Degree of Separationby Justin C. F. LintagPhotography credits: Mario Soriano and Elixir GarciaIn this day and age it seems as if the fashion market, especially in the ‘street’ or ‘urban’ fashion realm or whatever you want to call it, is continually being saturated by too many mimick brands.  Brands duplicating other brands, and design after design being regurgitated.  Founder, Dennis (Liquid) Arriola, represents a separation from that creative stagnation.  He stands for the step ahead, the early adopters and the forward-oriented minds in the culture.  Coming right out of our front yard, Vancouver, BC, he’s putting himself in a list among few streetwear innovators in the city.  When you think of the name, Killa, you may automatically think of a designer with a hard, maybe even criminal-orientated mentality, but that’s all in its ground up history and foundation. What began as simplistic b-boy apparel has years later become a coalescence of that street-cultured creativity with a dedication to cutting edge design and supreme quality garments.  The clothing that he pushes keeps its founding elements in tact  but tweaks it to a degree that sophisticates it more to the speed of modern consumers.  We were also accompanied by Canadian rap trailblazer, Red 1, who came on board as Dennis’ new co-partner to help manage the business.  We got to talking about all the fine details of the clothing label and the partnership, from its background to its aesthetics, and also Red’s own record label.  And from that conversation came some really enlightening things about the industry and the brand development but more intriguingly, the futuristically directed, tunnel-vision minds of Dennis and Red.  Ultimately, it was just good to have the chance to pick the brains of some of Vancouver’s own pioneers and envelope pushers.

My deep apologies to Dennis and Red for the long delay of the interview being posted.  I’d like to think the timing is alright since the new shop’s been opened up.  Check them out in Gastown @ 48 Alexander and on the newly renovated website here: Killa Shop

Let’s get the basis of your company described, how long have you been in the industry?Dennis: For clothing, 8 years but i didn’t start producing t-shirts till 3 years ago you know.So it was strictly street?D: Well it was strictly b-boys thats my background.Is there a certain meaning to why you chose Killa as a brand name?D: Well “killa” has been around for a while, it’s a slang term it’s like, “killin it”.  It comes from the east coast but a lot of people from the west coast use it.  It’s universal so we just did it up.Can you talk about the upcoming line?D: It’s gonna be like alot of collaboration with technology.  Basically Killa is wearable electronics. So it’s technology and textile and it’s never been done in the street before.  It’s been done in the snowboarding scene but it was really expensive like $800 for a coat. Now I’m bringing it to streetwear where a hoody will cost $150 or a jacket for $200 and it’s real cheap with the iPod and solar integration.Can you talk about what you were addressing earlier about the solar power?D: It’s new to streetwear but it’s been out for a while they had solar crystals, and now they have these flexible fibres with solar and it’s light enough that it can go into textile.  So it’s been done with bags and stuff and I saw that and thought damn, we should put that into our clothing since we wear clothing more often than our bags.  So just integrating it and developing it with people from Germany and then getting the highest end quality, not a lot of people are doing it right now.Where did that inspiration come from?D: Shit, Science Fiction, you know what I mean? Like George Jetson, he’s got clothing that moves, that talks and he pushes buttons and stuff happens like magic.  So that’s where we’re going with our wearable electronics, you touch something on the sleeve and it skips forward and backward, adjusts volumes.  The “tee” has been done, it’s been done over and over, every color-way possible, but technology brings something new.  It’s always moving forward, it’s always changing especially when you look at things like the iPod or the iPhone.  It’s the illest shit.  It’s your own personal media like a small little laptop that you don’t have to plug in.  So you never know, maybe 10 years from now you can do a whole jacket with a full keyboard on it…and get beamed up. Haha.Where have you been selling the line?D: I started really wide, but now I’ve picked the best shops that are pushing their product.  I’ve taken the line out of all the other shops and kept it to the key pushers right now and it’s all local.Speak on the shop you’re opening up.D: It’s gonna be located in Gastown, 48 Alexander.  It’s an old part of Vancouver like we’re sitting on an old heritage building, the old steamboat spot, near the trains.  The design inside is going to be clean.  The guys who make our hoodies are the same guys who manufacture Supreme and Alife.  It’s done in this city, it’s like top secret and I’m getting that quality. They’re making my stuff equivalent to the highest quality in streetwear.So will it be in the same price range?D: Naw, I’m going to push them cheaper because I’m making it for the masses.   For my hoodies I’m going to have two different levels, I have a slim fit and a regular fit.  Regular fit’s for everybody so it’s going to be cheap, but more expensive for the high end slim fit with Louis Vuitton zippers, like the polished aluminum, like the shit on their purses.How did you get to connect with all those superior manufacturers?D: It takes time.  When i started 3 years ago it was really low end and it was just t-shirts.  I was doing all the printing, shit was coming off when you washed it the first time.  It was ghetto.  But it’s really about building a name ‘cause then you get funding as you move along.  When you have a brand that’s known, it’s someone noticing who you are and your brand direction, it’s different, it’s going to make money.  So that’s why these guys, CYC, said we’re going to move our hoodies through these guys.  They don’t just admit anybody.  Because my shipment is big, now I can flip color-way like Bape.  Hopefully, I’ll have hoodies where if you want to, you can come through and upgrade your shit.  I want those to be limited, though and the people will know about it through our website.This is going to be the new East Van crack.  It’s going to sweep the nation, it has high end Louis Vuitton zippers, it has 25 oz. Heavyweight cotton in the fleece jersey.  It’s going to be the brightest colors, it’s going to be switched up with a headphone holder, Bluetooth ready, iPod ready.  Once you pair your device up, you can have your phone in your bag or pocket and it’ll ring and you can pick up your call with the hoodie switch if you have your headset on.  The switches on the sleeve are just like magic paper, it has fibre optics plus it’s washable and lightweight.  Now with the shirts we’re gonna use Wings+Horns blanks, high quality and fitted.What are your plans in taking it to that next level?D: I’m going to take it to New York, try to get it to all the high end shops with exclusive stuff.  Cali, all the main stops.  Japan. Germany.  That’s why I need to start with my own shop to solidify my home.  Then that will take me, because you need a spot, a retail spot, a blog, you need all this stuff.  It’s good if you can solidy homebase first.  Like how Fleuvog has that, upstairs they design and downstairs, retail.  That’s what’s gonna happen with us too, it’s gonna be like a workshop.  Development shop and retail.Now Red, can you give us some insight as to you pairing up with Killa and obviously Dennis?Red1: D would always hit me up and support what I was doing before we decided to make this little venture.  I did a video and he came down with his boys, because him and his boys are actually always dancers for our videos.  So you know since then and before then I’d have shows, I’d call him up, “Yo, I need dancers”, and he’d show up at the show with a bunch of b-boys for me always holding me down.  So when he told me he started a clothing company and he said “I need you to come model for me”, it was no problem.  He always shows up for me.  I went down to do the photoshoot for the first catalogue and we just started working together more.  With the new lines coming up I get the call like, “Yo Red, new lines here, I got the good stuff meet me at my house.  Then he’d just throw me a bag full of clothes.  Then it became let’s hook up and do something for fashion week.  And we did something where the models were coming through and we came up and performed after.  He said to me, “we’re always doing these collabos, you’re always rocking the gear. We should just come together and do something”.  So we just decided Killawatt, Killa.  Haha you know.  You know I’m into fashion and I like to think that I keep it fresh.  I was really impressed when he came up with the jackets where you plug in to your iPod and you control it through your sleeves.  That was another level of innovation that was something extra.  I like the way he thinks.With the brand are you gonna be putting a more creative hand in it?R: For sure. My role is..we’re partners, we’ve got a store.  He’s pretty much got a line and been designing and me, I’m a man of fashion so where I come in will definitely be on some “we need to design shirts like this” but for the most part I’m gonna leave it up to D, that’s what he’s been doing and that’s his forte.  I’m going to be down in the store, I’m going to have my input like if something’s coming out and I don’t think it’s hot.  I’ll definitely give my opinion.So are you gonna be the face of the brand as well?R: I’ve already been doing that, I’m in all the ads, I rock the shirts because I ACTUALLY LIKE THE STUFF.  But for the most part, yea I’ll be out there trying to promote our store.  We came up with this idea together like we should make something..I actually came up with the name.  I put the name Vancity to Vancouver.  Haha.D: haha like the bank, right?R: Haha, it’s not a joke.  Back in the day we’d be on tour and everyone would be screaming T. Dot and everybody has these names for their cities and we’re out, “Ye Rascalz, we from Vancouver” haha and it just didn’t have that smash.  So me and Misfit had a meeting like “Yo what are we gonna change this to, VCBC?, etc”.  We come up with all these names and we say you know what, “VANCITY.  We’re gonna call it Vancity, simple.”  And every time I hear someone say Vancity on the radio, on TV, on Sports News, I laugh inside.D: We can take that back.Red: Take it back? It ain’t gone nowhere.  I did it.  Nobody can take that from me. I did it.  We ain’t taking it back from nobody.There’s those shirts though, Vancity shirts.R: That’s me. Me and Martini.  “Vancity”.  Red1, I made that.  That’s why you see Red1 rockin’ this shit, matter fact go to Martini and ask him, “wow, how did you come up with such a great idea buddy?” Ask him that. Real talk.Alright, haha.  Well since we’re here, might as well talk about the hip-hop.  Can you shed some light?R: Well with me, I’ve got a label called Killawatt Records and I’m working with this artist by the name of Heatwave, MC, like the Fresh Prince of the city.  Got an R&B singer by the name of Lamar Ashe and we got a rap group that’s kind of like my Dead Prez/Mos/Talib style called Plazma.Where they from?R: Plazma’s from Toronto.  Lamar’s from Halifax. Heatwave’s from Vancity.  I wanted a wide range of artists that represents across the map.  But I don’t want to take on too much because it’s like I can go up and say I’m signing this guy, this guy, this guy and have the world on my label but really and truly for it to be successful you have to be able to just focus on what you’re doing, you know what I mean?   You can hear music from all the artists at killawattrecords.ca.What’s going on with the rest of the Rascalz?R: ‘Fit’s in Eugene, Oregon right now.  He opened a restaurant out there so it’s kind of hard when you open up a restaurant, to get away.  He comes up every now and then.He still rapping?R: Yeah he still does his thing.  He’s not really on it like he’s got to get an album out right away.  But when he has new stuff he’s definitely telling me to check it out.  Kemo did the big tune with Kardinal and Akon with 3 million downloads on iTunes. That means 3 million people actually paid for it, you can imagine how many people didn’t.  Shouts out to Vanguards, Kemo for that.  Me and Kemo we’ve got the same studio still and I was in there with him till 7 o’clock in the morning.  It’s still the same man, honestly not much has changed in my life since I was 16, 17 in high school dropping records.  It’s just get up, do our thing, go in the studio at night time and make music.Dope.  Well alright, thank you for giving us this interview. Do you have anything else to add?R: Killa.ca if you want to check us out on the gear, my website is Red1music.com, just look out for big things, we’re gonna put Vancity back on the map. Fashion. Music. Lifestyle. Culture.  We’re definitely gonna be the leaders and the rest are gonna follow.  So follow the leader baby.