Last weekend in Los Angeles, DC Shoes and Pac Sun threw a party at the Fantasy Factory to celebrate the holiday season release of the DYRDEK Collection, a new apparel venture by Rob Dyrdek through DC Shoes. Refreshments were courtesy of Belvedere Vodka and those in attendance got to see Gucci Mane perform live. Large productions are nothing new to Dyrdek, especially at the Fantasy Factory. With no shortage of fanfare, each year Dyrdek outdoes himself whether he's stunning MTV viewers with his antics, flipping a car over a giant skateboard or buying skate distribution companies. When you add Street League to that list it's a wonder he has the time to sleep, let alone put a clothing line together. Fortunately he spoke with ESPN.com by phone to shed some light on how it all came about.
ESPN.com: As a skater you've accomplished a lot, but where does the "DYRDEK Collection" brand rank on that list?
Dyrdek: It's a different type of thing. For me DC is such a part of who I am on many levels. You have to understand, I built this sort of amazing world and DC has been along for the ride with me the whole way. From designing all the signature footwear to helping me build the first skate plaza and helping start my skate plaza revolution, which led to doing the DC video which led to Rob and Big and MTV and eventually supporting Street League.
DC is such a part of everything that I've done for so long that this was the first time I really focused [in on my own]. Rather than work with a designer at DC who works on a bunch of different stuff, and help me put together a little collection, I brought someone in-house full time to really build a brand within a brand, that I can be proud of and build a legacy with and have around for the next twenty years. It's a much different approach. It's a great opportunity and it's something that will be at the forefront of my focus for years to come.
You currently have a Rob Dyrdek Signature Collection with DC. Explain the difference between having signature products and having your own line?
All my current shoes are still under DC and really the line is still a DC line. Eventually it will evolve into footwear and apparel with head to toe kits that are completely fully a part of the Dyrdek collection. Even the stuff in the line currently is blending into the whole collection in itself, having the same point of view.
In your opinion what sets your brand apart from others sold at skate shops?
I think there's this sense of skate-athletic that DC owns. When we first launched DC we did it because we skated in skate shoes and chilled in running shoes. When DC launched they were the first true skate-athletic brand. That point of view not a lot of brands can pull off. What I really did with this line is embrace the traditional value of that skate athletic vibe.
You're talking about the same vibe that existed when Droors first started?
Yeah Droors and really DC -- period. DC was the first skate company with running pants and innovations like technology applied to the apparel and skate footwear. It was ground-breaking stuff that set that precedent to where it doesn't look strange to see a DC running shoe. It has that athletic heritage to where it makes sense, whereas it would be really strange to see another skate shoe that would be a running shoe.
The release party was great! How did you make that happen as well as having Gucci Mane perform?
I had a lot of parties here, man. That party was without a doubt the best one I ever had. We chose to have Gucci come by and Chris Brown just happened to show up so they did a song together. It was completely unplanned, but to be honest I've had a lot of parties here and that one was the best. But all the credit goes to DC and Pac Sun, they worked their butts off to make it that.
Will your brand have a skate team and if so can you clue us in to who you have in mind to put on the team?
I haven't explored that yet. Long term that's something I'd love to do. I'd love to have a core unit of different types of people that were connected directly to the brand. I'm still focused on creating my point of view and coming up with great product concepts and really separating it from DC -- and being its own brand is my focus now.