Where Did Your Favorite Streetwear Brand Get Its Name?

Many of the greatest streetwear brands started with little more than some design ideas and a desire to do something different. You don't go into the T-shirt making business to get rich (although if you're lucky you might), you do it because you have something you need the world to see, because you have a statement to make. And before a single tee or snapback or hoodie is seen, the name of the brand is what makes the most important impression.

Not that the actual name matters so much, but if a people are going to spend the money, wear the logo, and tout the brand as a favorite, it has to offer something in terms of a vision or attitude. Or it's just gotta sound cool. Either way, takes a lot of thought and consideration to get it right. Some get lucky and nail it, and every successful streetwear brand has a story behind its name. We dug deep, so check it out: Where Did Your Favorite Streetwear Brand Get Its Name?

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Origin of the Name: "Pharrell had seen the title of a movie called 'Billionaire Boys Club' and thought it was a crazy name, so he looked into it and learned it was a true story about a young social club that was run as a Ponzi scheme to gain money to support the lavish lifestyles of their members. Once they started running out of money, they started killing for it. Pharrell thought this was terrible, so he tried to turn 'Billionaire Boys Club' into a positive by showing wealth was more than just about money, it was about wealth of the heart and mind, too. So he took the name and built it to what it is today." Phillip Leeds, Brand Manager

Pharrell has more money than God, but he's made great strides to show that life is about more than that. It's about feeling good about what you do for yourself and for others, and it doesn't hurt to look good while you're at it.

Origin of the Name: "SSUR started from me signing my canvasses in art with my name in reverse in mirror form. I don't know where that came from. Maybe I hit my head or something, who knows? Then i started making some baseball hats and jackets just to promote the name for the art world, really. It evolved into t-shirts, and a brand of course with iconic graphics." - Ruslan Karablin, The Hundreds, 2012

The empire state brand, also creator of the "Comme des Fuckdown" gear we see everywhere today, was the brainchild of a man who's early focus was art. When he started promoting his artwork in 1989 with tees, hats and jackets, he combined the worlds of fashion and art in a totally new and different way that is still well-respected today.

Origin of the Name: "I started making simple T-shirt graphics out of school, and I wasn’t even really trying to start a company. I was just wearing one of my shirts when I walked into a store (Triple 5 Soul) and the guy that was working the store wanted to buy my shirts. But I didn’t have a brand at that point. I just had to think of a brand like right there on the spot. So I came up with Staple and that dude named me Jeff Staple. This was back in 1997.

I was so dissatisfied with what 'hip hop fashion' had to offer. I loved hip hop music and I loved the lifestyle, but the clothing was so cornball that I wouldn’t be caught dead in it. This was like when Pelle Pelle was really popping off, and Sean John/Fubu was just coming out and I was like, 'Man, this is so much loud, meaningless yelling.' To me, the best parts of fashion were what laid underneath. Not the bling factor. So I just wanted to take hip hop back to the staple foundation, you know, the roots—the essential material that you can’t live without. That is what 'a staple' is. Staple Design is like the design that is just the raw, basic, essential elements and that’s it. No added bullshit on top. " - Jeff Staple

There you have it. A full explanation as to how Jeff "Staple" Ng came up with one of the best brands this side of the Mississippi. 1997 was a long time ago, so to created a brand as relevant as it is today without even trying is pretty damn special.

Origin of the Name: "Black Apple started off as the crew name for our Public School muse. We found an old black and white image of a group of teenagers in New York City from the early 70's. They were cutting class, smoking cigarettes, and hanging out with girls. The leader of the group we named Red and he had this look on his face that was one part confident and one part innocent. He unofficially became our muse and we went on to design a leather vest specifically for him. On the back was the embroidered rockers patch 'Black Apple.' Black Apple essentially is how we describe New York City in all its glory. That vest became part of our everyday uniform and eventually led to us starting the brand." - Dao-Yi Chow

Welp, in what is definitely the best brand origination story, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne's Black Apple NYC allegory symbolizes the brand's aesthetic perfectly. Gritty, yet refined streetwear for those who want to rebel in style.

Origin of the Name: "I wanted it to have a brand with no meaning and wanted to make up my own name. I started researching and eventually started looking into the the latin dictionary to find inspiration. I liked V-lettered logos so I looked through the “V” section of the dictionary. I found 'vis', then I found 'vim' and visually I liked how they looked together. The word 'Vis' does have a kind of positive meaning around the idea of force and energy; things coming together." - Hiroki Nakamura, 01 Magazine, 2010

The Japanese cult brand has been creating streetwear buzz since its inception in 2000. With coveted footwear and amazing clothing items people would pay out the ying-yang for, Nakamura's sales background truly helped mold this brand from a name that means nothing on paper, to one that means everything when you wear it.

Origin of the Name: "The idea behind the name Rocksmith is based on 'one who works with music.' Like a goldsmith works with gold. We are crafting a lifestyle aesthetic for the music lifestyle that we are a part of. The look and feel of the party, the play list, crafted and authentic. The word 'Rock' is first the main music export of America, but also a word adopted by Hip Hop and has a ring of the old school, reminiscent of the rock steady crew, and the 'Smith' is a common surname. The name just felt timeless." - Erik Marino, Co-Owner

Since 2004, Rocksmith has been dropping gems for us that go against the grain of the social norm. WIth strong rock and hip-hop messaging, Rocksmith has always worked tirelessly to stay true to its name.

Origin of the Name: "We wanted to start a brand that was new, cool, not like anything else, and just different. Every name we threw around had some type of meaning or sub-meaning attached to it and we did not want that. I decided that since i had spent my whole high school and college experience doodling made up words into my notebooks and making up fake definitions for them, that I would just make up a brand name. So I made up DURKL, a word that sounds interesting, is impossible to forget, and has a cool looking typographical layout. This way the only definition of this new word would be what we created each and every day with our hard work. We wanted to define a word, not let it define us." - Will Sharp, Co-Owner

The D.C.-bred streetwear brand has come along way since 2002, where the first collection consisted of a couple tees and hats, into what can now be established as a heavyweight in the streetwear arena. Covering the spectrum of clothing one couldn't ask more from, DURKL and The Sharp brothers are certainly impossible to forget at this point.

Origin of the Name: "Pigalle is the name of the area in Paris where I grew up with some of the 'Pain O choKolat' crew members, and it's also where my mom settled when she left Sarajevo (ex-Yugoslavia) to start a dance career here in Europe." - Stephane Ashpool, Complex, 2012

Pigalle is pretty special in that they don't sell their goods to just anyone. And the fact that Ashpool is banned from the states makes it even more bad-ass that his goods are being requested by A$AP Rocky and more.

Origin of the Name: "10.DEEP's name originated with taking the concept of 'rolling deep' and applying it to going for self/individuality. Quite literally, 10.DEEP referred to the ten fingers of one person's two hands, but this, of course, was really more of a symbolic metaphor for going for one's self/taking the 'road less traveled.'" - Ben Velez, Marketing Strategist

10.DEEP has been rolling deep for over 16 years, thanks the work of Scott Sasso and crew. With coveted pieces releasing every season, the 10.DEEP crew has always taken the road less traveled to get to that point of individuality they still stand at today.

Origin of the Name: "Behind every Castle stands a Crook. Meaning behind every Empire, someone did something crooked to achieve their goal. Castles represents our goal, for every street hustler, entrepreneur, or mogul. We’re all crooks in some way, some just choose not to show their true color." - Robert Panlilio and Dennis Calvero, Owners

Admit it, when you first saw that Medusa tee, you were hooked. Now Crooks & Castles are leading the straight and narrow, slanging dope tees, hoodies, and dealing collabs people will forever want.

Origin of the Name: "G.P.P.R. is an acryonym for 'Gentleman, Philosopher, Pervert & Rebel,' a direct tribute to the modern day Renaissance man. Influenced by men who have become the backbone of our society. GPPR is a new and refreshing take on American tradition and wittiness." - GPPR.us

The name is mad deep, but their goods are even deeper. G.P.P.R. has put out a couple of very solid collections since they dropped in 2010. Something for the G.P.P.R. in all of us.

Origin of the Name: "KITH is a part of the phrase 'Kith and Kin,' which literally means 'friends and family.' I'm able to work with both, whether it's with my mother on the Kin accessory line or with my friends keeping the stores running altogether. Kith being so personal differentiates us from the rest and it's rewarding to see the brand grow with the people I care about the most. We came up with the motto 'Just Us,' because we really want people to feel like they’re a part of something when they walk in. They’re along for the ride with us and we have their best interest in mind each day." - Ronnie Fieg

The shop-turned-brand has definitely made its mark on the streetwear game over the last couple of seasons with pieces that cater to everyone. Ronnie Fieg has created a brand with "kin" that has become a proverbial goldmine. That's a smart man at the helm.

Origin of the Name: "It was meant to look alluring, offensive, and corporate all at the same time, to fool people into thinking it was pronounced a different way, I wanted it's presence to be and become very ambiguous. I did not think of other names prior, I thought of FUCT immediately—it was a creation of a new word at the time." - Erik Brunetti, Hammer Smashed Sound, 2009

The vulgar, IDGAF-attitude of the longest standing real streetwear brand around is not a brand at all—it's a lifestyle. Brunetti and crew don't beat around the bush, they take their incredible designs and quality pieces and dive right in.

Origin of the Name: "BWGH stands for Brooklyn We Go Hard because when me and my partner started, we just did it with few T-shirts and each one was a snapshot done by artists from our crew of photographers that were done in Brooklyn." - David Obadia, Co-Owner

With some obvious inspiration from the 2008 Jay-Z song of the same name, the French brand is creating all sorts of buzz with their latest fall collection. And with a name as cool as this one, that'll open potential fans' ears off that alone.

Origin of the Name: "I was spending my evenings with my friend Shin, when one evening we were watching a TV program called 'Yo!! Rap City', I told Shin that I was going to start a clothing line. Shin suggested we start it together. We thought more about it and one night we saw a movie called 'Planet of the Apes'. We liked it a lot. So much in fact, the next day we met up and decided to take some inspiration from it: we called our new brand A Bathing Ape®." Nigo, Pig Magazine, 2006

Also, BAPE is said to be inspired by the popular Japanese phrase "a bathing ape in lukewarm water", which refers to the overindulgence of Japanese youth. So, basically, the name is inspired by snobby youth and a movie about anarchist monkeys. Regardless, thanks to that moment in 1993, one of the greatest clothing brands to grace the planet was born.

Origin of the Name: "I wanted to come up with a name that I felt embodied class, style and universal appeal. My inspiration for the brand was to create menswear that was produced in the USA and made available an an honest price, while also placing a heavy emphasis on the details to set us apart. Our customers and growth has been phenomenal and I think our hard work and honesty has helped get us here" - Tom Do, Owner

While tees and accessories are their specialty, Mister has definitely hit high on the Richter scale of streetwear in California. It's hard to be "classy" when it comes to streetwear, but Tom's incredible pieces, and name, sure come close.

Origin of the Name: "Black as in the color and scale as in the balance of life. For us, we chose black because we gotta put color in our everyday life and the color means figuring what everyday life is, getting to our goals, completing our goals. Just figuring it out everyday. I'm a libra, so the scale is definitely on the balance side and that's where the scale comes from. And black is my favorite color and its always been something I've been attracted to." - Mega, Supply & Demand, 2011

Mega and Black Scale have cornered the black market with the dark, mysterious matter in their goods. Establishing themselves as the anti-government, anti-religious brand and supporting rebellious youth is one of the more brilliant brand moves we've seen in the streetwear community. So when guys like A$AP Rocky latch on, the movement follows.

Origin of the Name: "I’ll never forget this. My girlfriend at the time was arguing with her parents and kept on repeating 'What’s your reason?' in response to some sort of disciplinary act or something. I thought to myself… What’s my reason? We had been looking for a brand name for quite some time and it just seemed to be make sense. Reason was our reason. It was our reason to get out of bed in the morning, it was our reason to produce, create, and succeed." - Jon Price, Co-Owner

The satirical kings of streetwear, Reason gives us a reason to put awesome T-shirts on our backs every day. Founded in 2004, not only has Reason emerged as a top tee producer, but their excellence in full streetwear/menswear gear production along with their Outpost shop in NYC are reason to celebrate.

Origin of the Name: "I started drawing what would become our Bear Mop logo around 2000, right when I graduated from college. It didn’t really have a name or anything yet. But as I grew more and more disenfranchised by what my life had in store for me by working a 9-5, I started thinking about doing T-shirts as a side project to flex my creative side, tastes, whatever. That’s when the whole idea of calling it Mishka came about. Mishka means bear (in Russian) and is a derivative of my own name, Mikhail, or Misha." - Mikhail Bortnik, Format Mag, 2008

Focusing on T-shirts, Mishka's emergence in 2003 took the world by storm, mixing streetwear, music, sci-fi, and just all-around ratchet imagery to create the clothing and cultural empire it sits on today. While "bear cub" is the last thing we think about as we look at scantily-clad women, dripping eyeballs, and Mr. T, the name somehow fits the brand to a T.

Origin of the Name: "Saying that something is happening by the hundreds connotes a great deal of force. There’s energy and strength in numbers. Although, the less sexy answer is that I was playing around with the typography and the letters looked cool.” - Bobby Hundreds, KoreAm Magazine, 2007

Bobby and Ben Hundreds revolutionized the L.A. streetwear game in 2003. Starting with some simple sketches in his notebook, Bobby built the brand from the ground up to the Sears Tower of cool it is today.

Origin of the Name: "Play Cloths derived from reminiscing on my youth when it was a must to come home from grade school and change into your 'play clothes' before going outside to play... Doesn't sound like too hard of a task right? Considering me and my brother were latchkey kids, that task was left up to us. Nothing was worse than my parents coming home and seeing the 70+ dollar sneakers that we begged for, scuffed, creased, etc. Same went for the clothes that were on our backs, all because we couldn't take the time to change into our 'play clothes.' Needless to say, the spankings/beatings behind this defiance were torture.

The spelling of 'Play Cloths' is simply a matter of preference. The line 'Stop searching for the E's 'cause the O's is long...' is simply paying homage to our roots in the streets and the arrogance that comes along with it... Hence Play Cloths." - Pusha T

You heard it straight from Mr. Re-Up himself—he got his ass whooped just like we did for messing up our good clothes when we should've changed into our play clothes. But he turned his childhood misfortune into something we can all relate to—dope clothes for us to "play" in our own way in.

Origin of the Name: "Supreme wasn’t meant to be a brand. I just was like, 'Hey, that’s a cool name for a store.' But it’s become a problem since it’s become a brand because we don’t own the name. It’s a good name, but it’s a difficult one to trademark." -James Jebbia, Interview Magazine 2009

The mystery continues as to exactly how "Supreme" popped into the heads of Jebbia and crew, other than the fact that it sounded like a "cool name for a store." What we do know is that, in 1994, a brand that changed the game was born.

Origin of the Name: "He (Aaron Bondaroff) wanted to do a brand called 'A New York Thing' and I told him I would process it and come up with something, but I wanted him to think about my thing. I wanted to do something about feet, like under feet, since it was about sneakers. I gave him "aNYthing" and he said to me "What about Defeeted?" And I said "No, it's good. But it's a negative thing." I wanted something more positive. What about Undefeeted? And we spelled it with an F-E-E, and that's how it went down. But we went with the F-E-A to not sound so literal, and then we felt we could also do a brand with it. If we kept it Undefeeted, then it would be hard for people to take it seriously as a clothing brand. That's how that went down, true story." - Eddie Cruz

There aren't many people who represent the street scene like Aaron Bondaroff in NY and Eddie Cruz in LA. Both pivotal members of the whole streetwear movement, working together to create two of the greatest brands around.