Slapshock is a legendary band among not only rock but OPM in general as well. Coming from a sound and work ethic that has captivated rock and metal fans here and abroad, the band has established themselves as icons. True enough, they have earned it.
That cred has earned them the right to dare make a brand centered among themselves and their fans. The aesthetics remind us of stuff we would purchase and wear which brings their brand to this page. One look at the designs and you’d be reminded of what you’d wear with your favorite sneakers and other hype stuff in your arsenal.
Ladies and gents, please welcome Jamir Garcia, Slapshock frontman and co-founder of Destroy Clothing.
First off, how did the brand come about?
In the early days, we are one of the few bands that release band merch. We knew that eventually, we would need a stand-alone brand name to translate other ideas that I have instead of just Slapshock- related stuff. Destroy was the name we came up coming from the first line of our song “We Are One.”
Was it a conscious effort to make a standalone brand that’s not named after the band?
I think it was because of being with Dickies for so long that I kind of learned the ropes on how to build it.
They are very supportive and didn’t treat us as a competition. They know we learned from it from them and even supported us in some of our releases.
What are your influences when coming up with your designs for collections?
We are a very rock-oriented brand. We love playing our music and translating it to some kind of merch.
Collaborative efforts with our in-house artist PJ Cabasal who design for us exclusively. Mainly it’s like writing music. We want to constantly evolve and keep it fresh.
With the new normal situation, how does Destroy adjust to it?
I think brands and bands are getting hammered by the pandemic. We didn’t stop creating; I was on the phone a lot and made sure I designed those face masks and snapbacks so when it’s all good we would have products to sell.
Same with music I guess, I had so much time which is what I needed to come up with songs and merch ideas so I took advantage of the opportunity to do both during the lockdown and it worked out well.
Can you cite an inspiring situation with the brand?
We just get inspired by the Slap Armies that wear them.
It’s like an identity for us that’s truly overwhelming. Also, the people who line up every release date – those are the moments that we cherish.
As a musician and an owner of a brand, are there key similarities with running both?
You need to keep writing and releasing music to promote your brand. You have to do both.
You always have to stay relevant and make sure you’re fresh. The same thing goes for your brand.
Your message for Slapshock / Destroy fans and This Is Hype readers, please?
Slap Armies, thank you for always believing in our ideas. Thanks for supporting Macbeth and Destroy. Kapit lang, we’ll get through this together and we will come back with stronger. But for now, we want you to stay healthy and be an inspiration to everyone. Hanggang sa muli.
Do check out Destroy Clothing via their FB page or shop from their Lazada store.
