#12 Diet Coke and Sporting Goods Co.
I hope this email finds you hydrated.
What a week! Idk what else to say other than we still have lots of work to do and Twitter was unhinged. Oh, it was also very cute to see NYC celebrating.
If you missed last week’s newsletter, I interviewed my friend/Twitter user @uhhhhmad. You can read it here!
Here’s a good Tweet he had this week:
Anyway, subscribe to my newsletter if you haven’t already?
feature of the week: Sporting Goods Co.
Sporting Goods was started in 2018 by Chris Daniels & Kurtis Hoffman. Be sure to check out their latest launch NEXT WEEK on sportinggoodsco.us. Let’s get to know them!
Hello! What is Sporting Goods for those who don't already know?
'“KH: Hey Elise! Thanks for showing some interest in what we are doing and sending over some questions! Sporting Goods is a clothing brand centered around themes of workwear and sportswear, pulling inspirations from our past and current interests.”
What made you want to start Sporting Goods?
“KH: We had originally started Sporting Goods by trying to recreate old basketball camp/tournament shirts that we wore when we were younger. There was always something cool in wearing a tee that showed what camp you had played in over the previous summer or what tournaments you had won. Unfortunately, when I was younger, I wore them so much to the point that my mom would turn them into a cleaning rag at the end of their life. When Chris and I first started messing with some basketball graphics, we thought it would be funny to name it something very vague, like Sporting Goods.”
CD: Also we went with the name Sporting Goods because we didn't really know what we wanted to do with the brand when we started. We had one graphic for a tee, but were also talking about furniture or other random items that we wanted to design.”
How would you describe the style/aesthetic of your brand?
“KH: We are always working to bring something to the table that speaks quality and familiarity.”
“CD: It's very blue collar, but with the intention to make garments at the highest degree of quality. My dad is an electrician and when he was younger, he toured with bands setting up the stage lighting, so I pull a lot of inspiration from photos of him and his friends from back in the day. Think of a group of guys that toured with No Doubt but still wore carpenter pants.”
What is the idea behind Sporting Goods that sets it apart from others?
“KH: A big thing that sets us apart is the attention to detail and the fact that all of our cut and sew pieces are done by Chris’ hand in our studio in Detroit.
CD: When we started we didn't have enough money to pay someone else to make our garments so I learned how to assemble pants, jackets, and bags over the course of 1-2 years. Early on we met our friend Jacob who collects sewing machines and makes crazy garments with them (@lowstockclothing) and are able to do full production in Detroit because of his resources. We hope to get to a point some day where we have so many orders that I can't sew them all myself but for now every garment we make only touches my hands. I think there aren't a lot of other brands out there that can say that.”
Who/what are your inspirations for your brand?
“KH: A lot of our inspiration comes from growing up in the Midwest, where there are always recurring ideas of hard work, supporting locals, and kind of proving ourselves to the rest of the nation.
CD: I think in the Midwest you see more manual labor workers than you would elsewhere. Because of that, you get a greater sense of a uniform. When looking for inspiration for our cut & sew, we tend to look at older brands that made clothes for manual labor. Taking design details from garments that were "mass" produced for farmers, plumbers, factory workers, and then elevating them with nicer fabric and an updated pattern.”
And can you introduce yourselves, the founders?
“KH: Hello, my name is Kurtis. Chris and I both studied product design at the same school, but I think we actually met playing pick up basketball in the gym. We ended up becoming roommates the following year. Outside of Sporting Goods, I spend my time trying to be active, surfing the web, generally keeping a low profile. I am currently based in southeast Germany and working at Adidas.
CD: I'm Chris. Kurtis and I met in college and lived together for a year. We then also lived together for a bit once I moved back to Detroit from SF after college.
At the beginning of quarantine I picked up running, but as it gets cold I run less, so hopefully I find a treadmill soon. In my free time I like to cook and stay active. I played tennis for the first time recently, so I think I'm going to try to get good at that.”
Can you tell me about the process of designing, making, and selling your pieces?
“CD: At the set of each launch, we come up with a theme generally based around a sport or activity. Once we have a theme, we think of a few garments that compliment that activity. Then, I'll typically look at garments from older workwear/sportswear brands and find some details that I like. We then go into Illustrator and create tech packs for the design. Once we have a design we agree on, I'll hit the studio and draft a pattern. Most times I reference a garment I already own because it speeds up the process, but sometimes it's from scratch (like the bucket hat we will be releasing soon). Then once I create a sample of everything for the season, we will review all the garments and make sure we are good to go. Most of our more complicated pieces like pants are made to order but all bags, hats, & knitwear are pre-made so we can ship them out as soon as an order is placed. Made to order pieces typically take me 1-2 weeks to get out the door.”
What's something you've learned about running your own business?
“KH: It’s more important to spend your time doing something than it is to spend your time planning to do something. You’ll end up learning faster (still working on this one, it’s not easy LOL)!”
CD: I agree, don't be afraid to fail. I made ~40 pairs of pants before I understood why one pair looked and was made better then the other. We wasted so much fabric in the beginning, but it's all a learning process. Also, make sure you're doing something you're passionate about because if you aren't, you will run out of steam really fast. Don't do something just for the quick paycheck.”
What is something interesting happening in fashion right now?
“KH: It feels like COVID is forcing people to think more about what they are wearing and what kind of qualities that they are looking for in a garment, rather than just looking to be ahead of the next trend. It’s also cool to see a lot of interest in vintage and second hand items.
CD: Because no one has daily places to show off their clothes I feel like people are buying more purposefully and brands are starting to make things with a purpose in mind.”
If you could get any celebrity or public figure to wear your brand, who would you choose?
“KH: My mind immediately goes to Action Bronson. He is someone who is very well rounded in their interests and experiences. Would love to see that guy sweating, flipping tires on his IG in a Sporting Goods tee.
CD: I agree, I don't know if that man wears pants but Action in a pair of SG selvedge carpenter pants would be cool. I'd also want to see Rasheed Wallace in our stuff.”
Any hopes, goals, and dreams for Sporting Goods.? :)
“KH: I want Sporting Goods to continue to be a platform where Chris and I can express ourselves and put out work, while connecting to like minded people.
CD: Hopefully we will be in a few stores soon! Other than that just continue to make garments we like and continue to work with our friends while making them.”
~Shoutouts~
“KH: Definitely need to shout out @nate.sturley for consistently delivering the cleanest photos, @solomongaut for being the most handsome man in Detroit, and @amostillustration for bringing our vision to life through illustrations.
Also s/o @leoashermargolis, @lowstockclothing, @brandon.bellottie, @hugeheron, and @nickgreca for all the help on the back end.”
Sporting Goods Co.’s newest product launches next week! Be sure to follow them on Instagram at @sportinggoodsco and sign up for their newsletter for updates.
been into…
The new HBO show How To with John Wilson. It’s produced by Nathan Fielder (from Nathan for You), so you know it’s good. In the trailer, John Wilson describes it as “kind of like that show Planet Earth, but if it was only in New York and David Attenborough was forced to film everything.”
This side table I will not stop getting targeted ads for
Instagram user @traderjoeslist
Rode an emotional rollercoaster with these shoes thinking I bought the wrong size :)
hahahaheuwfbwkjq
read this!
The Election-Week Diet of Steve Kornacki, Who Runs on Diet Coke and Adrenaline GQ
Hahahah THIS MAN drinks so much Diet Coke and walks 6 miles to work every day and hasn’t had breakfast “in 28 or 29 years.”
Oregon is Decriminalizing Drugs Including Heroin and Meth Futurism
”… the measure won’t legalize all drugs overnight — it simply removes the criminal penalties associated with possession of them, a move that represents a compassionate new vision in the fight against addiction”
donate here!
Every month I choose an organization to raise funds for. This month I’m collecting donations for P.A.’L.A.N.T.E.(People Against Landlord Abuse and Tenant Exploitation) Harlem, Inc.P.A.’L.A.N.T.E. is a nonprofit based in New York advocating for tenant rights and working to reduce poverty. They also provide free or reduced-rate legal services to those affected by tenant exploitation. Read more about them here.
Venmo me at @elisebang (email me if you prefer a different method) and at the end of every month, I’ll match up to $50.
sending you off
same time next week?
Thanks so much for reading ❤️
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Talk to you next week! (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧