THE ART OF INVISIBLE

For our taste, this is quite possibly the sickest
xB ever commissioned. We had to meet its creator...

Besides having a really cool first name, Andrew Lee is a designer who simply embodies the culture of “street couture” as we’ll put it. Andrew grew up in NYC during the ’70s and the ’80s. His designs and creations reflect that upbringing in every detail. It seems like if nothing else, his goal in his creations is to represent where he is from and stay true to its fullest sense. Some may see his designs as morbid and dark—this is only partly true as there is so much more to them than first meets the eye. Apparently many agree. Andrew has worked his magic for the likes of Stussy, Neighborhood, T-19, RealMadHectic, es shoes and more. His “invisible:man” clothing line has also achieved cult status worldwide. Andrew has also opened two stores here in SoCal. Don’t be surprised if a few celebs start rocking the invisible:man brand—though talking to Andrew—that would probably piss him off. Recently Scion commissioned Andrew to apply his same vision of the street to their xB. In our opinion, it’s probably the most badass xB ever created—all flat black and on top of that, built to rally! You know that got our attention! Collaborator, Gary Castillo at Design Craft, had given us a heads-up on the car during its build but when we stumbled over it in the flesh on the floor of the SEMA show, we flipped. We had to get the story on this badass ’B.

How did you get into the streetwear “subculture”?
I was born into it, running the streets. Skating the streets. Learning everything I know
from the streets...I pretty much was born and raised in the street...so it being labeled a subculture by everyone doesn’t make any sense to me...it’s just all I know. Being raised in New York and becoming an adult in the city, you’re surrounded by fashion and beauty and diverse lifestyles. I embraced my surroundings, and now, it’s who I am.

What was it like to start your own brand and create your own designs?
It seemed natural... I created my own thing because I was bored with what was going on. There seemed to be boxes drawn for you. Labeling you by what you wore. You wear this, you’re a punk rocker, that and you’re a skate rat, or this and you’re whatever... well, I liked all of it, so I took bits and pieces of everything I loved, and mashed it all together. My ideas, and background, and interests and
loves and pains...

Who was the first major clothing company that you got to work with?
I’ve had the pleasure to create a few things with some major companies, God knows why they’ve asked me of all people (laughs) but I’d rather not lay them all out, there’s a few that people know about and more I did without signing my name—collaborations, and freelance and whatnot—I’ll play the humble
card on this one.

Why “invisible:man”?
Well, in a nutshell, I think a brand’s popularity should be based on how sick the brand’s products are, not if they are famous already from whatever else, or because some puppet in the media wears their garbage...that doesn’t make the half-ass crap they release any better. It should all be about the product...rendering the people behind the scenes “invisible.” How far will you go to disappear?

Where do you get the inspiration for your designs?
From living, punk rock, Slayer records, the street, the news, realities, the beauty and horrors of life...all the things people are deathly afraid to talk about at the dinner table. Things we should talk about. I tend to mash those things into your grill.

So you like punk rock? Ok, I have to ask. Who rocks more? The Ramones or the Sex Pistols?
I’ve been in a bunch of bands, and I love music… any band with heart and something to say I will give a chance...Sex Pistols, ehh...I was never a fan...Ramones were great...so many great bands... This could be another interview.

Have people tried to knock off your stuff or bite your designs?
All the time and I don’t care...some people are ‘I did that first’ types.
And get all bent about it. If you’re confident in whatever you are doing, that shouldn’t matter. And you know you’ve made it once your shit gets bootlegged—imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, no? Everything is a version of something else anyways.

You’ve been all over the world. NYC, London, Tokyo, Berlin and now you’re in Orange County. Where do you think the streetwear culture is the strongest?
I’d say New York. Everything comes from NYC...then it gets aped and bit and robbed by everyplace else...NYC makes it, Tokyo buys its, London wears it, and Hong Kong resells it. I’m not even going to touch on ‘California’...

Was designing the Scion your first time working for an automotive company?
Yes; I was surprised I was chosen. But I knew exactly what it would look like the day I was asked. I had two mapped out in my head in like 10 minutes...my first choice was to chop and extend it, and make a hearse...second, rally...it was way too much cheddar to chop and extend, so rally it was.

How much interaction was there between you and Gary over at Design Craft during the build of the xB?
I came up with a sketch, Scion approved it, I met with Gary and mapped out the build, he and Len Higa banged it out.The xB looks like a pretty bad-ass, rally-style
car.

Are you a rally fan?
Rally is completely 100% foot-to-the-floor, worry-about-it-later racing...it’s sick. Jumps in a car? And now in the games?! I’m in, I’m down, where do I sign up? I’ll drive the C16/Scion/Design Craft Fabrication/invisible:man rally racer...watch out Pastrana, I’m coming to get you...I just don’t think anyone would co-pilot with me after seeing how I drive my own whip.

Oh really? And how do you drive your own whip? Are you a madman behind the wheel?
Not really, people think NY drivers are insane, and I’ll agree, but we aren’t driving faster than 15 mph! I’ll cut you off, and steal your parking spot all day long, but Cali drivers are out of their minds and when it rains nobody knows what to do...it’s comedy...I could go on for days about rubberneck people too...I have loads of accident pics, too. I always keep my camera in the car. The 405 is insane.

Have you driven the xB since it was finished?
I wanted to take it to Sheep Hills (BMX trails in Huntington Beach) and jump it, and roll it off cliffs…no dice...I think after the year of car shows, they need to get it to us to “test drive”... that truck shouldn’t be sitting in a warehouse, it needs to be driven...how sick would it have been, to show a destroyed/mashed/jumped/ abused car at SEMA? That’s next man. Give me space at your booth...the MASHED section.

What do you drive?
I drive a black Cadillac Escalade...what do I want to drive? A 1968 Plymouth Hemi Roadrunner, 2-door with a 528 Hemi Striker 4–speed, flat black and covered with blood, of course.

What’s with the splattered blood look? It’s cool but one can’t help but wonder about the idea behind it.
The splattered blood...people always grab the murder/rage/death/morbid side of it, which I do embrace, but my use of blood a lot is just a symbol for the blood and sweat I pour into everything I do...this isn’t Candyland, make-a-few-bucks-off-some-tshirts hobby for me. This is my fuckin’ life.

You said you “want” to drive a ’68 Plymouth Roadrunner. Is it safe to say that you’re a muscle car kind of guy?
I grew up in the ’70s and ’80s...heavy metal, parking lot-style dudes were the scenesters...any car that can fry tires off the rims, I’ll drive...maybe there’s an invisible:man x Scion muscle car in the works. Paint it black...Slayer in the stereo…and you know I got Chris Coddington on speed dial for some more rims...let’s do this.

Is there any future automotive and/or apparel projects that you’re currently working on?
I’m open to projects, especially the odd ones. I would love to do more car stuff too; it’s a whole other culture I know nothing about. Not import culture, but more scumbag high school parking lot, fight you at 3 pm stuff...that’s more my speed. I started a new brand called Bastard Squad...for my knucklehead friends and myself...more invisible:man of course, and Commissary house brand.

How hard is it to come across some genuine invisible:man gear and where can we get it?
I own two shops in Cali, in Costa Mesa on Bristol, and one in downtown San Diego called Commissary (commissarystores.com); I sell it there, and I have a shop in Harajuku, Tokyo called Vault, and sell to about 30 other shops worldwide. And now Brandpimps.com in NYC is handling all sales and showing the line, so it will be a bit easier to get in the USA now.

I was checking out your blog. Tell me. How does one join the “Bastard Squad”?
The blog is for the store...Bastard Squad is a brand that I offer there for those that are tired of the rainbowbright, fake-gangster, sneaker-trekkie, dyingto- be-down, overpriced t-shirt brands...cut and dry, black or white...do or die. There’s Bastard Squad people in each city worldwide where I have friends, and I just made a uniform for them. What started as a little thing between me and a few friends has morphed into something much bigger...knuckleheads and outlanders unite.

Anyone you want to give a shout out to who’s helped you along the way?
For the Scion project, thanks to Jeri at Scion, and Karen (she cracked the whip, man), the Malbonne brothers or getting me on, Design Craft Fabrication/Len and Gary for building this insane truck from an even more insane idea, Chris Coddington, for hooking up the “star” rims from the “star”artwork I sent…ahhahaha and Absu, Behemoth, Blast, Slayer and Mastodon.