For our second collaboration, HUF x Smashing Pumpkins taps the band’s iconic visuals, mixing washes of psychedelics, bold graphics, and anthemic lyrics with new cut-and-sew silhouettes, tees, pants, and accessories including a slip mat with unique phototropic animated graphics celebrating their legacy, influence, and song craft.
]]>Founded in 2013, NYC-based brand Alltimers has mixed high and low culture with East Coast-inspired design for a decade. HUF x Alltimers taps our mutual team rider Salomon Cardenas and connects the SF to NY long-distance relationship with a new capsule featuring a work jacket, tee, hoodie, lighter skate deck, and a DWR short with a print that gets revealed when wet.
Coming soon.
]]>"Forever" by Tyler Smolinski is now live on Thrasher Magazine.
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After all the trips, sessions, sweat, and stress, it was time to celebrate our first full-length video by Tyler Smolinski with an outdoor banger in LA. The lines were deep well before doors at LA State Historic Park, as everyone waited for the squad to pull up and set off the festivities.
Blankets were spread, drinks were flowing, and charcuterie was shared as Blondie Beach provided the soundtrack and the countdown began. HUF friends and family gathered to share some thoughts and heartfelt dedications honouring Keith Hufnagel and everyone who made “Forever” happen before the worldwide premier popped off and then it was on. 40+ minutes of cheers, heavy enders, and a whole lot of, “Wait, what?” It was a classic send-off to years of work and good vibes for all.
Check the recap and don’t stress if you missed a screening, HUF “Forever” is going online soon at Thrasher.
Cheers & beers.
]]>The finer things in life... Mixing outdoor, collegiate and wino-inspired aesthetics, Fall 23 offers up technical outerwear with modern details, including some throwback pop culture nods, 90s skate graphics, and classic HUF heritage.
Fall 23 drops this Thursday at 5pm BST.
]]>Born from the burgeoning Fairfax scene in LA, Anwar Carrots found a gateway into streetwear culture and design. HUF x Carrots channels that OG energy, mixing signature graphics with new takes on HUF heritage. Featuring heavyweight fleece and archival graphics from Benny Gold and Hanni El Khatib, HUF x Carrots throws it back for a new era with a mix of graphics, embroidered patches, and plenty of pops of signature orange.
]]>11 years ago a relative comedic unknown suited up in front of a camera and commenced to talk shit on everything and anything in skateboarding and Skateline was born. Garnering friends, fans, and haters, through the weekly show and a coveted partnership with Thrasher Magazine, Gary Rogers has become skateboarding’s defining voice in satire and most importantly, reminding everyone to lighten up.
Like any online or on-air personality, there are levels to it, and Gary’s more than just a quick wit with a surplus of snaps. Through his platform and popularity, he’s done more than roast your favorite skater. In fact, his approach is “hate for good,” breaking off a piece for his friends and the skate community through several businesses and initiatives focused on getting everyone a seat at the table.
With Everyday Skate Shop, Black Gold Grip, Permanent Holiday, and his breast cancer awareness nonprofit Pushing For Pink, Gary’s dead serious about skateboarding and its community, so we chopped it up with him for Common Threads to learn more about the real personality behind all snaps and laughs.
Photographs by Justin Ching
Everyday Skate Shop crew seen wearing HUF Summer 23
What got you interested in comedy?
My dad's a huge comedy fan: Eddie (Murphy), Martin (Lawrence), Dave (Chappelle), and Richard Pryor, but he didn't let me get into Richard just because of the language, but he did let me get into Martin because it was like family comedy—‘90s shows… the Wayans Bros. One of my first movies is Friday. All the old legends, they were my family. And then just not wearing lotion to school was how I learned about roasting and making fun of people. But what made me actually want to do things like Skateline is in 2005 in front of FTC, I ran in Dave Chappelle when he came back from Africa. He was shopping and he was doing those multiple-hour shows at nightclubs and that really got me because I made him laugh, just messing around talking and shit. So that put that battery in my back for real.
So how does that fuel Skateline. You mentioned that initially, you wanted to do a skate version of The Soup.
There were some similar shows coming out at the time, but the homie Joel Jutagir from Metro Skateboarding was like, "We should do our own. You never copy," and I was like, ‘Oh, well, these shows are successful.’ He's like, "No, you got to do your own thing. I feel like you in a suit, at a desk, making it more like The Daily Show mixed with Soup. This would be different for skateboarding.”
Captain and Casey kind of had it back then, but there were certain jokes they couldn't say, certain energy they couldn't have that I was able to have in skateboarding. He was like, "This will be brand new." And I was like, ‘Holy shit.’ So he's just a genius. So that's why it just all fell into the right hand. I knew exactly what he meant. So when I sat down, he was like, “Go!”
I used to freestyle all the skits at first.
Does it get harder as you go along when you know more people and shit like that?
The only thing that has gotten harder is the sensitivity of the world and taking jokes seriously and then I'm still like, ‘Fuck it.’ It's hard on me. I think I need to grow up, but I can't. Skateboarding knows we're joking at this point. It's been going on for so long. It's housed by one of the biggest names, if not the biggest name in skateboarding. So people are like, "He has to just be messing around." Jake (Phelps) used to kick your board while you're trying to trick down a fricking 19. So it's at least I'm not in your face. Well, sometimes when I go to a contest… [laughs]
A lot of older comedians complain about sensitivity—that they can’t do their old bits. How do you evolve over that 11 years of doing this and thinking about how society changes?
There are smarter ways to tell the joke, and having somebody like Joel, we are able to guide these things. And then also having the relationships and the friends with people that are in the LGBTQI+ community or people of different races and backgrounds, they are like, "This is what you should say and how you should say it," not telling me what to do because I'm going to do what anyway. I think everyone gets it because you have to have those relationships, but yeah, certain people don't. When the person knows you, they're like, "Oh, that's Gary.”
So I didn't have to evolve because I'm willing to learn and understand people in all facets. I'll try a joke just with somebody that's of a different life and I'm just like, “How did that go over?’ Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You have to evolve with kindness. You can't be rude and shit. People actually have ... they got malice in their speech and I just don't. I'm just an idiot that has ADHD, just rambling and motherfuckers be like, "Ha-ha."
Being from the Bay Area and having the backing of Thrasher has to be a big deal to you…
Having that Thrasher support is bigger than ... I don't put my name in stone because I never had the footage and I didn't super skateboard and that's what I really love, but I get to sit at the table with the guys and I think that that's cool. I appreciate that. I never had my name on a board or nothing like that, but I'm excited that I get to be a part of Thrasher. That shit’s hard. It's like 40 years of legacy and then I'm raised literally… you make an L from my grandmother’s house and you could get to where the warehouse is. I was raised literally a three-minute drive, a two-minute drive from Thrasher. There was this super old park that had a bowl near there too. It was just cement… a rail and I think a three-stair that you couldn't skate. My grandmother actually took me to that because her name was Ollie. Yeah, so my grandmother's name was Ollie. I was raised around the corner from Thrasher, and then when I moved back to the Bay Area from Sacramento, the skatepark across the street from my house was Thrasher Park.
I want to get into something that came up earlier. I really like that your whole approach to comedy… to everything is almost “hate for good.” You know what I mean?
I come from a really poisonous life, so all the attention… I did it so I could give back. I don't have a sense of greed. I don't want anything for myself. I got everything for myself. So that's why I hate for good, as you said. That's why I want a shop. That's why I do the giveaways, why Pushing For Pink literally takes all the highest marketed stuff from the skate industry and knocks it off 60-70% off. I just do that. For a day, I just want to spoil everyone with what I’ve gained from doing this. Sometimes I’m like, ‘I wish I was higher up. I wish I had everything. I wish I cared to play the game a little bit more to get higher up, so I can give more." But now I'm just like, ‘OK, let's start a business. Let's start the grip tape company. Let's start getting collabs off. Let's get the cannabis company straight.’ I don't even smoke weed anymore, but the bros started one and they were like, "Yo, we need a creative director, all these things." I was like, ‘Let me hop in. Let's do this. When we open this dispensary, let's go crazy,’ because there are all these companies that want to market skateboarders and the weed and stuff and they don't know shit.
And skate shops… they can be some cool guyed, bullshit. Having to do the shoe game. I don't want shoes in my shop. Go get shoes elsewhere. Support them. You come to me. You grab a board. You get treated nice. I got guys in there now that are not finna cool guy you. I got all good energy for when you come grab a board and then you can come to the safest and richest neighborhood in San Francisco to get that board. Everything is directed toward mental peace, but I'm just talking shit. Every other day of the week, I'm roasting you. I'm humiliating you. I'm just, "Ah, fuck you. Your shit weak."
Do kids run up on you and want to get roasted?
For a while, it was the phone in your face, "Say something funny," and I'll just look at people like, "Bro, no, that's not what's going on?" I'm not trying to be fucking Suge Knight." Kids still will run up and try to have fun, but then quickly start to pick up on the energy of, ‘I'm willing to be funny and have a good time, but I'm not sitting here as a personal joke, but I do want to help you in any way I can. I do want to help you if you do want the video or do want the pick, but just don't get it twisted.’
Can you talk about having Everyday in Union Square and why you chose that location?
So my boy, Johnny Roughneck, he's already had a shop called Everyday and it was in the Tenderloin. So he had the shop and he was like, "Gary, I got a space in Union Square, right in Union Square.” I’m like, ‘You just had one near the crack house. Now even have it near the nicer crack house?’ But he said, “Nah, it's going to be small, but it's going to be fire. Partner with me, let's do it. I got this other partner who's going to put the money down and I'm going to trust you." And I was like, ‘Damn, you're going to trust me with a skate shop. Fuck yeah." So I did it.
So you got the show, the shop, Pushing For Pink, grip tape, cannabis… what are we missing? [laughs]
Pushing For Pink, Black Gold Grip. I get the samples for my clothing. I was going to do just grip tape, but I was like, ‘All right, let me try to do the clothing thing. See how that goes.’ Pushing For Pink, we got an event coming up later this year that's supposed to be sick. We're going to stay away from the festival thing for a little bit because we threw the best festival we could and now we're like, ‘We need to raise more money to actually throw a Coachella-style festival.’
And then Permanent Holiday, our dispensary should be opening in the next couple of months in the city. And Everyday Skate Shop. Go by there, get your board, get treated nice. You don't get judged. Don't get cool guyed by a dude that has a room in a house somewhere and fucking thinks he runs the world. Fucking untuck the wedgie out your ass, bro. There's no point. They're children. Children like this thing, so stop fucking looking at them like that, stop talking to them like that. It's not their fault that you're unhappy.
In the 11 years that you've been doing Skateline and really on the ground and skating, what are the biggest changes you've seen as an observer that you feel are some positive changes?
A lot more of my friends made it. Tyshawn's been SOTY and the inclusion. That’s a catch-22 though. I wish everybody looked at skateboarding and how skateboarding was from, let's say, '97 to 2008. You have to go hard. I really like that everybody can do it. I like how the respect has changed for it. I think that the Olympics was a joke though… fucked things up. I still want to host one though, just so I can ruin that.
With a deep crate catalog and a love for disc digging, Femi Adeyemi founded NTS Radio in 2011 to share deep cuts and emerging sounds. We linked up with the NTS homies for a free event at Pico Union Project in LA with sounds provided by Budgie, Pink Siifu, Rahill, and Trinh.
Along with this special event, we worked with NTS to create the HUF x NTS Sound Series Tee with co-branded artwork inspired by the introduction of the Golden Age of the compact disc, available in limited quantities.
Thanks to everyone at NTS and everyone who turned up and got loud.
Photographs by More Gnar
]]>Headspace Episode 3 gives a glimpse into Sam’s roots in Cuba, her laid-back approach, and her infamous culinary skills. Fresh off a Three-Stripes collab, Miami local Sam Narvaez heads to Cuba with HUF teammate Dick Rizzo to connect with family, locals, and to session vintage spots time has forgotten.
]]>Photos by Keita Suzuki
Video by Sammy Spiteri
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HUF x Freddie Gibbs drops Thursday at 5pm.
]]>Summer 23 drops on hufworldwide.co.uk on Thursday, 18/5/23 at 5pm BST.
Designed by Yeenjoy Studios, the HUF x Alienlabs x Yeenoy Incense Chamber features old-world craft and modern design. Limited to 150 pieces worldwide, each porcelain incense chamber doubles as an ashtray and features a unique blue gradient finish, removable lid, molded Green Buddy and Alienlabs figures inside, and is housed in custom packaging with a certificate of authenticity.
]]>Alienlabs’ ethos and aesthetic is a balance of getting it right and giving a nod to what gets them sparked. Led by founder Ted Lidie’s love of Mecha anime, late-‘90s skate graphics, and attention to the details that matter, the brand’s DIY approach has made them an innovator in cannabis and perfect partner for this year's 420 drop.
The HUF x Alienlabs 420 Collection brings a smoker’s dream to life, mixing HUF Plantlife heritage with teched-out anime art, smokey spins on classic alien graphics, and accessories that span skateboarding and cannabis culture.
HUF x Alienlabs drops Thursday, 13.04.23 at 5pm.
]]>Community builder, entrepreneur, a longtime friend of HUF, and unofficial mayor of Koreatown in Los Angeles, Mike Pak has a penchant for making shit happen. A decade ago Mike’s interests in fashion, art, music, and culture had him fixated on Koreatown, eventually leaving his home in Virginia on a mission that’s led him to not only embrace the neighbourhood’s culture but to grow it. More than just physical moving to LA, Mike wanted to fully embrace Koreatown and immersed himself in it through both his prolific non-profit work and through LOVE HOUR, the burger-focused restaurant he co-founded in the hood he loves.
With such a deep resume and love for his neighbourhood’s vibrant culture and history, HUF caught up with Mike to talk about his DIY approach and passion for Koreatown.
Photos by Eduardo Medrano and Tina Hernandez
Koreatown crew in the Spring 23 Collection
Can you tell us about starting the Run Club and how that was a real jump-off for all your community activations?
What we were able to build with the Run Club is so unique and special to this day. When we were starting, we realised it was bigger than us. The people running would come and tell their stories, they would talk about their alcohol problems, or how they had just broken up with their girlfriend and that’s why they started running. The community part just opened our eyes to more things we could do. We're just super grateful. Fast forward a couple of years later, our good friend Jimmy Han (who owns a few restaurants and bars here in Koreatown) liked what we were doing and reached out because he wanted to do something in food—a new concept. We both love burgers and knew that was the direction would be. We developed LOVE HOUR which is a smash burger concept and launched it four years ago as a pop-up. We were invited to Coachella by our seventh pop-up, and it’s been a rollercoaster ride ever since. Having never worked in the food industry, I was learning the business and just how to be an entrepreneur in the space as we went along.
How did that lead to the other community initiatives you operate?
It made me think about the bigger picture. We had this free run for the community but we’re also business owners within the neighbourhood, so we want to provide for the people living and working around us. So how do we directly help the community? During the pandemic, I was drinking with some buds and talking about the houseless issue here in LA. It’s a big city problem that doesn’t seem to get addressed enough and we wanted to have a hand in helping our unhoused, so we took initiative and decided to do something. At first, all we could really do was provide lunches. We were ambitious, doing three days a week packing brown paper bag meals and delivering them on our bikes. We’v been doing that for over two years now and every Sunday we offer 200 hot meals to our unhoused at the local church.
The dynamics must be so different between volunteering, putting together the free runs, and operating a restaurant. Was that hard to navigate?
It's interesting you say that. To be honest, I don't really tend to think about it as much. I wake up every day knowing I have to go and do something. It’s also my personality—I’m like the class clown slash “I don’t give a fuck” kinda vibe. I realised it was so serious after the Run Club—it opened so many doors in whichever industry or organisation we wanted to start. It’s all grassroots and intertwines together. It’s been easy to start new things because we already have the infrastructure and then the people to support us because we’re all interconnected. With something like bicycle meals, we see the same people every week. I see them more than I see my family. I see the Run Club more than I see my family. People throw the word family around loosely but we literally see these people five or six days a week. They almost become your siblings at a point. You know people’s issues, you know their good and bad days. We’re still trying to grow it to touch more people.
And you just started a new program?
Yeah, just two weeks ago we started Excel the Youth which is our youth mentorship program for kids 6 through 15. We went directly to LA County and spoke to the supervisors from the library system. We connected with Pio Pico library, which is the Koreatown branch, and reached out and said, ‘Hey, we have time, we have friends that want to give their time to help these kids who might not have anyone to talk to.’ We started off with a photography class and now it's really just creating things that we want to do that are fun with our friends, but it all has to do with the neighbourhood. There’s a lot going on, and there's a lot of new projects we're working on, but the number one thing is being consistent in everything while also having the right people to help and run it.
I want to go back to you mentioning how these ideas came together during the early days of the pandemic. For a lot of people they really reframed their views of their neighbourhoods because everything felt threatened. Did that have an impact on you in a similar way?
You nailed it. Especially spending time alone during the pandemic. I had a hard time because I really like being around people. Being isolated made me a bit sad and depressed, but it made me realise I need to serve people. That was my mission when I realised that. You didn’t know when things were going to be OK again but planning ahead, getting together, and just starting small was key. All these ideas came from being isolated, for sure.
Having all this knowledge now and knowing how to network to make things happen, what can you bless others with who want really move on their ideas?
You have to have humility and due diligence to just start it. That's why everyone has the hardest time starting something that they want to do or see happen in their life. If I have an idea, if I can’t act on it in those first 10 seconds I won’t do it. With the houseless outreach… I wanted to do it but I wasn’t moving on it, so I got to a point where I thought, ‘Fuck it. Enough. I’m going to do that shit Monday.’ I said that to myself on a Friday, started it the following Monday and it’s been two and a half years. Just do it. Fuck it! It’s all word of mouth. It’s never going to be easy but I know I have this long-term play and no one’s gonna outlast me. It’s a work in progress and I lose my mind every fucking day and every week and I like to hang out and party, so it’s finding a balance. At the end of the day, I still have this thing in my head that I’m never doing enough then I talk to people and they say, ‘Dude, you’re spread too thin,’ but that motivates me—I always want to do more.
I like that. Businesses start in spreadsheets but ideas start with your friends and doing it.
It’s never going to be perfect. When we started the kids program it did amazing on social so I was thinking, ‘Fuck, there are gonna be a hundred kids there. How the hell are we going to handle that?’ Zero kids showed up. No lie, zero. Who fucking comes to the library? There were some kids there in a tutoring program and we scooped up those 15 kids and made it happen. [laughs]
What was it that drew you to Koreatown and what keeps you there?
Running through Koreatown is like a fucking jungle. Cracks and fucking uneven pavement—people doing their thing, maybe someone pulls a knife on you. It’s how unexpected things are that keeps me going when it comes to runs. It keeps you on your toes. When it comes to food, it's the best food neighbourhood in LA, in my opinion. Korean barbecue is kind of the gateway into Korean food and that introduces the nightlife, the karaoke—the actual food we eat day to day. You start thinking about who the people are within the community through all of it. Through nonprofit organisations, there are a lot of things you can do—whatever your interests are, there’s something that can fit your life, and you can just reach out and lend a hand and build your own community that way as well. It's just really tapping into and finding out who you are as a person and how you can lend a hand within the neighbourhood.
Founded back in 1898, Goodyear become a staple brand that defines Americana. From the Blimp to their iconic Wingfoot logo, their aesthetics and product shaped an industry. The HUF x Goodyear Collection offers a modern take on motorsport heritage with bold graphics, classic design, and elevated details.
Mixing Goodyear’s rich racing heritage with HUF design aesthetics, the collection features standout pieces including the Touring Satin Jacket, Circuit Rayon Woven Top, Final Lap Football Jersey, Touring Track pant, graphic tees, and an array of accessories that reinterpret classic motorsport staples.
The collection drops Thursday, 23.3.23.
]]>Headspace is an inside look into the mindset, creative process, and often unpredictable personalities that make up HUF.
Episode 2 of Headspace follows HUF team rider Erik Herrera on a trip to Mexico City with Sam Navarez and in his hometown of Los Angeles where he talks cleaning jobs, his mom accidentally getting him into skating, and the meaning behind "his teeth throwing gang signs."
Video by Tyler Smolinski
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With art inspired by the comic that set off a new era, the Marvel x HUF x X-Men blind bag decks capture the intense line work and vivid colour of X-Men #1, released in 1991. Each of the three decks come in three variants: Holofoil, Prismatic, and Gold Foil. Housed in a blind bag, each graphic is concealed until you open it and with only 150 produced of the gold version, it’s an instant grail for fans and collectors of the iconic franchise. Only available on the online shop.
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Introducing HUF SET, our elevated take on Essentials. From materials and considered details to refreshed graphics and new colours, we've revamped the entire range to make the classics modern.
Shop the HUF SET collection now.
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Spring 23 mixes new materials, leveled-up cut-and-sew pieces, and throwback graphics with some neighbourhood grit. Coming off our 20th Anniversary, the foundation of what’s next for HUF starts right here. Same vision, same crew, pushing forward into 2023. This season we also introduce a new custom HUF tee, a new blank we developed for an improved quality and fit, and HUF SET, an elevated take on Essentials.
Spring 23 drops soon.
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20 Years of HUF Hardcover Book documents the first 20 years of the brand through interviews with the friends, creatives, crew, and personalities that continue to push it forward. Along with anecdotes from the OGs, the book features a deep dive into the brand’s work, including key collaborations, artwork, behind-the-scenes photography, artifacts, ephemera, and the pieces that never were.
“Keith and I have diverse influences that all relate to each other, but provide a wide array of cultural beacons. The community we've built has a degree of underground nods that suggest the audience is "in the know," but none of it is intended to exclude certain cultural niches to make one point of view exclusive or elite.” Shepard Fairey
“HUF has always been provocative. HUF is not a brand started by a random rich person, but by a real skater. Skaters make noise sometimes.” Haroshi
“Even before we were working together, there was a sense of simpatico. We were both New York street kids who ended up with brands in California. You set the world on fire together and then you wait for the ashes to die out.” Eric Haze
Foreword by Yasi Salek host of Bandsplain and longtime friend of HUF.
Interviews With Brad Cromer, Shepard Fairey, Anne Freeman, Benny Gold, Tommy Guerrero, Haroshi, Eric Haze, Chris Keeffe, Tomohiro Konno, Mega, Joey Pepper, Cleon Peterson, Remio, Scott Tepper, Slappy, and the OG HUF Crew
Contributions From Ryan Allan, Will Azcona, Mike Ballard, Jerry Beitzell, Joe Brook, Tyler Cichy, Ben Colen, Jake Darwen, Sammy Gluckman, Claudine Gossett, Ken Goto, Quinn Gravier, Nick Green, Haroshi, Mike Heikkila, Ryuta Hironaga, Greg Hunt, Robbie Jeffers, Atiba Jefferson, Omeez Jones, Brian Kelley, Robb Klassen, Nevyn Matthews, Dakota Mullins, Sagan Lockhart, De Martelaere, Osamu Matsuo, Eduardo Medrano, Zane Meyer, Ryan Moraga, Gabe Morford, Randy Nakajima, Mike O’Meally, Martin Reigel, Dave Schubert, Pictureman Studio, Paul Sun, Keita Suzuki, Josh Terris, and Nick Walker
]]>Ask any New Yorker where to cop the best slice and prepare for more than just a recommendation–you're likely getting a mini history lesson on neighborhood nostalgia, craft, and tradition. In 2010, Brooklyn native Frank Pinello got sparked by his Bensonhurst roots and the glory days of high-quality slice spots on every corner. Since then, Best Pizza has become a high-profile brand that's never lost its north star of making the perfect slice with top-shelf ingredients.
The longtime grab-and-go choice for anyone pushing through the streets of NYC, Best Pizza's OG location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn instantly became a slice destination. A decade plus later, Frank's expanded the brand worldwide and hosts the popular VICE Munchies series, The Pizza Show. A popular lunch spot for the HUF Brooklyn squad, we caught up with Frank to talk about craft, quality, and 20 years of HUF.
Photographs by Jacob Consenstein
Best Pizza crew seen wearing HUF Holiday 2022
Considering we've just recently ended our 20-year anniversary, what are your thoughts on HUF and the brand's meaning to NYC?
In 2009, I was working for Chipotle doing this cool event on East River. It was a snowboarding event and they must have had one of the biggest ramps I've ever seen. I was on the VIP boat handing out food when I randomly introduced myself to this man who was wearing a HUF skull cap, only to find out it was Keith (Hufnagel). We must have chopped it up for at least a half hour and he was the nicest guy I have ever met.
To be honest, I knew very little about the brand at the time, but that moment when I met Keith stuck with me forever. When I caught wind of HUF opening up in Williamsburg, I knew those were the homies. I walked in when they first opened and had mentioned that they had to let us bring pizzas through. Keith was such a down-to-earth cool guy and the clothing was right up my alley. The shit is just fly.
The pizza game in NYC is so competitive. What was your original idea for Best Pizza and how did you plan to stand out?
Honestly, I never wanted to work in a pizzeria. I always wanted to work for the bigger chefs and eventually become a Michelin Star Chef. I grew up in a food family—both my parents are from Sicily and everything my mother made was from scratch. That opened my eyes to everything. As I was graduating from The Culinary Institute of America, I was working at a pizza place 'cos I was broke. I was looking around the industry at the time and Momofuku had just opened up. David Chang leveled up a traditional noodle bar and I was thinking it was such a great idea—it was unique. You'd typically have to go to a four-star restaurant to get this type of food and that's when it clicked. When you work in those high places, you serve that 1% of the population, but I wanted to share that similar experience with anyone, especially with pizza. Rich or poor, 8 years old or 80—pizza is this universal vessel that has a lot of power if you do it well.
I started working at Roberta's and the owners liked me right away. They knew that I liked pizza and I had a food background, so they invited me to come to their garden and wanted to talk to me. I initially had a five-year plan: two years to work in Italy, come back and open up a quick service. Before I even mentioned my plan, the owners of Roberta's mentioned that they came across this spot in Williamsburg and wanted to do a slice place. That first pizza I made for them… I was confident, but I was nervous because I was serving my idols. They had their first bite and they fell in love with it. They asked if I could replicate this and make it every day.
Obviously, the food industry is a lot different than apparel but are there any similarities in your ethos and approach?
I see a lot in common with Best Pizza and HUF. I felt that immediately when I met Keith, Jacob when he came by to take our photos and even when I'm talking to yourself… we're all just regular people, not trying too hard, not frontin'. It's been a real pleasure getting to know the crew.
Grab a slice, pop in and pay Frank and the team a visit whenever you're in Williamsburg at 33 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 and check them out on Instagram at @bestpizza33
]]>For our second HUF x Cult collab, we linked up back up with the crew to create a capsule celebrating our 20th Anniversary. HUF x Cult leans into each brand's iconic logos with bold pops of color and nods to SF. Along with a tee and hybrid riding gloves, the HUF x Cult Capsule features a special 20th Anniversary bike, decked out with HUF signature artwork and San Francisco themed details.
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Rider-owned and art-driven, PUBLIC Snowboards was founded in 2015 to spark snowboarding’s creativity and community. For HUF’s first snowboard collaboration we worked closely with our friends at PUBLIC on a range featuring abstract graphics, throwback style, and a shared love of snow.
]]>The final Marvel drop of the 2022 draws from our favourite era of the Spider-Man franchise with '90s-inspired oversized prints, intense line work, and nods to heritage HUF. Along with tees, hoodies, and socks that all feature commemorative hangtags, this collection includes a collectible skate deck with Spidey’s nefarious nemesis dropping in on the bold top and bottom graphics.
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