Meet Alex Lee and Will Thompson, the design duo and magic behind vintage-inspired streetwear brand XXBC.  Starting the collection not even 2 years ago, these boys are pushing boundaries and turning heads with their unique print on print aesthetic.  They have a strong passion for art history and style from the past, and translate them into contemporary and custom silhouettes.  Using vintage printed fabrics (most discontinued), Alex and Will take pride in knowing that what they create is truly unique and one-of-a-kind; apart from the rest.  Their personalities are filled with charm and wit, and they shine through in their designs and everyday style.

The boys and I met up this weekend for a mini Chinatown adventure.  Below are a few images from that day, along with questions they were so kind to answer for us:

LC: What is the meaning behind XXBC and how did the brand come about?

Alex: First and foremost, XXBC is a date- 20 B.C. While the specific date doesn’t have a ton of meaning, it is actually around when the Roman Empire started. Again, this isn’t particularly significant. What is more meaningful is the idea that it is a time in history, something that we are so influenced by. We love the styles of the past, as well as the willingness to be different that has seemed to dwindle in recent years. History is what inspires us and helps us look forward; it also makes us want to create some history of our own.

I started the brand over a year and a half ago. It was the kind of thing where I knew I wanted to do something like this at some point in my life, so I just went ahead and got it going. I was always seeking creative outlets as a way to say what I wanted to say and create what I wanted to create. Making clothes just seemed like the natural progression of what I wanted to do to express myself.

Soon after I started XXBC, Will came aboard, making us one dynamic duo.

LC: Do you feel your creative views have evolved from living in Boston to now living in New York?  What is the biggest change you see within yourselves?

Will: My creative views have definitely changed since living in Boston. New York is so much more carefree when it comes to style/art/creativity/fashion, so it is a lot easier for me to get inspired. The city definitely inspires. When we were in Boston everyone just looked at us like we were weirdos because of how we dressed.

Alex: While we tried our best to keep them alive and well, I do think our creative views were slightly repressed while in Boston. Just slightly. Whenever I think about Boston, it seems like there was always a sort of “fear” of anything out of the ordinary. It’s not that it was judgmental (although at some times it may have been), but I feel like a lot of people did not know how to react to things they hadn’t seen before or weren’t used to, and their reactions could come off as negative at times. Nevertheless, Will and I stuck to our guns and kept doing what we were doing.

Moving to New York was in some ways a means of validating my creative views I guess. It was a reminder that the possibilities are endless and the boundaries nonexistent. I feel like living in Boston and now living in New York has given me more of an appreciation for the cultural differences of different places. Had I only lived in New York, I would have had nothing to compare it to.

There are so many people here who do exactly want they want and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks or does. At the same, there are plenty of people whose creative views are sculpted by false boundaries and others’ expectations. It’s a give and take, for sure. Living in New York has given me a broader understanding of peoples’ views as a product of their environment and the people that surround them. I’m just trying to associate with the people who worry less about what others think and more about what they are trying to express as individuals.

LC: Tell us a little about your creative and technical process from sourcing to producing your garments.

So far, we’ve based our pieces around the use vintage printed fabrics. Our first collection was more of a basic, introductory collection than anything else. Our next collection and definitely our first legitimate collection will also include the use of vintage fabrics (although we don’t want to give away too much!). Both of us are into prints and colors and designs that are really eye-catching. It’s difficult to define how we choose one fabric over another, but we usually can agree on what patterns we love and what patterns we aren’t fans of. Much of the sourcing is done online, mostly on eBay, from older women looking to get rid of some fabric remnants they’ve had since the summer of ’87 when they reupholstered the living room sofa (a dramatization). All our fabrics are very limited in quantity, making the garments all the more special.

We produce our garments in the garment district in New York City. Made in USA, baby.

LC: What is a key influential movie that you feel visually represents what XXBC is about?

Alex: 3 of many: White Men Can’t Jump, The Shawshank Redemption, Angels in the Outfield.

LC: The #1 designer we would love to collaborate with:

Alex: I honestly don’t know. If this was 20 years ago I’d say Nike and we could help out with all the Challenge Court gear. Or I’d want to work with Starter and make crazy matching sets.

Will: Lou Dalton, Patrik Ervell, Meadham Kirchoff, Marques Almeida, 69.

LC: What is your most valuable item in your collection of Earthly possessions?

Alex: I don’t think I can choose one item that I consider the most valuable in my collection. I have a lot of vintage clothes, especially a lot of Starter stuff. That’s my favorite brand of all time, so I guess I’d say my Starter collection is what I consider the most valuable to me. I also really love my “Positive History” t-shirt and hoodie. They could be the most iconic items in my collection and maybe my most favorite.

Will: My gold ring that my dad passed down to me and my gold bracelet that my parents got me for my 16^th birthday.

LC: What is the atmosphere in your studio like?  Do you prefer music or focused silence while working?

Alex: Well since our studio is either my uncle’s apartment or Will’s living room, we don’t have as much control over what goes on there as we hope to have in the future (at our own studio). There may be some random jazz playing in the background, or the TV may be on, or it may be silent. We’ll be talking, writing, munching on pretzels and almonds. It’s a pretty relaxed atmosphere, I’d say.

Will: Yeah, seeing that our studio is either my living room or Uncle Al’s apartment, the vibe is usually pretty mellow. We work with whatever space we can get. We usually don’t have music playing, but Uncle Al always has plenty of munchies for us- usually pretzels (Utz braided honey twists) and almonds (from Trader Joe’s because they’re the best). We joke, we laugh, but we also get work done. We try not to take ourselves too seriously because there’s no fun in that.

LC: What does the rest of 2013 hold for you? Can we expect any upcoming projects?

Well, as we mentioned before, we plan to introduce our first legitimate collection within the next few months. We have been working quite hard to make sure everything is perfect and up to our standards. And we’re very excited to finally get it out there. We think this collection will be something that will force people to take us seriously as creators and innovators. And as cool dudes 😉

We will also be featured in a menswear book written by Robert Leach and published by Thames and Hudson, which we’re excited about, and we hope to keep talking with cool peeps like those at Pattern People.

Check out XXBC and their blog: http://wirdyblog.com

x Lauren Demith Chung