“KEEP ON, KEEPING ON” — the story behind LA’s Weekend Society
As you already know, we are inspired by artists all over the world. That’s how and why our story has began in the first place. We love creativity and value diversity above all else. Having to work with such people every single day has been a unique privilege and such an honour. Sometimes, we can’t believe how lucky we actually are. So, last week, we sat down with the dynamic duo behind Weekend Society, a brand Bastet Noir carries for few months now, approved by celebrities like Mr. Joseph Gordon- Levitt, himself and Harry Hudson (California music uprising star and one of Kylie Jenner besties). We’ve picked their minds on what spurs their creativity and gives them drive to “keep on, keeping on”. And girls, dare we say, not only are they intelligent, creative and fun, these two are hot, hot, hot.
BN: Describe your designer style!
Within each of our creative processes we pull inspiration from anything and everything. The foundation for the company was laid at the creative intersection of street art and graphic design enveloped with music and creative writing, as that’s what the two of us bring to the table respectively, but as we continue to grow, we are pushing ourselves stylistically. We’ve trained ourselves to always be scanning our surroundings for inspiration and new company ideas- whether it be inspiring imagery, or seeing chalkboard art while waiting in line for a burrito. This way we not only have that much more content to bring back to the office when we sit to map out new pieces, but we can start puzzle-piecing together new designs and projects on the fly, in real-time while the iron is still hot. Quality and comfort are important aspects of our brand, so finding and printing/sewing on the right fabrics for each of our pieces is essential. We pride ourselves on being a Made in the USA, sweatshop-free, environmentally conscious company, so those factors also come into play when producing our clothing. Needless to say, this is the hands-on part of the research we do.
BN: What inspires you?
Andres: Adventure has always been a part of my life since a young age. My parents instilled the importance of being brave and trying new things, even when it’s not easy. I can’t remember a summer when we didn’t take a trip somewhere. This mentality of embracing the different and sometimes uncomfortable and unknown is what inspires my work. I strive to capture that feeling in your stomach after you zip your suitcase up.
Jason: I grew up in the least populous state (Wyoming for the non-trivia buffs), and amidst the sprawling starry nights, towering mountains and wide open plains there was a lot of room for self-imposed adventures, a lot of mystery in the world yet to be uncovered. For me, that meant a meshing of physical and mental adventures-collecting, creating, getting lost in the details. I attribute this to being the foundation for where I draw inspiration from. Specific to Weekend Society aesthetics, I love the stories and the energy that surround a great outfit. When you’re shopping, you’re not often shopping for pure utility. You are shopping with a story in mind. An idea of what will happen when you are wearing that item or outfit. Even if it’s brief and fleeting, you’ve created a detailed scene around these items. I try to let that intentionality be the backbone for my design work.
BN: What’s your proudest moment to date?
Jason: In the midst of the WKND whirlwind it is easy to neglect personal reflection. We have been doing a much better job the past few months through, and am truly thankful for every opportunity that comes our way. Each new adventure holds a highlight of some kind; if nothing else, it was sparked by all of the other work and collaboration leading up to that moment in time. However, there are definitely mile markers on the road behind us that stand out. We could go on and on about stories we’ve gathered along the way, but here are three that have to do with art and inspiration.
Jason: Our supporters and Society members understand and embrace our mission on a daily basis. We get to follow along with their adventure as they tag us on social media. One such picture tag that came our way was of a girl across the country who had tattooed our tagline- “Never Grow Boring”- on her ribs, as a little, daily reminder. To have our creative outputs resonate that deeply with someone… that was something neither of us pictured might happen to such an extent when we were just starting out.
Andres: About a year ago, I had the chance to meet Shepard Fairey and chat with him a bit. I was wearing my Black WS Weekend Society shirt and he looked at it and said, “Oh cool, is that you?”. Fast forward about a year and that moment later evolved to Jason and I getting onto the Shop Spring App on the Apple App Store where we now have Weekend Society products alongside Obey ones. That growth and transformation from idol to rival has been epic. Each day bring forth a new highlight to add to my collection of memories.
Jason: I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Joseph Gordon- Levitt’s on his TV show, HITRECORD on TV. We talked about creative first times and how I saw that relating to my own process in terms of clothing design, writing and music. Moments like that, to share our mission and creative output with other like-minded people, sent this energy flowing through my veins, as often happens when I get to present our creative outputs. This energy leads me back to work, to better our craft, to grow our reach, to get the ball rolling on new opportunities. Or when I find Andres and I looking at each other during an event or a release and just shaking our heads and smiling in disbelief. That’s when I know something “highlight-worthy” is happening.
BN: If you weren’t a fashion designer what would you be?
Jason: As long as I am being creative for a living, I am happy. Weekend Society is a creative outlet for us, an adventure. While we put in many, many hours, most of them don’t seem like “work”. And that’s all I could really ask for. I see that in the other things I do- writing, making music, planning and putting on concerts and other big events, playing in contact football leagues out here. I can’t ever see myself just doing one of those things. But as long as I am fully devoted to whichever of those pursuits I am following in the moment, I will keep on keeping on. It truly is all about the adventure of it all, making sure I never shut the door on possibilities.
Andres: I come from a very artistic family, my grandfather is a painter and my grandma was a professional pianist and harpist. The desire to create and improve my work each day was instilled in me at a young age. I couldn’t imagine a life without creativity and artistic expression. However, if I weren’t a designer I think I would continue to explore entrepreneurship. From as far back as I can remember I always started small businesses, to the point that my parents even gave me a toy cash register that I could use to make fictional transactions. Owning a business is so much work but it’s also a chance to make a mark in this world and have your voice be heard as well as give others their own voices. It’s been amazing seeing how the work we do at Weekend Society has influenced and shaped the lives of so many others.
BN: When you go on adventures, what are the five things you never leave behind?
Jason:
- Latest Weekend Society gear (obviously)
- Water- ya gotta stay hydrated to make it in the rap game
- My peeps- flesh and bone kind, not the god-awful Easter candy
- Full House complete series DVD box set
- That ole Wild West spirit
Andres:
- Latest Weekend Society gear (diddo)
- iPhone- so I can text my main man
- My Back to the Future style Nike Fuel Band- Got to stay fit
- Ray Bans- I like that real nice retro look
- A few business cards- Never know who you’ll run into
That’s all ladies. If you didn’t have enough of these two hot studs, check this out.
