Weekend Issue #02 Winter 2016 The Trailblazer 1
Trailblazer 2
This is a story of carving a new path. Issue #02 features creative individuals who challenge the system in order to reach their goal – Jeff Yokoyama transforms clothes destined for a landfill into luxury apparel, Sean Starky breaks ground on a shop that could legitimize bodysurfing, and the Three Day Weekenders remind us that undiscovered pockets of earth surround us – you just have to look. In these 99 pages you will find inspiring words and beautiful images. Images of a world that is growing and changing. We celebrate those who embrace change with style, and never stop exploring. Here’s to the trailblazer. – G. 001
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the Aloha Ambassador Grant Wensley & Luke Toohey I N T R O D U C T I O N & P O R T R A I T : Grant Wensley INTERVIEW: A man picks through garbage. He makes a living from others’ waste. Experienced hands toss aside mediocre items and find the familiar grit of denim. Jeff Yokoyama hoists a pair of 20-year-aged Levi’s 501s and smiles − the jeans are perfect raw material for his luxury clothing brand, Yokishop. Yokoyama is a seasoned entrepreneur – Yokishop is the fifth apparel company founded by the Japanese born fashion designer. Yokoyama creates a full collection of surf-inspired pieces, from T-Shirts to outerwear, using only garment waste. In 1965, Yokoyama and his family drove north from their Los Angeles home for a camping trip at Gaviota Beach Park. When they got there, 10-year-old Yokoyama hiked down the Central California bluffs to explore the beach below, and ended up two miles north of camp. High tide flooded the narrow strip of dry sand and pushed Yokoyama against the rocky cliffs. Thinking quickly, he climbed a drainpipe to the road above. In the brush beside Pacific Coast Highway, he found something that changed his life forever − his first surfboard. The board was beaten up and waterlogged, but Yokoyama kept it anyway. Soon he couldn’t get enough time in the ocean. With the freedom of a driver’s license, Yokoyama and his friends spent their weekends exploring the California coast in search of uncharted surf spots. After graduating from high school, Yokoyama moved to Oahu to find laid-back energy and consistent swell. Three years later he returned to California determined to build a career around surfing. That career turned out to be fashion. Unlike his dentist father and brother, Yokoyama is an artist. He became a hairdresser in Newport Beach, and designed custom clothes in his free time. In 1981, he founded Maui and Sons. The surf brand rose to fame with its ‘60s madras-print board- short line, and unique “Sharkman” mascot. Nationwide success was exciting, but as the company grew Yokoyama lost creative control. In 1989 he sold Maui and Sons to private investors who took the brand worldwide. Over the next 20 years, Yokoyama created labels Pirate Surf, Modern Amusement, and Generic Youth. As at Maui and Sons, each project reached a point where creativity needed to be sacrificed for mainstream success. Yokoyama sold his companies to Quiksilver and Mossimo and resumed doing what he loved – creating unique clothes for family and friends. Yokoyama sits at a design table in the center of his Newport Beach studio and flagship store. The orange walls are covered with retro-cut board shorts, beach towel sweatshirts, and hand-drawn Yoki-isms such as “Design Different!” and “Give mucho aloha!” Yokoyama wears patched maroon pants, a Reyn Spooner featuring Duke Kahanamoku, and no shoes. His cat-eyed glasses and pearl-white pompadour are replicated on Yokishop’s cartoon pelican logo. Yokishop is home to three labels: ¥ $ , luxury items; Pidgin Orange, a Hawaiian heritage line; and Yoki’s GARDEN, university spirit wear. Yokoyama handpicks fabric from the Goodwill distribution center and NCAA uniform office. With the help of his assistant Sergio, Yokoyama crafts everything in house. Yokishop pieces feature alternative materials, simple pattern placements, and hand-stitched logos. At 60, Yokoyama still surfs daily, and prefers barefoot skateboarding to get around town. World-renowned fashion designers and champion surfers are his close friends, but he remains humble. Run into him at the beach, and he’ll greet you with an ear-to-ear grin, and a two-handed shaka. Yokoyama is the aloha ambassador, and spreading surf spirit is his life’s work. 006
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