I remember first stumbling on Warriors of Radness during a trip to Fairfax back in 2008 with my boy Drew. From the gate - it quickly escalated to being one of my favorite brands - quality fit with custom cuts, vibrant colors, simple designs - it was great. It doesn't feel like its been almost 5 years since the first WOR post - but it has, and OSTT has been a supporter from jump. News broke yesterday that American Apparel has acquired Warriors of Radness, and I can't front - when I first heard the news, my jaw dropped. With the way things have been going there lately (closing down the Reserve store on Fairfax, designers breaking off and starting their own company, etc) - it was clear to see that a lot had changed from the days when you would head to the Reserve shop for a shirt and have Tyler the Creator or Taco from Odd Future ring you up (yes - they really interned there).
I know a lot of their core supporters are going to call them "mainstream" and stop supporting - but I think the better approach would be to hold off judgement until you see the product that is developed under the new regime. Based on the promo video it looks like the designers and core team are sticking around - so let's see what happens with the clothes (that's what matters, right?). Promo video, press statement, and vintage pictures of OFWGKTA at The Reserve after the jump.
‘We’ve Sold Out! The Battle is over but the WOR has just begun”
That’s right. We’ve sold our souls to the largest manufacturer of garments in the USA: My old friend Dov Charney and his American Apparel Company have adopted the the unruly West Coast bastard stepchild of California Style: Warriors of Radness. We now have the muscle of an almost 600 million dollar behemoth of garment manufacturing behind us. Eat you heart out.
