A Conversation With Kyron Warrick aka Gotsweige Montreal based creative entrepreneur and modern renaissance man, Kyron Warrick, also known by his social channels Gotsweige, has created a name for himself as one of Canada’s fastest growing talents in fashion. As an advocate of the “don’t knock it until you try it” mentality, Kyron has made a strong effort to explore all facets of the fashion industry including styling, creative consulting for brands, content creation, product design and modelling, to develop his skills, identify what he loves and put one-hundred percent of his energy into his success. Now after nearly a decade as a Fashion Youtuber, an impressive following on Instagram and a growing portfolio of impressive clients, Kyron is on a roll and showing no signs of slowing down. Before he outgrows us all, we got a chance to link up with Kyron in his hometown of Montreal to discuss his come up, life as a YouTuber, the need for supporting local brands and never being afraid of what you love and then of course, we had to shoot some street style pics and break down his fits. You’ve been on YouTube for nearly 10 years now. What has that journey been like? It’s kind of crazy that it’s been this long. The first five years were more casual for me but the last five, I have been really focused. Content creation was something I could really take into my own hands which I liked. A lot of fashion is actually slow moving and there’s a lot of waiting around. With YouTube, I didn’t have to do that. I could make content, have fun and create new opportunities for myself through that. You’ve been really ramping up the amount of content lately and the channel has been growing at a really consistent pace. What are 5 tips you’d give to aspiring content creators to increase their success on YouTube? Consistency is definitely the biggest thing. I know people say this a lot but it’s really true. Once I got out of school and could start putting more time into content, things really started progressing. I saw the results of consistency first hand. Have your own thoughts. People will consume your content if there are your own thoughts throughout. Be inspired but make it your own. Do it because you like it and not because you’re looking for validation or growth. Know yourself. Understand what you’re good at and what you’re not good at. Once you identify your strengths, you can go full force into that. On the note of making things your own, your style has always been very unique. Did you ever face criticism for doing things a little differently? Definitely. In high school, while I did have a bunch of friends, people definitely kind of looked at me as the weird kid. I was the only person that I knew who was into fashion but didn’t let that bother me. I was so focused on learning about the industry that I didn’t care about what people thought. One of your more popular content series highlights low-key/up & coming streetwear brands. Why is shining a light on these smaller/local brands so important to you? Any you’d want to shout out today? When I was coming up, I always wished there were people that would shout me out and help me get exposure so now that I have a bit of an audience, I want to be able to be that person for others. Starting from zero is really tough so I want to help lift those people up. I also think that a lot of these brands are really cool and it’s sustainable for me to consume as well because it’s often a bit more affordable and I like knowing that my money is going to someone local and not just into the pockets of big corporations. One of the brands I really love is Wun-Off , they do a lot of pop-culture installments and have a philanthropic side to the brand as well. They recently dropped the “Covid Ruined My Spring Break” hat and used proceeds to buy toys for children in need. installments. Just did the covid ruined my spring break trucker. Grimey MTL is another one I’m really into as well. It’s a pretty common progression for content creators to start their own brands. You’ve done collabs with some in the past but would you ever consider starting your own brand? It’s definitely something that I’m thinking about. Through working with so many others, I’ve learned a lot about what I would need to put into starting my own brand and what I would and wouldn’t want it to be about. A lot of creators are making merch and I definitely don’t want my stuff to be just that. I think about this as a long term play. I won’t be doing Youtube when I’m 40 so if it’s just merch then it ends when Youtube ends. I want my brand to be something that can grow with me and outlive things that I might be doing now. Let’s talk about style now. How would you describe your personal style? What are you wearing these days? My style is very situational based but is often a combination of lively vintage 70’s style and darker silhouettes from brands like Rick Owens. I like to mix bright and dark together. Your style has followed a number of trends, from hype, to sneakerhead to luxury. Looking back on it all, what do you think were some of your best and worst moments in your fashion career thus far? I think my best moment, and potentially also my worst, was the Pyrex-Hood By Air phase. I really wasn’t aware of all that it represented. I was super impressionable, like all kids on the internet were, but it was good for me to go through that and start experimenting with things. It helped me start to really learn about what I do and don’t like. It also exposed me to some black designers who are now making huge waves. (break down Kyron’s fit with pics and labels of the items/brands) Do you think Montreal was integral in developing your style and business? I used to think that I had to get out of Montreal to make it but the internet has so much power so I have always been able to tap into cultures and people around the world without leaving. Montreal is also great as well though. It has given me so many opportunities and really shaped who I am today. In addition, whenever I go visit my family in NY or Philly I can bring that different perspective too which I think plays to my advantage. Overall, Montreal really is a power city and I think that a few more icons coming out of here will be big for putting it on the map. Justin Saunders [JJJound] is doing a lot for the city. I think a big musical figure would be huge too. Totally agree! Lastly, what's next for you? Honestly, I’m taking things day by day. Whatever I enjoy, I’ll work on. The brand is definitely in the works but I don’t have a launch date. I’m going to work on getting even more opportunities in styling as well and just see where things go. And of course, more video content! Make sure to follow Kyron Warrick on Instagram and YouTube to follow his journey and get updates on all of his new work and don’t forget to keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more.

A Studio Visit With Simon Petepiece Earlier this summer, Pier Five visited industrial-artist Simon Petepiece's montreal studio to tour the new space, chat about what the artist is working on and looking forward to, and of course, pick his brain for some tips for aspiring artists. The Ottawa native, now situated in Montreal, currently co-runs New American House, a joint studio specializing in functional art, objects and furniture as well as his own design practice. He has established himself both through personal and client projects utilizing often unnoticed materials, primarily meant for in construction, in a unique way. Scroll down to watch the video interview with Simon, as well as some behind the scenes photos. Swipe through the slideshow for photos. To learn more about Simon and everything that he has going on, check out New American House and Simon's Instagram and keep it locked to Pier Five for more stories and interviews with our favourite designers, entrepreneurs, creators, brands and more.

A Conversation With Addam Rodriguez of The Arrivals With the growing importance of digital in fashion commerce and customers spending so much more time online, a strategic digital identity isn't just a nice to have; it’s a necessity. We spoke with Addam Rodriguez, Digital Art Director of New York based outerwear studio The Arrivals, about his process and system for developing consistent visual concepts and a strong artistic language for the brand. @addamrod Hey Addam, awesome to be connected! For those who might not be familiar, tell us a little about yourself. Hey! I’m Addam and I am the Digital Art Director for the outerwear brand The Arrivals. Growing up in LA, I was always surrounded by photography. My uncle was a photographer and was always around taking pictures and had some super expensive cameras which I got really into. When I got a bit older I went to school for audio engineering but I always found myself out taking photos and realized I liked that way more. Out of school, I got a graphic design job at a brand in the arts district in LA but started doing photography for them as well and also worked in the warehouse. It was great to be a part of all aspects of that business because it allowed me to understand the go-to-market and storytelling aspects of the brand which made for better photography and visuals. My next job after that was for this ready to wear brand called Frankie. I worked with the lead designer and travelled with the brand between NY & LA, basically just taking photos of the whole process of the brand. After a few trips, I knew I wanted to come out and live in NY and get better at my photography out here. I met with The Arrivals and they offered me a graphic design role. I was nervous about taking another graphic designer position but I loved the brand and the overall culture. Once I got into the role though, I told them I could shoot too and over time it turned into more of a photography role and now the digital art direction role that I have today. That’s a wild journey but seems like it all worked out. What is your process for coming up with your visual concepts for The Arrivals? We’re a small team so everyone is involved in everything. Early on, I’m in conversations with the designers and production teams so I can get a really solid understanding of the product. Being in the warehouse at my first job definitely taught me to learn the product cycle well so that I could bring in all of those details into the final visual concepts. Internally we all talk about concepts and once we land on an idea, it’s up to me to figure out how we communicate that to our audience and I work alongside the creative director to bring it all to life. I spend a lot of time looking at data from past campaigns to see what’s working, what kind of things have our audience been responsive to in the past, stuff like that. Once we have product samples I’m then able to start working out the visual flow and moodboarding and we’ll A-B test a ton. I have to create content for everything like email, ads, social and web so there’s a lot of planning since we don’t (and you never should) use the same content for everything. To make things easier, I have built out a pretty robust system for how I shoot to develop consistency and a visual language that our customers will recognize and remember us for. Once I’m happy with the flow, I draft out the final shot list and then work out the planning for production. This whole process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple months but it’s always super fun to put together. That system you mentioned definitely shines through. The Arrivals content is some of the most coordinated in the game from campaign to campaign. Why is aligning product and content styling so important for you and the brand? That’s great to hear [laughs]. I have a huge appreciation for what goes into making the garments so I want to ensure the work I do represents all that effort put in by the design teams. Our products are very elevated and with good styling it can become even more elevated. I’ve started experimenting with other mediums besides photo like 6k video which everybody said we didn’t need but it allows for the smoothest transitions and flows that I feel mimic actions in our daily life and make the content so approachable and appealing. The pandemic has really expedited the growth of digital, especially consumer’s adoption/habits of shopping online. What should new brands keep in mind when developing a visual identity for their brand? This is a great question. I’ve tried so many things throughout the years and I think most importantly, it’s important to figure out what you really love and to build on that. Don’t try to be like everything else you see just because it’s popular. Even if what you are working on doesn’t work out right away, don’t give up. Keep experimenting and refining and build a system over time that works for you. A visual identity is like a house. You can design the interior as many times as you want as long as you hold on to the foundation of the building. That’s great advice for brands! What are some tips you’d give to individuals looking to bring their skills to a brand as an art director? Learn as many tools as possible. You don’t need to be the best at any of them but a knowledge of the different tools will allow you to put together initial ideas and then you can bring in the experts to help you bring it to life. Even if you can get the concept to 10% baked, that will help everyone understand the vision and then you bring in the pro editors, retouchers, colour specialists, etc. Another thing I’d say is go big on networking. You also don’t always need to connect with the biggest names. There are so many people doing amazing work behind the scenes that can give you great advice or introductions. This was huge for me when coming to New York. Lastly, it’s important to be patient. Things take time. I’ve been here for about 4 years and it’s all just starting to click for me which is exciting. Now I just need to keep pushing! Totally agree! So now that things are clicking, what do you have your sights set on next? I want to make the shopping experience for our customers even better using interactive video and stronger graphics. I’ve built the house and now it’s time to renovate the interior with new visuals to create a better moment for the customer. I’m all about that moment! Who doesn’t love a good moment?! Lastly, we’re finally starting to see some normalcy again and it’s looking to be a wild summer! What are you most looking forward to doing again in NYC as things open back up? Honestly, just meeting people. It’s hard to stay creative when everything is locked down. I knew so many people who moved out of the city at the start of the pandemic and they’re coming back now. I can’t wait to meet up with them and see what they’re working on. I think we’re seeing a new wave of creatives who are about to take this industry by storm and I’m excited to witness it in person! Check out Addam and The Arrivals on Instagram and keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest designers, artists, activists, entrepreneurs and more.

Doing It Yourself With Carol Pak of Makku The canned beverage space is increasingly competitive, with hundreds of new startup brands entering every year. So, if you're going to enter, you better have something unique to say. Therein lies Carol Pak, founder of SOOL, a Korean beverages company and owner of canned makgeolli beverage brand MAKKU, who is using her experience at ZX Ventures - ABinBev's VC arm - and passion for Korean rice alcohol to offer something fresh and exciting to the North American market. Although it hasn't come without its ups, downs and dozens of learnings, Carol had some great insights to share that can be applied to any small business owner, and of course anyone looking to dip their toes into the world of CPG. Check out some of the hot topics from the conversation below. In the summer of 2023, we noticed a big shift in the brand's social presence around Korean culture. Can you talk about that? At first, I didn't know how much I wanted to position ourselves as a Korean drink because I didn't want to isolate non Koreans. I wanted to be very welcoming, very approachable, and I didn't want to pigeonhole ourselves as a Korean drink for Korean occasions and for Korean customers. So I was very vanilla when it came to our marketing because I didn't want to sway too much but I felt like that really left us with no voice. Recently we did some consumer surveys and a resounding sentiment was, we would like to see more Korean stuff from Makku, whether it's in your packaging, your story, your marketing or your branding. That really motivated me to focus more on Korean culture in general. For us, the most natural area to focus on was the Korean drinking culture, which is a huge part of Korean culture. Later we can move into other segments like food or holiday traditions and things like that. As you grow, have you made any other big shifts in how the brand operates? When it comes to our sales, before, I was relying on our distributors to get into retailers, and they put us in any account that would take our product. We were growing in revenue, and it was great in the short term, but we were seeing a lot of turnover as we lost shelf space to new brands and other promotions. If you go down to your local bodega and offer a promotion for them to buy the case, a lot of times they'll say, yes, but it doesn't mean that's the right account for us. I recently realized that while distributors are our partners, the onus is still on us to steer direction and ensure execution. Another consideration is that these smaller accounts don't provide data on the national level. So if a large retailer will put our brand into scan data, nothing will show up, even though we're in over a thousand accounts. So the investment into the smaller accounts don’t build us much credibility for the larger chains. Can you talk about scan data? What does that mean? There are national companies like IRI and Nielsen that manage this. For accounts like Whole Foods and Total Wine and these other large retailers; if your brand is selling in these stores, they'll report the sales data to IRI or Nielsen. So, when you're trying to sell to other national retailers, they can put in your brand and they can track your growth, sales and all this other data about your brand that these retailers are supplying to them. Since we're mostly selling in smaller accounts or Asian chains that are not providing that kind of data, even though we've been in the market for four years, if an Albertsons or Kroger, looked up our brand in Nielsen or IRI, they wouldn’t be able to find much data. So, it just goes to show that an account is not always equal. I’ve learned we need to rely less heavily on our distributors to be selling on our behalf and instead build a sales team and then get into the retailers that we want to by pitching them directly. Is it daunting pitching to these big retailers? I didn't dare dream of trying to pitch national accounts at first. I just thought it wouldn't be possible without any sales data but I've seen a lot of brands launch after me, like years after me, and their first accounts were like Walmart, Target, Costco. There has been a trend of Asian products in stores and product differentiation is probably helpful there, but at the end of the day, you have to pitch them to know whether you get a yes or no. We just never pitched them. That all gave me confidence though. If you get in front of them, you'll at least be on their radar. You can ask them for information on what they're looking for, what data points they need to see for consideration, when to reach out next. Until you talk to them, you never know so just shoot all your shots. We can definitely see the hustle and passion that you have for the brand. I'm sure that helps when you work on growing the brand with partners? Yes, absolutely. If you're not so passionate about what you're doing and you just think of it as a business opportunity, you're not going to last. Undoubtedly, the best entrepreneurs at every level will still have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and I think the only thing that really keeps you in it is the passion. So, if it's not something that you love and you're happy working 80 hours a week, it's going be really hard. When investors, distributors, retailers and customers are talking to you, they're looking for passion and they can tell if you fake it. That is what makes the difference between the companies that make it and the companies that don't. Make sure to check out Makku's website to find out where you can pick some up and keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews with entrepreneurs and small business owners coming soon!

U Grow Girl U Grow Girl Who: Crystal Wood & Leha Marshall Where: Kelowna, BC Instagram Website How would you use the $10,000 CAD fund for your business? See All Winners

From The Streets To The Big Stage With Kizmet Change is inevitable but you can’t always wait around for it if you want to find success. For Toronto based graffiti and lighting artist Kizmet, taking matters into his own hands was key. While the general population was taking its time to decide whether or not graffiti art was for them, Kizmet was carving his path through the underground arts and music scene and making a name for himself. From the streets to the big stage, Kismet is a prime example of taking initiative and not being afraid to put in the hours and it shows, big time. Read through the interview with Kizmet below where we dive into his early beginning, what gave him the courage to pursue his passions, what he’s excited for in this ever changing world of art and much more. Hey Kizmet! For those not familiar, can you tell us a little about yourself? Hey I’m Kizmet, and who am I? That’s something I like to let people figure out themselves. Maybe this conversation will help [laughs]. And figure out we shall! What’d you get up to today? I was in my studio most of the day. There are a bunch of pieces I’m working on so that’s keeping me busy. You’ve talked a lot in the past about how your studio space in Toronto is really your comfort zone. What are the keys to a great studio/work space? When I used to do a lot of music, I always wanted a space where I could have all of my stuff and get everything done there. Now, with art, it’s the same way. Kind of like in the Shedders Lair in the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie where all the kids are just chilling spray painting, blasting music being creative doing karate and there’s like some dude just offering kids cigarettes. Everyone is just doing their thing. That’s what I want minus the encouraging kids to smoke[laughs]. The key for me is that I could be there at any point, day or night, doing whatever I want and nobody gets mad. Like if I play a drum set at 4am in the morning nobody is going to call the cops. It’s like having a clubhouse. I can get work done or if I wanted I could watch a film on a projector screen or I could play drums or me and my studio mate can Jam or play video games on the big screen. Who inspired the faces that we see prominently across your artwork? I haven’t really shared this formally on many platforms so this will be a first actually. I often don’t talk about the context of my paintings personally. With street or graffiti art, the artist is often anonymous and so the viewer needs to create their own interpretations of the works. That’s what I want for my work. That being said I have always had meaning behind the works so here it is. I’m huge into Sci-Fi. So with the faces, I wanted to create a new reality that would change over time. First they wore glasses, then those came off and you saw there weren’t any eyes, and then the faces multiplied and the narrative kept on changing. And in the end it turns out these faces are a robot tricking you into falling in love with it. It’s all about coercion and one the original presented concept turning out to be one big lie and everything is a connected story. Damn! That’s wild. Did you know when you started the faces that it would turn into that huge story over multiple years? At the time I started doing these I was in this transitional phase with my art and so I started creating these faces and actually built this entire story and knew where I wanted to take it from the beginning. I knew I’d be able to get better over time as an artist which would allow me to develop the characters further and keep making them better so that when it came time to talk about it, it would all be ready. Did you also plan on using them for live events or was that part decided afterwards? Ya so the idea was to be able to bring them to shows/events and tour them around. I’ve always been really big into music and events so I wanted to be able to bring my work there. Also the impact of bringing work to music festivals and seeing people interact with it in person there is amazing. Its something you don't really get in a gallery or just with a mural on a wall. There’s also a ton of elements that you can play with too like with smoke and lights which is epic. How big is that for you? I’ve been doing light murals for a little while. It’s really crazy about how light interacts with colours. It’s not like normal colour mixing. You get these wild combinations of mixing light with paint and what colours will turn into what when certain light hits it and you can play with different elements and make these pieces really come to life. You can make it so stuff is hidden or morphing and people trip out watching it. Sometimes I make the transitions slow so you don’t even realize what’s happening in the moment until the image has completely changed colours. Going back to your roots now. What was the evolution of going from graffiti to this experiential art like? I kinda always knew that this was going to be what I make my living on. The whole tags and street bombing thing is really just advertizing to get your name out there, but I knew to make a living I would need to put more thought into conceptualizing. For me it wasn’t so much of changing the art style but it was me being more serious and that led to the transition which has been a good one. Was there a moment or turning point where you knew you’d be able to make this work out as your career? I got kicked out of high school for some graffiti shit and went to a new alternative school where there were tons of artists. The head of my new school, John Morton, told me “this is a democratic school. If you want to paint the school, cool. Make a proposal and maybe you'll even get paid for it. Just let us know how and when you want to do it and if everyone is ok with it, you can do it.” I was so shocked. I presented it to the school and everyone was hyped about it. Now I don’t even think there’s space left because the entire place is painted up. The school got covered. Once people found out it was cool to do, everyone went nuts. It started in the hallways, the stairwell, the lunchroom and then it just got everything. They even painted the outside of the school. It looked sweet. That introduction of a safe space where I could have an idea and it would be approached with an open mind was what showed me there might be a long term opportunity with this. That’s an insane story. Maybe hard to top but do you have a “greatest story of all time” from your tagging days? Honestly all the days of tagging were just insanity. If you were somewhat tapped into that culture back then you’ve probably had some crazy f**** up experiences. Like everyone is nuts. The lifestyle of being out super late, running from cops, tons of partying, is kinda crazy in itself. I would tell these stories to people that were not part of that culture and they’d all just think I was lying. The stuff is truly unbelievable. Are there any stark differences or changes that you’ve observed with graffiti art and culture over the years? The biggest thing now is street art is very accepted and also highly funded. Back in the day it was so criticized like once I was painting a garage for someone and the neighbour came out with a baseball bat and was threatening to beat me up because he thought I was tagging. Recently though I was doing a garage for someone else and the neighbour there came out and was like “what about my fence? I want a mural too.” I was shocked. I thought he was going to be pissed off but he was jealous. He literally said “I’m a taxpayer and I should have my fence painted too”. [laughs]. Why do you think things have changed so much like that? I think it was that the city really got behind it. They finally accepted that you can’t fight graffiti because you don’t know who it is and it will NEVER go away. It used to be that if someone tagged on your business, you had twenty four hours to get rid of it or you’d get fined, so as a result business owners just started commissioning murals to get around the rule. Then programs funding murals came around to deter people from just aimlessly tagging. It’s been a slow transition but a good one. I also just think some people need some sort of authority or what they consider a validated entity to say it’s ok and then they’re quick to accept things. Any tips/tricks that you’d give to young artists of stuff of the trade you wished you knew when you started out in graffiti? There’s this whole starving artist mentality that leads to artists getting taken advantage of by these big companies and corporations who don’t pay well and treat the artists poorly. I think it’s important for artists to know that it’s completely ok to walk away in the middle of the job if you’re not getting the respect or being treated properly. Protect yourself and your representation. Don’t let money control everything you do. I know some artists take jobs and feel like shit after because it was a terrible experience but they wanted to be able to say they worked for that company to feel validated. That’s just so not how art should be. No matter who you are - and I know it’s easier said than done - but stand up to these big corporations or anyone not treating you fairly. Until people do this, nothing will ever change. Once you do this and you start prioritizing yourself, you’ll actually open so many new doors. These great clients and jobs do exist. Be patient and protect your values and you’ll find them. Lastly, what keeps you inspired to continue creating and what are you looking forward to next? The DOCD (Department of Civilian Dance) parties we’ve been throwing, like the raves, have been challenging me to keep being creative and force me to always one up myself and that’s awesome. It’s a pressure that I put on myself but I know if I do so, I’ll keep creating and getting better to the point where I’m surprising myself. That’s the best feeling like “holy s**t, I made this?” [laughs]. I’m also really inspired by all these new faces that are doing great work and that I know are going to be huge. We’re close to a point where everyone can really thrive together as things change. It’s a really exciting time in Toronto right now. It feels like the renaissance of DIY culture and I’m super stoked for it. Check out Kizmet's Instagram to find out about upcoming events and see more amazing work coming from Kizmet and keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more.

A Conversation With Air Vegan Daniel Navetta, aka The Air Vegan is Queen's man wearing many hats. He has built a more than impressive resume as co-founder and director for film studio Bryght Young Things, co-creator of the Business of Hype podcast and full-time advocate for responsibility and "sustainability" in fashion and footwear through his platforms The AIR VEGAN and FutureVVorld. Dan focuses much of his time researching and educating on ways government, businesses and consumers can be more earth friendly in their activities has developed unique POV and inspired audience through creative design and storytelling. @theairvegan // @futurevvorld // @byt.nyc Besides using more recycled materials or reducing the shoebox footprint (Air Hippie single box), what are your 5 things brands are doing to become more sustainable that you think are really great? This is a tricky question because of the term "sustainable". Put bluntly, the only way to be sustainable is to cease to exist. We have enough stuff. Period. If we look at how production is run, how the industry treats workers, how the brands promote mass consumption, nothing about this is truly sustainable. However, I'm still excited about the space and there are things I think brands can do to be better such as: Using more scrap materials for products. Increase transparency into how brands are carbon scoring and make stronger commitments. Invest more into lab grown materials (biofabrication) Simpler construction. The Nike Presto was made to be one piece of fabric and use less glue. Considering how the product returns to the earth. Make product that is repairable and then biodegradable. High consumption is obviously a big issue in sneaker culture. Besides limiting purchases, what are five things sneaker enthusiasts can do to be more responsible in their day-to-day lives? Shop local - This encompasses the localization of production, fair wages, more care and reduces carbon emissions from shipping. We’re in this vicious cycle of making things cheaply overseas and then we ship it a million times until it gets to the customer. I’d rather pay $250 to know this was made locally by someone who got a lunch break and who’s family has health insurance and it wasn’t shipped all over the world to get to me. Consider repairing and mending. Extending the life of our products is very important. Celebrate worn sneakers. Stop buying new things every week. Enjoy using what you have. Im trying to make it cool to own less shit. Donate gently used pairs with clear intentions of where they are going, and to whom. Use your digital platform to amplify environmental responsible and equitable practices in sneakers. Our social media platforms are a place where we can inspire others- let’s talk about workers rights, fair wages, materials transparency, and conscious consumption. Let’s make that hypeworthy. We just released a great post on FutureVVorld about recycling clothing that also touches on these things that I think many will be into. Between your full time job at BYT, Air Vegan, FutureVVorld and all your other creative endeavours, it’s hard to understand how you even find time to sleep! What are 5 tips on time management and organization that you can share? I believe in focused bursts of energy. If I need twenty minutes to finish something, it's phone down, music on, avoid distractions and get it done. I wake up very early. I crush my to-do list as early as possible. Harness momentum, if you’re feeling it, run with it. Theres a great book called FLOW by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi that's all about being in the zone that I recommend. Exercise and eat healthy. Those two things make me very focused. I want to get my work done so I can go for a run. Of all of it, sobriety is probably the most essential element. With the continued growth of podcasts and the emergence of social audio apps like clubhouse, audio content seems like it’s here to stay. Being the co-creator of the podcast series “Business of HYPE” for Hypebeast; what are 5 keys/pillars you see to building a successful audio-content platform? Interesting stories. This is obviously important. Respect the listener. Keep asking yourself "can this be more dynamic? " Channel people’s imaginations and initiate a spark for people. Consistency. Don't stop working. You’re the Founder & Director of Bryght Young Things and have worked with a number of high profile clients. Looking back at your journey as a creative, and knowing what you know now, what are 5 pieces of advice you’d give to your younger self or a young creative today? Reach out to someone who you want to shadow. Work harder than you think you need to. Be honest at all times. Treat everyone with the same level of respect, regardless of position, experience, etc.. Don’t expect people to unlock your creativity for you, show them as early as possible and as often as possible. Create beyond the clients, it will inform the journey.

A Conversation With Obra.Jay Jonathan Rodriguez is the creator behind Obra.Jay, a creative outlet focused on vintage sneakers, fashion & DIY streetwear with a quickly growing, international audience. Coming off the recent release of his 1.0 Obra.Jay sneaker, Jon is making a big splash in the game and when he's not designing, collecting vintage kicks or vetting IG fit-pics, Jon is also a wedding photographer and barista in his home town of Albuquerque, NM. @obra.jay As a leader in fit-pic curation, what are 5 of the hottest poses right now for a great pic? The leg cross Hands together or crossed arms with a nice slouch Leg up with foot on the side of the wall The “candid” walk pose Straight up model shot with the face mask. A big one during these times! What are your top 5 sneaker silhouettes of all-time? Jordan 1 Air Force 1 Nike Dunk (High or Low - both are perfect) Converse Chuck Taylor High (Old model) New Balance 990 (any version!) Once COVID lightens up and we can travel again, where would you love to travel to? I'd love to spend a summer in New York. Just do the NY thing! I also have some friends living in Madrid, Spain so I'd love to get out there to see them. Iceland is beautiful. I'd love to shoot some landscapes out there. The Swiss alps would be sweet too and then of course, I'd love to go to Japan to experience the fashion, food and sneaker culture out there! If you could only have 5 shoes for the rest of your life, what would they be? Jordan 1 1985 'Neutral Grey' Nike Dunk High 'Neutral Grey' (with a blueish tint) Any grey New Balance model Nike Air Force 1 w/ the green Swoosh Jordan 1 1985 'Black/White' Lastly, we know the culture's changing all the time but what are 5 trends you love or hate in sneaker culture right now? I LOVE that the faded/worn look is in. Vintage tees, worn shoes and painter pants. I HATE the resell market. I'm a part of it but hate that I have to be. I HATE bots (but can't say I haven't tried checking it out. I LOVE the bootleg Jordans trend. It's such a fun way to mix things up. I LOVE & HATE the popularity of dunks. Love it because I love dunks. hate it because prices are going crazy! For more on Obra.Jay, check out his Instagram and keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more.

Ball Talk With Albert Nguyen of Double Dribble After decades of creative work for many of Canada's coolest brands and designers, it's inevitable that the urge to one day do your own thing will eventually kick in. But how do you do it right and when is the right time? For Montreal based designer and artist Albert Nguyen who has worked on clients like Raised By Wolves, Nike, SSENSE, 88Rising, The Bay and many others, that urge set in via his love for street culture and basketball and you know we had to jump in for the story! Albert is no stranger to Pier Five - check out his first interview here - and it was great to catch up with him to learn about his new brand and first full independent venture, Double Dribble. Check out the conversation below. Photo Credits: Photo + Direction: @jgandshi ( @time_of_the_sun x @commedesbatards ) Hair and Makeup: @axelkamali @belovedbiaziza Models: @goldeneisha @ismabrass_n54 Hey Albert - great to have you back! You've worked on so many cool projects in the past. What drove you to start your own as Double Dribble? For a long time I just really loved being the ideas guy and the designer for clients that I really respected and admired. A lot of creatives that I know will work freelance and their own thing at the same time but to be honest, having my own thing never really occurred to me or didn't make sense. I love clothing and design but I never wanted my own namesake label. Double Dribble was first conceived through a t-shirt I worked on for The Letterbet for the 2019/2020 NBA Season but never really built out after that. This year I just started thinking about doing my own thing more and I liked the vibe of that t-shirt and how it didn't take itself too seriously. For me to start something on my own, it couldn't be too serious, in a way, or I wouldn't enjoy it. So, what exactly is Double Dribble now? A clothing brand? Something more? It's definitely a clothing brand first but I do want to do more with it soon. The clothing is just an entry point but I really want Double Dribble to become this basketball led community initiative with pickup runs in Montreal - and maybe other cities afterwards - as well as fundraisers, programming for women and children through basketball and I'm also working on a book! Very cool! How do you feel the basketball scene in Montreal is right now? There's definitely room to improve! I see a much bigger basketball scene in Toronto or Vancouver. Soccer is like what basketball is in those cities here in Montreal but a lot of people out here play. Not a lot of parks have basketball hoops here so that's one barrier. Canada is becoming such a big basketball country now so I want Montreal to be a part of that. So starting with clothing, what is the design inspiration behind the products? Although I don't personally skateboard, I'm really inspired by skateboard culture and how it has become so engrained into pop culture so, naturally, that had an influence on this. I wanted this to feel like a skate brand for basketball and keep things fun and lighthearted. Most of the graphics are inspired by old sport logos from the 90's and early 2000's. I kept it rather simple for the initial launch and I plan on bringing in more graphics and different pieces down the line. I don't want to be that brand that only makes a few of their pieces and nobody can get it. I want everyone to purchase Double dribble and be excited to rock it. How often do you plan on releasing new products? So instead of regular drops or following a fashion calendar, I'm going to follow the basketball calendar. I launched when the NBA season started, I'll have a drop for All-Star Weekend in February, a drop for playoffs, the finals, etc. I think it's a fun and unique way to do things and really keeps the focus on basketball. My biggest thing for releases though is I want the brand to be accessible. I don't want to be a cool guy brand. I don't want to be that brand that only makes a few of their pieces and nobody can get it. I want everyone to purchase Double dribble and be excited to rock it. Are you still playing basketball these days? I'm not - and it kills me. I had a bad injury not too long ago that stopped me from playing which is so hard for me. Basketball was everything for me from the moment I can remember. I played so much, it was engrained in my fashion choices, it led to the people I became best friends with and it inspired so much of my work. Now I hope to at least be able to use Double Dribble to create an avenue for others to play and meet through the sport. That's too bad! You make a good point about basketball being such a strong channel to bring people together. That's so true! Absolutely! Sports in general are so great for that. Basketball especially from all industries. It connected fashion to sports through Jordan and Nike, it connected with skateboarding, it connected with music. It's also influencing how I build my team and work with people. I treat it like putting together a starting five. I think about what I'm good at and where I'm lacking and then bring in my guards, my shooters, my centers etc who can help me create something killer and operate like a well oiled machine. That's a great analogy. We're excited to see what you and your "team" accomplish soon! What would you say is the long term goal for Double Dribble? I just want it to bring more basketball into the community here and continue to build greater communities all over the world one day. That might be through clothing, charity work, books, or other stuff. I'm still early to this and figuring it out but I love basketball and would be happy to see Double Dribble share that love with more people I love. Follow Double Dribble on Instagram for updates on their new drops and some of the best basketball content and keep it locked to Pier Five for more conversations with creatives like Albert coming soon!

A Conversation With Cal Green of Raised By Wolves For over a decade, from Canada’s capital city of Ottawa to Montreal and back again, Cal Green has been at the forefront of the nation’s streetwear scene. As a trained graphic designer who felt uninspired by traditional design roles, Cal found happiness in entrepreneurialism, linking up with long-time friend Pete Williams to start the famed streetwear brand Raised by Wolves, and put Canada on the streetwear map. We got the chance to speak with Cal about navigating through the last year as an entrepreneur, supporting his community, putting together a cohesive collection that can speak to the masses and tips for the new generation of designers. As fellow Canadians, speaking with Cal was an absolute pleasure and we know the reading won’t be any different. Hey Cal! Thanks so much for taking some time to chat with us. The first thing we want to talk about is production. One of the core pillars of Raised by Wolves is the “Made In Canada” mantra. Why has producing in Canada been so important to you and Pete for the brand? When we started the brand, our collections were quite small and finding local suppliers seemed like the easiest way to get things made. We had no idea where to start looking overseas so we found a local screen printer to do our tees. After that we got a connection to a knitting mill and so on and so forth. Our production network in Canada grew over time and has become one of the cornerstones of the brand. While it wasn’t a consideration at the start, we grew to really value supporting domestic production and the local economy. Ensuring factory workers are paid fairly in a safe space and that we’re minimizing our environmental impact by avoiding shipping overseas is super important to us. We know that producing clothing isn’t a sustainable practice but doing it locally is at least a step in the right direction. We also try to use as much existing or deadstock materials as possible. Do you think that being Canadian played to either an advantage or a disadvantage during the development and growth of the brand? When we started there weren’t many Canadian brands around yet. I think it helped define us for sure. Ultimately I wouldn’t say it was advantageous or not but it helped shape the brand internally because we were so separated from the industry. We had to learn everything on our own by observing what was going on in places like New York and LA where there were strong streetwear subcultures at the time. Fall/Winter '21 Details Raised by Wolves has worked hard to uplift local communities, especially during covid. Why has this been so big for the brand? It has always been important for us to have a strong local presence and community support. We gained traction early on by throwing club nights and events, so we began to build in the community that way. With covid, our business basically ground to a halt when all of our factories closed. We knew that other businesses were going to have a hard time. We started a series called RBW Support Local to highlight Canadian artists and small businesses in our community doing great things. It was a lot of fun and we saw a number of other businesses coming together to do similar things. I think covid forced a lot of people to get creative and step out of their comfort zones while helping one another. We also used that brief pause as an opportunity to publish Braised by Wolves , a digital cookbook featuring recipes from local restaurants, to raise money for the Ottawa Food Bank. It is still available online and has raised just over $13,500 at the time of writing this. Definitely agreed! Speaking of RBW Support Local, who are some up and coming Canadian brands or artists that you think are doing great things right now and deserve a shoutout? Oh man, there are so many people killing it right now. Jeremy Karl - Amazing designer who always impresses with his ability to seamlessly mesh military, luxury and tech. Most recent work includes Arc’teryx System_A and NOCTA. Excited to see what’s next. Colin Meredith - Incredibly talented and inspiring designer making techwear/gear by hand from scrap materials. Has done everything from work for Louis Vuitton to making an entire collection with products from Dollarama. Tam Vu - All around great dude and Beast Bowler. His eponymous label and art biz is one of the most exciting projects that I’m watching right now. Courtney of @idorugsnow - The most fun! The giant burning cop car rug Court made for us is dropping soon. Penny of @torontodenimrepair - Love this project! Garment repair is super important and undervalued, in my opinion. There is no better way to make something your own than to wear the shit out of it, fix it and keep wearing it. Would love to see more of this in general, not just with denim. My friend Katie grew up around sewing/the garment industry and recently discovered her love of quilting .. and she’s a natural! Keep an eye out for some RBW work ;) Julien Arphi, the designer behind atelier DNHN , is doing some really amazing upcycled work. He makes ball caps, apparel and accessories from scratch in his Montreal studio. When I say scratch, I mean he is literally making the visors and sweatbands. Over the years, RBW has graduated from a couple tees and hats to large collections and collabs and now Fall/Winter ‘21. Can you break down your process for developing this recent collection? In terms of designing a collection, I start with the season. Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer. That helps determine the weight of the fabrics I’m using, what kind of garments or accessories I’m going to make. I tend to design for Canadian seasons, although that’s not necessarily the most practical approach for customers in warmer climates. After that, I’ll sort of build a skeleton collection, really it’s just written down - what product categories do you need to design for, headwear, outerwear, bottoms, etc. Depending on the season and my interests at the time of designing, I’ll come up with a broad product type, like “polar fleece half-zip” and do a bunch of research on that particular product. I ask myself what are my favourite versions of this product. Vintage Patagonia? Is there a military reference? A sportswear reference? I’ll make an image folder for each product, save a ton of images and break my favourite pieces down. I like this zipper. I don’t like these pockets. It’s a bit like creating a Frankenstein product. I nerd out about the smallest details. And then you have to ask yourself how can I make this mine? How can I change the fabric in a way that’s unexpected, but still references workwear or whatever you’re doing. How will it be branded? This is more or less how I approach the design of each particular product, but then you also need to take a step back and look at the collection as a whole. Is it cohesive? Does it make sense? I honestly don’t know how other people do it, but this makes sense in my head. Coming up with specific products can be challenging enough, but finding the manufacturer who can actually bring these products to life, the way you envision them, is another beast altogether. Many manufacturers have a niche and are good at producing a specific type of product. Finding the right manufacturer can be a challenge, but worth the effort when you do. Fall/Winter '21. Shot by William . Modelled by Kevin . Rug by Courtney . You and Pete have been working together all the way back to the very early 2000’s and built some incredible things together. What are some tips you’d share for fostering a strong business partnership that can last for decades? Pete and I met in middle school and started hanging out in high school. We have a lot of shared interests and values which brought us together. Good communication is super important. Being aware of your individual strengths and weaknesses. Make sure that you’re both putting in equal efforts. I think these are some of the things that form the basis of a strong partnership. Photo: Pete (left) & Cal (right) from wayyyy back. What is some advice you’d give to new designers trying to turn their passion into a business? You have to do it for yourself and because you’re passionate about it. Don’t do it because you think it’s going to please others. Don’t let a lack of information stop you from trying to make stuff. Do your research, teach yourself, refine your craft. Take risks, but know when to play it safe or say no. Lastly, what are you working on these days that you’re excited about? We have a bunch of exciting collabs in the works. Some footwear, headwear and amazing accessories. Not going to share more than that, but they’ll start rolling out soon! I’m also really excited to introduce our upcoming alpha/beta line we’ve been developing with Julien Arphi. This collection will consist of one-of-one or super limited runs of upcycled/recycled apparel and home wares made by independent artists, sewists and designers. The focus is on using our samples, defects, returns and overstock fabric/trims as well as military surplus, vintage denim, etc. alpha/beta is a reference to the hierarchy or pecking order in a wolf pack. alpha products get to eat first so to speak. They get access to premium materials, are more experimental, one-of-one pieces. beta products reference alpha, but are more accessible and produced in limited runs. delta products are accessories, made of scrap materials from the entire process. The pandemic made us realize just how much material we have accumulated over the years. We’ve never destroyed anything, as is unfortunately commonplace in the industry, so it was important for us to challenge ourselves to use these materials to create new products. I hope to see more of this kind of thing throughout the industry. Photos: Materials and wash tests for alpha/beta line. Make sure to check out Raised By Wolves Fall/Winter '21 collection out now on the brand's website and follow their instagram for updates on the alpha/beta drop and more great releases coming soon. As always, keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more.

Putting In The Hours With Jess Sanchez of Santa Isla A common through line in entrepreneurship is resilience but the idea of always "pushing through" is often easier said than done. What helps is having something to push through for and Jess Sanchez, founder of Colombian-Canadian jewelry brand Santa Isla has a thing or two to say about purposeful commitment after building her business across the world for over a decade. Created with the Embera Chami (meaning people of the mountain in their traditional language) artisans of Colombia, Jess has fostered a community around her Colombian culture that shines light on this centuries old art form that she knows she can never stop supporting. We got the chance to speak with Jess about her ups and downs as an entrepreneur, how she has adapted the business over the years between multiple countries, the reality for anyone looking to start a business, and where she hopes to take the brand next. Read the full interview below! Hey Jess, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! For those who aren’t familiar, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your business Santa Isla? Absolutely! So I'm Jess, the founder of Santa Isla which is a jewelry brand. Santa Isla is my love letter to Colombia. It's an exploration of where I come from, woven with my Canadian identity. I consider the pieces of Santa Isla little tokens of Colombia for everyone to wear and hold. All of the pieces are made with lovely Embera Chami artisans who weave spiritual intentions that you can hold and feel. Looking back at your Instagram, it seems the brand has been around for a while but evolved quite a bit throughout the years. How did it start and what was that evolution like? It started 12 years ago when I came across these Embera artisans in Colombia and really loved the bead work they had created. I bought two pieces and was wearing them around in all of the big cities in Colombia I was travelling to and so many people were asking me about the necklaces, what they were and where they came from. It was a bit dumbfounding to me, like "how can something that comes from here and is so rooted in our heritage be so unknown to so many of our people" and it pushed me to spend more time learning about this craft and the history behind it and made me want to make some of them myself. I spent a lot of time trying to find and connect with these Embera artisans to learn and once I did, that's where Santa Isla started; but it was a passion project, not meant as a business. To learn more about the Embera Chami, click here. For almost 8 years I was making really extravagant and large pieces but it wasn't until 2 years ago after a bit of a break during COVID that I started to pivot to merge these traditional techniques with more fashion-forward designs like rings, anklets and necklaces that are the driver of the brand now. Wow, so you've really put in the time to build this! Absolutely. As an entrepreneur, you have to put in the time. I understand that the time part isn't very sexy. We don't want things to take time. We want them to move but unfortunately - or maybe fortunately - it's really an exercise in patience. You really have to put in the time to get to know your business and your offering and then you can't stop. You spoke about this fairly significant pivot from more traditional to fashion-forward pieces. What was the reason for that shift? After so many years of creating these traditional pieces, which were mostly bought as display or art pieces, I decided I wanted the brand to be more accessible and in order to do that, I had to change the offering. Once I started getting into smaller, more fun and easy to wear pieces, it completely changed things for the brand. Was it scary making such a big change like that? I've had so many moments of doubt and asking myself, like "what am I doing" but I think that those moments of reflection are really important. As an entrepreneur, there are going to be so many moments where something isn't working but you can't stop; but you can pivot! The place you start might not always be the place you finish and that's ok. The important thing though is just don't stop. We love a brand with purpose and it seems that Santa Isla is exactly that. Can you speak more about that connection with the Embera Chami artisans and the part it plays in the brand? That is everything for me. That is my "why". For a brand, I think that your story is everything. Running a business is not easy but it's much easier to stick with it when there's something attached to it that's outside of you. Working with and supporting these artisans is the only reason that I've kept going after all of these years. It was hard and for a long time I wasn't making money but I kept on going because these people are amazing and they've been helping me learn more about my identity so how can I not continue to give back. As Santa Isla grows, where do you hope to see the brand go long term? If there was another brand I had to compare Santa Isla to, I'd want it to become like a Telfar where everybody has one, and it's cool that everybody has one. I want us to be worldwide with drops selling out and me being able to get Santa Isla into the hands of everyone, being accessible. I want it to be the marker of a community where everyone is proudly wearing Santa Isla and supporting this culture. Love that! Lastly, on your crazy journey with the brand, what is one piece of advice you'd give to an emerging entrepreneur? If you're ever feeling stuck or down, go help somebody! Even with a simple compliment, it can change people's attitudes and if you can find ways to then weave that into your business, it changes the game and can be a big motivator for you to keep going. If you want to become a part of the Santa Isla community, make sure to follow them on Instagram for news on all of the brands upcoming drops and keep it locked to Pier Five for more conversations with creative entrepreneurs coming soon!

About Pier Five is a platform built to showcase and support creatives, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Through unique events, fundraising programs and content series, Pier Five has built one of the largest founder networks in Canada, generated countless connections to help owners grow together and provided over $250,000 CAD in funding to small business owners since 2022. Pier Five is a platform meant to inspire. Started through a need to connect, Pier Five was launched as an interviews platform during the pandemic in 2020 to uncover insights from creative thought leaders and inspire the next generation that is looking to turn their creative passions into a career. Pier Five is a platform built to connect. Now with one of the largest networks of cr eatives, entrepreneurs and small business owners in Canada (and beyond), Pier Five leverages its connections and expertise to develop insightful content, funding programs and unique experiences to uplift those looking to make their dreams a reality. Gone are the days where being a doctor, lawyer or engineer are the only successful career paths. The sky is truly the limit and Pier Five wants to help everyone get there. We are always learning, together. With every new meeting and each new conversation, we are learning and becoming more curious about ways to make an impact on our creative entrepreneur community. Have a story to share or an idea for an event? Send us a message anytime at community@pier-five.com or on IG @pier.five . We'd love to chat and see how we can work together! - Jeff & Julian