Sky Hi Kids is an apparel, photography and film crew based in trend-setting Southern California. Through their strong ties in the dance music scene, the team behind SHK (Sky Hi Kids) continues to inspire artists and fashion lovers alike with their bold and edgy clothing line. We went behind the scenes to learn a little more about how the collective was founded, and the bass music that influences their creations.
What’s the backstory behind Sky Hi Kids?
The idea of Sky Hi Kids started in high school, back in 2010. Our first few designs were drawn on a pad of paper, really just for fun. It soon became a speedy race to create our first collection. The crew consists of Pup Boulger, Kevin Conner, Anthony Milone, James Swubz, Adrein Horan, and the Kotob family.
What inspired you to start designing apparel?
What motivated us to start designing apparel was the fact that we knew we had ideas that were worth something. Not necessarily money, but the fact that we knew we could catch the public’s eye through apparel.
Where do you draw inspiration for your designs?
All of our designs have been created through something we have experienced in life. Whether it is slang we use, something we have seen, or people we have met. We make sure to carry the impact it has made on us to our clothes so we can share the experience.
Tell us about some of the musicians Sky Hi Kids has been involved with? Which musicians are currently repping the brand?
We met a lot of producers through our relationship with Future Events and by reaching out to other artists who we thought highly of. We have our own SHK mix series that has featured mixes from Trollphace, Vodex, D-Jahsta, Dark Elixir, Shiverz da Butcher, Bloodthinnerz, JPhelpz, and we’ll be featuring a new artist for Volume 8 soon. We did an interview with SpaceGhostPurrp & Raider Klan and filmed their Boiler Room cypher in L.A. Over the course of a few months, we filmed an artist profile video for Protohype, which ended up being one of our favorite projects. We have been very fortunate overall to gain support from many artists with our clothing: Beezy, Protohype, Getter, Trollphace, Jakes, Hatcha, Definitive, Gentlemen’s Club, Dark Elixir, Megalodon, Vodex, Twiitch, D-Jahsta, Pavarotti, Badklaat, FuntCase, 12 Gauge, Shiverz da Butcher, Mutated Mindz, JuJu, Roto, Raider Klan, Bones & Xavier and Wulf.
What is your most popular piece, including past collections?
Our most popular piece to date is our Lucy Tabs Tee. The graphic consists of an I Love Lucy silhouette, where we placed what looks like a sheet of acid over her face.
Who are some of your favorite DJs/producers at the moment?
Zhu, Trollphace, Protohype, Jakes, Getter, Definitive, Oliver Heldens, Metro Boomin’, Dog Blood, Shxdown, Coffi, Don Cannon, Deemed, Wobad, and Ponicz.
Tell us about the other aspects of SHK media like event photography?
It started as a way to showcase our clothes that were being worn at music events, and [just] grew from there. Our first video project was of Megalodon’s 2012 European tour. Following that, we made after-movies for almost all of the Future Events shows! We do all of our photo and video work in-house, but are not opposed to working with other photographers/videographers in the future.
What projects should we look for this year?
We are nearing completion of our first ever SHK collaboration with a well-known dubstep artist. This has been a long time coming, so we’re stoked to finally see it happen.
What street wear trend do you feel is on its way out this year?
People will probably get tired of all the hats that started from the Pharrell-style hat he wore at the Grammys two years ago.