Jon Cronin’s Stream Of Consciousness

Interesting look from PSFK at a well known brand removing it's logo from the label.

A little while ago on PSFK we let you know about creative mastermind Rick Klotz’s new campaign to make Freshjive clothing logoless and brandless. PSFK spoke to the man behind the line himself to set the record straight and see what directions he’s planning on taking the company in the coming year- and what it really means for a brand to shed it’s identity. Additionally, Rick has provided PSFK with some exclusive images of his new logoless pieces and a glimpse into the Freshjive Studio.

PSFK: I guess first off, can you tell me how you formed the company and what your original vision for it was?

RK: I started Freshjive in 1989 while attending my last year in art school here in Los Angeles. I was really into skateboarding all my life, and then snowboarding and surfing. And I was immersed in the Los Angeles punk rock scene in the very early 80s, and then the club and rap music culture of the mid to late 80s. And I always had an interest in men’s style and fashion. But I couldn’t see myself designing actual “men’s fashion” and the skate and surf clothes at the time didn’t appeal to me. Just wasn’t my vibe. So I naively started Freshjive with t shirts and shorts to more reflect the mixed influences of my life at the time. I must admit that I was way too inexperienced to have some sort of “vision” of what I was doing. I was just kind of figuring it out along the way.

PSFK: Do you believe that the new logoless-less label is in itself a new logo? Are you trying to completely un-brand Freshjive and have it be an anonymous line, or are you trying to reign- in the image of Freshjive through taking away it’s logo recognition? Is this the end of the Freshjive logo or just a redesign?

RK: Well the new logoless label can be considered a logo in itself. But it’s not quite new, as it’s just the same labeling we’ve been running on our garments, less the brand name on it. Hopefully, the company will be anonymous on the retail floor, but it’s still the Freshjive company. It is some form of re-branding as opposed to an un-branding you can say, but it still is taking off the existing company logo/name which in one form or another, in various typefaces has been in use since 1989. Yes, you could say I am trying to reign-in the image of Freshjive through taking away its logo recognition. There’s a lot of baggage in the name, and I thought to myself I could just get rid of the baggage by just dropping the name. And a couple more things: 1) it just looks bitchin’ without any names on the labels. And 2) it’s a total mindfuck.