Editor’s Note: Welcome to In My Cart, a regular series in which we ask some of the coolest guys we know what they’ve recently acquired, are thinking about buying, or need to buy more of — but for whatever reason don’t have in hand just yet. This week, Bobby Hundreds, the streetwear mogul behind brand The Hundreds.
Bobby Kim, more commonly known as Bobby Hundreds, is responsible for one of the most influential streetwear brands ever. In 2003, he co-founded The Hundreds with Ben Shenassafar. The brand initially sold its T-shirts at Fred Segal in Santa Monica and created street-culture editorial content on its website. Now after over 15 years in business, the brand is carried by 400 retailers worldwide, is responsible for countless collaborations and is considered one of the leading brands in the industry. Bobby Hundreds new memoir — This Is Not a T-Shirt — reflects on this journey and lessons learned along the way.
A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, the book chronicles the brand’s growth in tandem with the development of the streetwear industry. According to Kith founder Ronnie Fieg, This Is Not a T-Shirt “maps out how to start and brand and blow it up while maintaining a core community — it’s like a streetwear bible slash history book.” After 34 chapters of compelling prose, the book has a straightforward FAQ section with questions like, “How do I pick a name for my brand?” and “How important is social media?” and “Somebody stole my idea. What do I do?”
To support the book — currently, a best seller on Amazon — Bobby Hundreds is speaking at upcoming events in L.A., San Francisco, New York and Chicago. We caught up with him before the book launch to learn what products he’s currently eyeing. From new Air VaporMax sneakers to a custom puffer jacket to a surfboard, the items reflect a man who cares deeply about thoughtful designs and people behind them. But he explains it best.
Nike Air VaporMax 2019: Cactus Plant Flea Market
“This is my favorite sneaker thus far this year. It can be polarizing (Ben hates it), but I love modern technical trainers. I like black sneakers contrasted with pop colors. And something about this collaboration is reminiscent of the DeLorean time machine from Back to the Future. The distorted happy face sets it off.”
