THINK GLOBALLY - ACT LOCALLY : Michael Kopelman

[ german version of this article you'll find exclusive in the printed issue 3 / 05 of stw2d! ]

Our title claim and theme throughout this issue isn’t about slamming globalization, nor is it meant to stir negative feelings in our readers, nor is it meant to whip you up in a frenzy and go smash up the next McDonalds on next years May Day Riots. More than anything it is meant to promote some more free form thinking in our readers and ourselves which then can and should be applied to our surroundings. There has been a lot of negative press surrounding the phenomena termed “globalization” in recent years, that in combination with an ever growing and merging European continent, combined with an economic recession in Europe has caused a downcast and serious negative vibe among us. Additionally, politicians seem to have nothing more on their agenda than to get re-elected by any means necessary, and that does sadly include stirring up old fears such as losing ones national identity, racial, ethical and religious differences and economic hardship and things don’t look to brightly. However, don’t let yourself get fooled into depression and helplessness. Sure, the incredible amount of information that we are bombarded with on a daily basis mostly cause a feeling of overwhelming helplessness, since everywhere we turn we are confronted with disdain. Yet, that is exactly where our theme comes in. First the bad news though, no one is going to help you make things better. Secondly, it is entirely up to you to change your own state of mind, your situation and the situation around you. Don’t let the mass media fool you, you can change things and make them work for you, which is how we came to the decision to talk to Michael Kopelman, and not just because Stüssy is turning 25 and is driving everybody nuts with their 25 special collaborations. Let’s be honest, generally the opinion in our industry is that things aren’t too great and that it used to be all better before. Even though that might be a semi-accurate statement, there are people and brands out there that make it work for themselves. It is a question of strategic approach, philosophy and execution that sets brands like Stüssy, Gimme5, Supreme, PAM, Visvim, Good-Enough and A Bathing Ape apart from the rest. Michael Kopelman is the man behind all these brands in Europe, and consequently is also the man that made London and thus the whole of Europe that what it is today. What would London be without stores such as HIDEOUT, Foot Patrol, A BATHING APE BUSY WORK SHOP and the Stüssy Store? Those stores and the brands they carry have always stood at the epicentre of all that’s exciting, cool and wanted in London and Europe and they are all incarnations of Michael’s doing. Not only does he sell & represent these brands but he’s actively involved in their design and marketing, a part of the whole. It might well that Michael took a lot from his Japanese peers when it comes to long term thinking and planning that sets him apart from the rest of the industry and now ensures his success. He took what he saw on his travels around the world, the things he was taught and told from friends and peers such as James Jebbia and Hiroshi Fujiwara and applied it to his home, London. It is Michael’s continuous success story that embodies our title claim more than anything else. It is possible to use the positive aspects of globalization as long as you can balance them out on your local level. I had the opportunity to meet up with Michael in London and talk to him about what it means to think globally and to act locally, how it worked it for him and his business, the Stüssy 25th Anniversary and why in time of perceived recession he’s smiling.

Stw2d: How did it all start for you?

Michael Kopelman: I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s and was obsessed with pop music, pop culture and clothes. I spent my first pocket money on records. I always loved comic books, cartoons and anything that was of the moment.
I worked for a commodities company after leaving school at 18. My father got me the job there and I started as a messenger/ tea boy. I worked there for 12 years and I did many different jobs. I often used to go home after work and sleep so that I could go out later and check out music in clubs or concerts and DJ. It is hard to believe but Hip Hop was really underground at the time and there were only about 3 people in all of London who had two decks and a mixer to DJ with, it just wasn’t done. There weren’t that many DJs at the time in London, hardly any at all and I used to play at WAG Club in Soho (now closed), it had two floors, one played house music and we used to play upstairs in what they then called the “Rare Groove” floor. We used to play with the guys from Soul 2 Soul and that was the summer of love in England, people started taking ecstasy and craziness like that.
Sartorial correctness was vital and I was always keen to have the best stuff I could lay my hands on. This could be anything from street stuff to high fashion Japanese stuff to second hand. My parents were living in NYC during this time and I went over a lot. I had a great friend from London – James Lebon who was working there as a hairdresser. We hung out and I met a lot of great people like Jules Gayton, Paul Mittleman, Tim Easton, Albert Ragusa and Lysa Cooper, for example. I got to learn a lot about NYC by being there through the 80’s. James Lebon used to be on the door of the first Hip Hop club in London, the Language Lab – he was the 1st rapping hairdresser (Sexify You). I was always into music. We got into the culture through music. New York was a really exciting place to be in the early 80s.
I used to get boxes of clothes from Stüssy at work, and people, especially those I was working with, just didn’t understand it all. In London to wear Stüssy was a very big deal, wearing American streetwear back then was completely new and different, something, in a way, we could make our own. Stüssy was right in the middle of that. I had a leather track suit from Run DMC that I bought in Fulton St. Market which Tim Simmon borrowed and wore in his Bomb the Bass video. My friend James had custom made MCM track suits, custom made shoes, which, at the time, was crazy, but that was what it was all about. I just really wanted to be involved in the culture.
I thought about what I wanted to do when I was made redundant, and I went over to California to see Shawn and talk to him about what he was doing. I thought that I could probably really make the business work for him here in London.
I knew Paul Mittleman from NYC, he had been over a few times before and he was working for Shawn already. I had been part of a DJ tour for Shawn Stüssy in Japan. I re-met Hiroshi Fujiwara there – I met him 1st in Camden – we were both buying the same records! Shawn was a really great friend and inspiration for me.
As his business wasn't working in the UK I wanted to work for him. I had some severance money and I started my own t-shirt / distribution company called Gimme5. I represented Stüssy, Hysteric Glamour and Judy Blame. I also brought in Levis jeans and Jackets (the Vintage Japanese collections) over to the UK. There was no going back to wearing a suit every day!

You brought over the Vintage Levi’s to the UK?

Levi’s had no idea of their heritage, they didn’t know about selvedge denim at the time, they didn’t know about the Big E’s, they knew nothing. Levi’s Japan had the original looms and were making amazing denim in Japan! You could buy it there and re-sell the denim in London because people just loved the vintage clothing, especially the authentic old, deadstock Levi’s. It was a big deal to have those at the time. I remember being on an American plane and the stewardess saw the box I had with original Levi’s in a box with a price tag on it, and when she saw it, she went mental, because the jeans nearly cost as much as her monthly wage at the time. People would pay between 300GBP and 400GBP then for a pair.

Who and what were some of the influences that made you want to get into this business?

Shawn Stüssy was a huge influence on me. He took me to Japan and I met a lot of great people there. I already knew Paul Mittleman from my time in New York and through him I had also met fellow London boy James Jebbia, the owner of the Stüssy Store in New York and President of the enigma that is Supreme. I think his work is a credit to Stüssy- I love his New York store.
I really like Hiroshi Fujiwara. We share a love of music, film, snacks, magic, parasites and other crazy stuff. We began working together on the GoodEnough brand. I took a lot of inspiration from him and his crew.
I also took lots of inspiration from Nobu Kitamura from Hysteric Glamour. I was making Hysteric Glamour clothing as well as GoodEnough product in the UK. I worked with many brands in the Nineties like Mr. Freedom, Haze, GFS, Supreme and Christopher Nemeth.

What do you perceive Stüssy to be?

You can find the answer and much more interesting stuff exclusively in the printed issue of stw2d!