A couple days ago my English teacher assigned a research paper on anything that we thought that were passionate about…obviously i chose Streetwear.So today,I sat down with Porter at Laced Up to interview him and get his opinions on Streetwear and the Hip-Hop culture that influences it hoping that it would help me get a second opinion and help me make my paper more complete.He compleatly changed my views on a few things & so i thought that i would share what he had to say on the matter.

Porter:
I don’t have any problems with anyone of another race outside of the African American community opening a hip hop influenced store or a starting a line. I want it to be recognized as something that started in the African American community. I just ask that you respect where it came from.
But there have always been other races that have participated in hip hop. There have always been Latinos and Asians that break and white kids that paint graffiti and there always will be.
For me especially, growing up in Seattle, my entire life I’ve known and seen kids of other races that truly respect the culture of Hip Hop and participate in it.
Just realize that this isn’t a gimmick for us. For us this is everything. This is our life. It isn’t a “lifestyle” or an image. This is us. So watch how you choose to promote this so called “lifestyle.” Educate yourself on it and respect it.

Do you consider streetwear being an element of hip-hop?
P: Defiantly. Fashion is an important part of Hip Hop. It’s self expression. Streetwear isn’t what you’re wearing; it’s how you wear what you have on. Streetwear is how fresh your actual style as an individual is, represented through your clothing.

Streetwear was underground for a while along with Hip-Hop, why do you think all of a sudden its becoming a fad?
P: I think a lot of it has to do with Rap. Rap being so mainstream and being such a big part of pop culture. The internet has a lot to do with it, with the growing rate of the transfer of information. Everyday there’s something new out. It’s easier to find out about brands on the internet because it’s growing and it’s faster.
Without the internet and media, I don’t think it would be as big as it is now. Without the internet/media it wouldn’t be where it’s at. To see people’s styles you had to travel to different places, now you just check a blog everyday.

If you could say anything about Hip-Hop and how it’s influenced your life/made a difference, what would you say?
P: Hip Hop is all I know, all I’ve ever known and all I ever will know. Working at Laced Up, designing clothes, coordinating hip hop events…I would be doing all of this for free. Hip-Hop is the biggest influence of my entire life.

As an up and coming streetwear owner/designer, do you feel as if you have something to prove to other lines as far as competition and showing who is incorporates more culture into their line?
P: Yes. I feel that streetwear in general is lacking substance and lacking style. So with the release of our line our main focus is to incorporate pieces of our culture and ourselves into our line and staying true to what we like, not necessarily what’s “in.”

How did you get interested in streetwear?
P: By listening to hip-hop/rap, growing up and wanting to dress like Nas and Method Man through their music and magazines. Seeing my favorite artists’ styles and wanting to be like that and being inspired by them.

How did you go about finding out about lines?
P: By doing my research through magazines, the internet, through the media. Now it’s just thrown at you. It’s hard not to know what’s out. There’s blogs and forums being thrown at you everywhere. It’s hard to avoid.

How is your style different than other people’s as far as streetwear goes?
P: I wear what’s comfortable. I wear what I like. I also take fashion seriously, in that it’s a visual representation of me, and I strive to be an individual.
I think most people wear what they are told is “cool” and not necessarily what they truly like. I look for designs that I know are organic and designers whose labels reflect who they truly are. I also recognize what I know is going to fit my style. There’s shit that I know I can pull off and there’s shit that I’ll never be able to pull off. I really just dress to be comfortable and I wear what I know girls will like. I think that guys are beginning to dress for guys, checking to see which pair of shoes or jeans the next guy is wearing.
I try not to look for a label first. I look for what catches my eye and then check for which label it’s from. I don’t think people recognize their individual style. We all have it.

What are you top 5 favorite lines:
P: Rockers NYC, L&D, Polo, Carhart, Northface.

Where do you think Streetwear will be in the next 5-10 years?
P: I see it a lot of the brands that are out now dieing down, at the same time I see a lot of brands getting really big and going mainstream.
In terms of style, I think that the designs are going to become more simplistic. It’s going to become more about the quality of the garment and that’s what’s going to create a filter between brands that truly respect this culture and wish to strive and create new lanes, and the lines that are here only to make their money and capitalize off of this culture being a fad.

How has Hip-Hop influenced you both positively & negatively?
P: Hip hop has taught me to be an individual in everything that I do. Hip hop has taught me to be original, it’s inspired me to learn, it’s given me guidelines to follow, it’s taught me to work hard. Hip hop has also taught me unity, to have respect for an individual’s style and story.

On the other hand there’s a lot of braggadocio in hip hop/rap, so it has taught me to be very confident, but it’s also taught me to be cocky at times.
And I am materialistic because of rap music. I’ve been sucked into wanting new sneakers, clothes, cars and jewelry; however I recognize that I’m going to have to work hard to obtain those things, and I realize that those things don’t define me as a person.

If you could give any piece of advice to other up and coming Streetwear designers/clothing designers in general taking from what you have learned thus far in your mission to accomplish a line, what would you say?
P: No matter how long it takes, if it’s something that you’re passionate about then don’t stop. Incorporate pieces of yourself into your line. If people don’t like it then fuck ‘em. When you come across people that truly respect your line and have been inspired by it or connect with it, it will it make that much more special.
Educate yourself about fashion. Read and research as much as you can. Not just about streetwear, but fashion in general. Look up designers. Open your mind. Whenever you see a design that you like, research the designer, find out which designers influenced that designer and research them. The more knowledge you have of your passion, the farther you’ll take yourself.

Porter Ray & his business partner Jacob Sneed along with the help from some of their long time childhood friends,after years of wearing streetwear clothing decided to start their own clothing line entitled I.S.H(Ill Shopping Habits).For information on the line check out:
http://www.myspace.com/illshoppinghabits