Perth based StreetX have been going strong for over a decade, building not just a dedicated fanbase, but a rich brand story that founder Daniel Bradshaw adds another layer to with each release.Ā
The brand is known for its graphic tees and hoodies, but the StreetX product range is so much more – from high quality sweats, to puffers, fleeces, and accessories. It takes time for start-up brands to build depth to their range, but itās something StreetX has been doing for years.Ā
Bradshawās personality shines through in StreetX – the brand is playful and doesnāt take itself too seriously, with an understated coolness and a commitment to quality.Ā
One of the things I appreciate about StreetX is the brand storytelling – each drop has a clear theme and purpose behind it, and nothing is done in halves. I caught up with Bradshaw recently to talk about Perth, the future of StreetX, and whether or not theyāll ever set up shop on the east coast of Australia.Ā
Letās go.
StreetX founder Daniel Bradshaw
Q: The brand seems to level up with each and every release. Is that just a natural progression of StreetX, and do you feel pressure in the planning process to keep levelling up?
“Itās definitely a challenge to keep getting better but itās not just me working on it – we have a whole team which makes it easier – weāre pretty much looking a year ahead. Obviously, there is a lot more to the brand than me – so we all work together to drive the brand forward. There’s no outside pressure, we are doing what we love – it’s a lot easier when we get to set the benchmarks and not follow others. The only pressure comes from the high expectations we set for ourselves.
But itās all just projections as well – weāre making what we think will be the next hitter, but itās just based on what we think and what we like – itās not a science. Weāre still learning as we go. The focus is and always has been on our community and our customer.”
Q: As the brand keeps evolving, do you see any changes in the StreetX customer base? Youāve been at it for over a decade now, is it still young males buying the product or are you seeing a shift in demographics?
“I think itās still pretty similar – stylistically I havenāt changed much since I was 18 – Iāve just turned 31, Iām still wearing all the same sort of stuff and what I make is still along those lines.So I think our target market is still in that same realm. Iām not trying to make āold manā clothes and I certainly don’t care about being a trendy ‘cool’ guy.Ā
There are a lot of brands at the moment trying to make more sophisticated, tailored garments – like an Aime Leon Dore for example, who lead the market, and a lot of brands who want to shift their audience away from the kids – they want more affluent consumers.
ALD are amazing and what they do has shifted the market, however there’s just multiple brands that are direct replicas these days. It’s a funny one to watch, if you aren’t being yourself it’s not gonna work!”
Q: I want to ask about Perth. A lot of people talk about the isolation of Perth and being so far from the east coast of Australia. But youāve really bucked that with the success of StreetX and showed that you donāt need to be limited by geography. How have you seen the Perth streetwear and fashion culture change over the years?
“Iāve always thought Perth has a good streetwear culture and I’d say now weāre probably the strongest in Australia – weāve got multiple great stores and vertical brands, especially in the menās space.Ā
Obviously we do have such a small population but from that comes opportunity – we are isolated, so it forces you to work in certain ways and be more resourceful. Itās not like in other cities where everything is at your fingertips.”
Q: Anytime I chat to anyone from Perth who has migrated to the east, they still have such a deep love for Perth, itās a lot stronger than I think people feel about being from Melbourne or Sydney. Perth people are always repping their city, and I feel like thereās probably a strong culture of supporting local brands, would you agree?
“Yeah, people do love to champion local stuff here. You get some people who are crazy for it and treat it like a cult, but at the same time the nature of it is youāre always going to get people who knock it. If you look at Melbourne and Sydney, they’re such major cities, people there feel less inclined to support locals because they might think they donāt need to – theyāre more likely to look at other global cities.”
The StreetX retail flagship in Perth
Q: Speaking of global relevance, you spend a lot of time abroad! Whatās the appetite for StreetX like in other parts of the world?Ā
“I mean our core market is obviously Western Australia and then the east coast of Australia, but weāre doing stuff in the US and hopefully Japan is coming on soon as well. We did the Carrots pop up in LA pretty recently so we do have some presence there. We’re just turning our European distribution back on now as well after a brief pause during covid.”
Q: You do some really notable collabs – whether with Carrots or Huffer or RVCA or others. What are you looking for in collabs, whatās the core reason youāre doing them?
“It’s just working with people you like! Thereās no cold emailing brands and saying āhey we want to work together!ā – thatās not what itās about. Weāre not a big corporate business, itās about working with people you like and having fun together.”Ā
Q: It looks like your retail store in Perth thumps pretty hard. Would you ever consider a retail space on the east coast of Australia?
“Yeah, I think 2024 would be most likely. 2023 is pretty mapped out already in terms of whatās happening and the products weāre releasing. It would be great to have another space and to have one over there somewhere.”Ā
Q: Lastly, can you give our readers any sneaky info on whatās coming up for the back half of the year?Ā
“Weāve obviously just done the collab with the West Coast Eagles for the Derby which is great. We’re also about to release a cool collaboration with one of the best grappling brands in the world. I’m a massive fan of martial arts so weāre excited for that. We’re working with Craig Jones whoās probably one of the top couple of guys in the world, and weāll have the release out a few weeks before ADCC which is the big grappling tournament over in Las Vegas.
October is slammed with our first venture with pro skater, Ish Cepeda and his brand Gas Giants releasing. Alongside with that, a tee with Australian cricket hero Mitch Marsh, for the World Cup in Australia.
The marquee collection of the year comes in later October with Crocs – it’s been in the works for almost 18 months so we’re looking forward to that. We’re the first brand in Australia to do it so it’s something we’re very hyped on.
Then in November weāve got Black Friday stuff and the Football World Cup. Thereās heaps going on.”Ā
