Bobby Hundreds Walks The Walk

Bobby Hundreds has always been ahead of the curve.

The streetwear legend turned festival organizer turned NFT proponent is one of retail’s most innovative thinkers. That’s why, despite his self-admitted lack of surf knowledge, the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association selected Bobby to speak at their annual summit in 2018. The now well-circulated speech became something of a modus operandi for many surf brands to embrace diversity and, by doing so, open up surfing to everyone.

Fast forward three years and it’s clear that Bobby has not forgotten his message to surf industry execs. The Hundreds have just launched a collaboration with surfer-artist and Grateful Dead collaborator Rick Griffin with a look book featuring the crew from Black Sand Surf.

Per his Instagram:

Three years ago, I was invited to speak at the SIMA Surf Summit in Cabo. They asked me to share with the surf industry what made streetwear such a popular fashion statement with global youth. I didn’t talk about rarity or limited edition. Not once did I mention collaborations or sneakers. Instead, I talked about streetwear’s inclusive nature – from the fits and silhouettes to ownership and marketing assets. Contemporary streetwear’s most remarkable characteristic – that distinguishes it from other fashion movements throughout history – is that it is powered and illustrated by people who reflect the diverse makeup of the world. Black, Brown, Men, Women, skaters, surfers, streetwear accommodates all. Tonight, we debut our capsule collection with the late Rick Griffin @rickgriffindesigns, the legendary surf artist who is perhaps best known for his covers and posters for Grateful Dead. In shooting a surf-style lookbook, it was important for us to feature models who aren’t just from our community, but representative of the entirety. We want to thank Brick, Gage, and Tre from @blacksand.surf for making our collaboration look good and reflective of the culture. But, also for their work in diversifying the lineup and making the waves welcome for everybody.

A fashion company creating a line of surf-inspired gear is nothing new, but there’s fresh energy in this one. Bobby elevated a grassroots, local LA organization that aligns directly with the beliefs he laid out on the table in 2018.

Click here to shop The Hundreds x Rick Griffin. Here’s to more of everything THIS in 2021 and beyond.