Q4: How do you envision the future of street car culture?

Some say that street car culture will go extinct in the era of EV mobility, but we tend to think the opposite. With technological advancements, we see more customizations and upgrades becoming available for a vehicle’s dashboard, UI/UX system, sound system, and more. These can open up a fun and tasteful world of customizations, which in turn can lead to a bigger pie for more people to enjoy.

Q5: Tell us about the design of your T-shirts.

Our items feature our original character, Batto (whose name roughly translates to “butt face”). People used to use a peach emoji to show their appreciation for the rear end of a cool car. That was the inspiration for both Batto and our brand name, Peaches. Batto’s origins are mysterious, but we want to tell more of Batto’s story together with our fans. We hope people will wear the Peaches. auto club shirt and have a joyful life journey together with Batto.

Sean Wotherspoon

Q1: What inspired you to begin working in design?

Design has turned into a full-time job for me following my collab with Nike years ago. I’ve worked with so many brands since then and learned so much about myself and the world that I’m obsessed with expressing ideas through my work. I find myself so excited for my next project—just the thought of bringing an idea to life is exciting.

Q2: You also have a reputation as a collector. When did you start collecting?

I started at a young age. I started with baseball cards, anime collectibles, and toys. Nineties babies are born collectors! I love the memories that can be tied to an item.

Q3: What are you collecting at the moment?

I collect pretty much everything! I have very few limits to my collecting, and I don’t really have a basis for what I'm looking for when I’m “on the hunt.” But when something catches my eye in a certain way, I know I gotta have it. Currently, I’m going hard on 90s video games and cars.

Q4: Tell us about the vintage store that you co-founded, Round Two.

We opened Round Two ten years ago out of a desire to dispel any negative connotation around the idea of buying secondhand goods. We wanted to offer more than just a for-profit store—a platform that our community and friends could use to grow, learn, and educate others about something we all have in common: sneakers and clothing. I love it when someone stops by Round Two2 while visiting the United States. Often, there is a language barrier, but we all speak the same language when it comes to fashion. Round Two is a place where I can watch those beautiful real-life moments.

Q5: Tell us about the design of your T-shirts.

Firstly, the T-shirt with the shelves was a way to provide a real look at the things I collect. We took a photo of my favorite shelving in my studio, then hand drew it in the kind of 90s vibe that makes me feel like a kid again. For the other shirt, I’m in love with the idea of space cowboys in the future, and I wanted to bring that to life. I wanted to put everyone in a futuristic, outer space mindset.

FaZe Clan

Q1: How did FaZe Clan get its start?

FaZe Clan was founded in 2010 by a group of kids on the internet. We are a digital-native lifestyle and media platform rooted in gaming and youth culture. We reimagine traditional entertainment for the next generation.

Q2: Where are you currently based?

FaZe Clan’s HQ is in Los Angeles, but we operate as a global organization with offices, employees, and talent all over the world.

Q3: What do you guys do at FaZe Clan?

Today, we operate in multiple areas with transformative content, tier-one brand partnerships, a collective of notable talent, and fashion. With over 500 million followers worldwide across our various social platforms, we deliver a wide variety of entertainment spanning video blogs, lifestyle and branded content, gaming highlights, and live streams of gaming tournaments. Our roster of more than 100 influential personalities consists of engaging content creators, e-sports professionals, world-class gamers, and a mix of talent who go beyond the world of gaming, including NFL star Kyler “FaZe K1” Murray, LeBron “FaZe Bronny” James Jr., Lil Yachty aka “FaZe Boat,” Offset aka “FaZe Offset,” and Snoop Dogg aka “FaZe Snoop.” Our gaming division includes twelve competitive e-sports teams who have won 35 world championships between them.

Q4: How often and for how long do FaZe Clan streamers game?

FaZe Clan streaming talent game on average more than five hours daily. The top played games include Warzone, Modern Warfare II, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Valorant.

Release dates and prices may vary. Some items might be limited to certain stores or countries of sale or may be sold out.

© Actual Source　
© Peaches. One Universe
© Wotherspoon Designs　
© Faze Clan. All rights reserved