Tribal and the Cultural Legacy of Streetwear

PREFACE

G. JAMES DAICHENDT

I am pleased to present a series of chapters, essays, and personal reflections that explore the various dimensions of Tribal Streetwear, a company established in San Diego that seeks to represent a variety of subcultures including graffiti, street art, tattoos, lowriders, music, skateboarding, surfing, and breaking to the rest of the world. In addition, Tribal has strong Chicano roots in its aesthetic and since its inception in 1989, the impact of its designs continues to balance the precarious act of being relevant and responsible with its resources.

The edited volume uses Tribal as a lens for examining the history of streetwear and the subcultural aspects that make it such an exciting development in cultural studies, art history, and sociology. This text also accompanies a significant exhibition at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido that will explore these subcultures visually.

In the summer of 2019, thousands of fans flooded the Broadway Pier in San Diego to celebrate 30 years of Tribal Streetwear. Rows of lowriders and custom cars with candy-coated finishes wowed visitors as they mingled among the vendors, food, music, drinks, and skateboarders. Inside, a carefully curated art exhibit featured artists who have collaborated with the brand on clothing designs over the past three decades. Titled The Legacy Show, the experience exemplified these creative subcultures and the corresponding visual language that has made the San Diego-based company more of a lifestyle than a brand. From the sounds of skateboard decks banging on the concrete to the buzz of a tattoo gun or the hiss of an aerosol can these disparate disciplines all find a home in a clothing line that symbolizes and represents their collective interests and identities.

I hope each of these chapters collectively furthers our understanding of how and why Tribal is able to be more than a clothing company to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. While streetwear fits within the larger discipline of street culture, an emerging academic field interested in understanding urban environments and the disparate subfields that involve practices, styles, and values, studying Tribal in-depth allows us the opportunity to move beyond generalities and consider the real thing as it continues to evolve year to year.

SECTION 1

INTRODUCTION TO TRIBAL STREETWEAR

G. JAMES DAICHENDT

G. James Daichendt is an art critic, curator, and art historian that writes for audiences inside and outside higher education. He is the author of seven books, including Robbie Conal: Streetwise: 35 Years of Politically Charged Guerrilla Art (Schiffer Publishing, 2020), The Urban Canvas: Street Art Around the World (Weldon Owen, 2017), Kenny Scharf: In Absence of Myth (Cameron Books, 2016), Shepard Fairey Inc.: Artist/Professional/Vandal (Cameron Books, 2016), Stay Up! Los Angeles Street Art (Cameron Books, 2012), Artist Scholar: Reflections on Writing and Research (Intellect Books, 2011), and Artist-Teacher: A Philosophy for Creating and Teaching (Intellect Books, 2010). Daichendt is the recipient of a 2021 Lifetime Achievement award from the Office of the President of the United States for his service to the arts community. He has also authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and art reviews. Daichendt currently serves as vice-provost for academic studies and dean of the colleges, which includes the College of Arts & Humanities and the College of Natural and Social Sciences at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. He is the founding and chief editor of the academic journal Visual Inquiry: Learning and Teaching Art and, in addition, holds two master's degrees and a doctorate from Harvard University, Boston University, and Columbia University.

THE LEGACY OF TRIBAL STREETWEAR

G. JAMES DAICHENDT

INTRODUCTION

Streetwear is a core aspect of street culture and is arguably the most widely seen characteristic and expression of this concept. Backing up further, the concept of street culture is a broad term used to capture a variety of subfields connected to urban environments that involve dispositions, practices, and styles (Ross et al., 2019). Tribal Streetwear, based in San Diego, has embraced many of these subcultures that would be considered part of street culture and their location in San Diego has helped create a unique mixture of expressions that are represented in their products. The articles of clothing produced by Tribal, including shirts, pants, jackets, hats, and a variety of fashion accessories, have become symbolic of these subcultures and are distinctly rooted in their community, and have progressed from reflecting a culture to being a hub for culture making and artistic production. Over the course of 30-plus years, Tribal designs and their collective influence have spread well beyond southern California to communities around the world. For example, it's not unusual to see Tribal retail stores in Asia, an international breaking competition produced by Tribal, or a martial arts event in Europe surrounded by Tribal banners. The distinct cultural components that were once only part of southern California street culture are now global in the twenty-first century as subcultures travel faster and farther than at any other time in history.

While Tribal is a brand, it is also representative of a variety of lifestyles and activities that include aspects of the previously mentioned subcultures, which include graffiti, street art, tattoos, lowriders, music, skateboarding/surfing, and breaking. Much like the Tribal T-Star logo that is made up of several small T letters that form a star in the negative space, the subcultures that inform and reflect Tribal's ethos and philosophy come from many different corners of southern California, yet they find a home in Tribal's aesthetic, the people associated with the company, and the shared experiences of street culture. While one can name each of these subcultures, too often they blend together and create a street cocktail of mutual admiration and creative expression.

Through the following pages, I present a general introduction to Tribal that contextualizes the brand within the history of streetwear. In addition, southern California as a location and inspiration for each of the street cultures mentioned plays a major role in the Tribal's connection to the street and its reach globally. By examining the development of streetwear through the lens of Tribal, the following essay also provides a distinctive history and a better understanding of the development of streetwear as a concept. While Tribal is no longer a small niche brand, it has remained closely connected to the streets. The tensions associated with good business practices and/or entrepreneurship while maintaining a close connection to the roots that inspired Tribal are an important component of its ongoing story. As streetwear companies become larger or extend beyond their base audience, it could be argued that their connection to the street (or street culture) is lost, an aspect that Tribal has strove to maintain throughout its development from a T-shirt company to a major brand.

STREETWISE

The loyalty that individuals have for Tribal goes much further than simply wearing an item of clothing while participating in a form of street culture. It's not unusual to see Tribal designs tattooed on skin, graphics applied to custom cars, or custom jewelry featuring the logo. There is a multitude of visual evidence and creative ways that folks have used to demonstrate their allegiance to Tribal and what the brand represents to the individual subcultures. So many of the creatives associated with the brand have also created paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures that include the T star logo as a sign of respect for the brand. These examples number in the thousands as one can see a few hundred just by walking through an art show sponsored by Tribal or a community event held at their brick-and-mortar location. The T-Star is sometimes intertwined with imagery or a larger story, and in some cases, the logo actually becomes the subject matter itself. In this way, the T-Star logo has become a symbol of affiliation to a club, or culture, or in some cases, it's illustrative of a person's identity.

The representation of the subcultures listed and their connection to Tribal goes beyond the visual representation of physical things and includes active culture-making as well. Each of these subcultures (or perhaps Tribes might be another way to think about them) lives within Tribal headquarters in their downtown San Diego offices. The Lower Left is Tribal's San Diego-based retail store and within the overall complex, one can find a skate shop called Slappy's Garage, a plethora of tattoo shops, a tattoo supplier, several artists’ studios that range from music to visual, and a garage that always has a few lowriders parked inside. Frame the entire structure in graffiti, street art, fine art by hundreds of artists, occasional food trucks parked outside, and music blaring from all corners of the structure and you get the essence of how these subcultures crossover into the brand and represent a lifestyle. More than just a retail location, it's a destination that facilitates events, shows, and experiences every few weeks that attracts visitors from around the world.

As I have demonstrated, Tribal clearly takes inspiration from the street but the street also supports Tribal. This circular formula appears to make the streetwear company more relevant and important to each of the subcultures mentioned. While the design and fashion of Tribal products change over time, there is a general belief that the product is not intended for the masses. On more than one occasion, I’ve heard from street artists, lowrider builders, or streetwear aficionados that Tribal has managed to keep it real for all these years by staying true to their inspiration and by not adopting a pattern nor selling through big retail outlets. There are a number of streetwear brands that have become luxury conglomerates and big companies like Nike and Adidas have joined the ranks as streetwear designers. By fusing fashion with activewear, companies like Nike have made a huge impact on streetwear but they are often criticized as having more in common with McDonald's than Chanel (Tungate, 2012).

Yet it's the growth of small skate companies like Supreme who have become billion-dollar companies that are somewhat concerning to fans of brands like Tribal. What was supposed to represent something unique and particular like Supreme has become generalized and overly commodified through its growth and move into luxury goods. In a similar fashion, big businesses like Nike have capitalized on the streetwear aesthetic with their own lines of clothing and products. This transition into another market by these big companies points to the relevance of streetwear worldwide. While neither example is framed in a negative or positive manner, Tribal exists somewhere in between these extremes. They have taken cues from the street and grown into a worldwide brand, yet somehow still retained a local San Diego flavor that makes them distinctive and personal. Bobby Hundreds (2019) writes about this struggle when he debated whether to sign a licensing agreement with American Eagle Outfitters and how that partnership would change his streetwear company The Hundreds. It's a balancing act that results in fans of the brand acknowledging their realness and genuine interest in street culture. In fact, it's more than being a fan, one feels like they are part of a community. A feeling that a big brand cannot replicate at the grassroots levels and something luxury brands leave behind when they move into the high fashion world.

TRIBAL BEGINNINGS

In the spirit of punk rock and alternative fashion, streetwear has a history in the do-it-yourself (DIY) movement and mantra. Mainstream companies didn’t make clothing that was adequate for alternative subcultures like the punk, hip-hop, and skateboarding communities. Instead, these groups often created (or adapted) their own clothes that had an attitude, aesthetic, and/or feel that represented their interests and identities. The aesthetic was something that could not be faked because you had to be part of the culture to understand it. In a similar vein, DIY fashion in the 1960s was considered an alternative to consumer-created culture and it involved thrifting or repurposing older clothing products. We see similar movements in the art world during this time period when performance art, earth art, and other postmodern art practices left the art studio or traditional gallery to make art outside the traditional marketplace. This rejection of commonly held practices suggests that there is not one way to make art and that the major markets are missing what is happening in these smaller communities, especially the street.

Streetwear is connected to this DIY history but deserves its own branch as it materialized as something distinct in the 1980s and 1990s. Often associated with countercultural activities like graffiti, street art, hip-hop, skateboarding, and surfing. All these subcultures maintained a casual style that typically consisted of sneakers, T-shirts, and ball caps. These items sometimes were silk screened in places like skate shops and bypassed much of the ordinary retail channels and were available in limited quantities from a local retailer. Many artists like Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf in the 1980s and later Shepard Fairey in the 1990s made small runs of T-shirts and other items and sold them through local venues while pushing their art careers forward.

In November of 1989, Tribal Streetwear was founded by brothers Bobby and Joey Ruiz. Bobby, the younger of the two, was curating a graffiti art benefit show and was looking for supporters in and around San Diego. This is how Bobby met Carl Arellano, who offered to sponsor the exhibit. Arellano owned a silk screening business and this partnership allowed them to print their designs on simple white T-shirts. Joey's designs were inspired by his tattoo design and Bobby was drawn to his history as a graffiti artist. However, most of the company's initial imagery was infused with Mayan and Aztec lines and shapes—a characteristic that was instrumental to the name Tribal and an aesthetic that has become synonymous with San Diego and its diverse community.

California and New York were two of the major epicenters for streetwear in the 1980s and 1990s. Largely because the subcultures associated with streetwear thrived in these major metropolitan centers. Bobby and Joey's connection to the tattoo culture of San Diego was one of the aspects that made their design unique from other streetwear companies developed at this time. Add to it, their unique Chicano aesthetic, and a new brand was born that represented southern California and a variety of street culture touchpoints that were dear to both Ruiz brothers. Far more than a trend in fashion, streetwear histories are less about a development in fashion and more of a pivot back to the community and making clothes that reflect what is important to them. In this case, the artists, athletes, and creatives sought out the Tribal designs because they represented what was important to them.

Reflecting on these early influences, Bobby Ruiz (2019) says:

My brother and I grew up in south San Diego and later Mira Mesa, so we brought the lowrider and Chicano-style graffiti culture to the skate and surf communities. All these things combined to establish an open-minded aesthetic that continues to this day.

This mindset is what allowed the brothers to start something new that reflected what they cared about and something that was missing from other clothing styles. In a similar vein, street art developed because traditional artists took notice of trends in the graffiti world and were able to capture some of these elements and combine them with aspects from the fine art world that resulted in a new category or type of art making (Daichendt, 2012).

The designs continued to evolve as the brothers sold more shirts in the community and their name became a bit more well-known and respected. Eventually, Bobby started to invite other artists to contribute designs to the brand. Whether these collaborators came from a hip-hop, graffiti, or tattoo background, these artists brought their aesthetic and then became part of the unfolding story of the brand, extending the influence and a stronger association with the subcultures related to the particular artist. Going forward, partnering with artists and creatives for clothing designs, car shows, and art exhibits has been a large part of the way culture has been created at Tribal. Some collaborations result in a new product while others may just be an opportunity to create something special like a concert or experience. This may be a lowrider show over the weekend, a location for a print drop for local artists, or a one-day art show to feature friends of the brand. In more recent days, social media collaborations are more common as Tribal will often share their followers with another brand or person closely connected to a street culture to cross pollinate their shared interests. This has resulted in community events where there will be giveaways, food, and/or music to celebrate events or just to help the community. In every case, hundreds of visitors and participants will be wearing Tribal gear even if it's not an opportunity for purchasing merchandise.

As the network of artists widened from these humble beginnings, the language and audience of Tribal also grew in reputation. These collaborations with artists have remained a central part of the design process for the company as it reflects the aesthetics and issues of importance within the street culture. There is a soulful connection to the various subcultures as they are directly connected with the brand because of friendships and a history of shared experiences over the past three decades. The imagery may seem somewhat darker and edgier to the newcomer compared to large commercial brands, yet it's just light and accessible enough to be understood by outsiders. This is a balance that enables Tribal to be deep-seated within the street culture with a variety of insider symbols and references yet digestible enough to be worn by every member of the family.

STREETWEAR IN THE 1990S AND 2000S

The term streetwear eventually caught stride in the 1990s and was generally understood to be in alignment with the various subcultures referenced earlier. The clothing style also evolved to include several variations that were reflective of the country or city it was from, but the base of T-shirts, hats, and sneakers remained the same. While there are a variety of price points for streetwear, the connection to the street is central to its success. Street artist and founder of Obey Giant, Shepard Fairey describes streetwear as

much more populist than fashion, it has a very strong do-it-yourself mentality and is very avant-garde, in the sense that it doesn’t follow the obvious design cycles of fashion […] I also think that that streetwear has a certain level of pride attached to it, unlike fashion, since it is made for individuals, and people with the same ideals as you.

(Vogel, 2007, p. 192)

In this way, streetwear is practical and is meant to be worn and seen. It's less about a high-end concept and represents the here and now.

It was during the 1990s that Tribal took part in several trade shows that facilitated their exposure to the expanding market. The Action Sports Retailer Convention (ASR) was a surf and skate trade show that was based in San Diego for twenty years (in California from 1981 to 2010). ASR held its trade show at the San Diego Convention Center twice a year and it attracted visitors and retailers that sought the latest trends and fashion. This big show however did not fit the emerging street culture-inspired brands like Tribal and an alternative location appeared to be the best