Exact Science Interview
The Boy Hollywood
CHAMP: You guys are based in San Francisco. How’s the desinger scene out there and are there any designers who have come out of there that we're not aware of?
Exact Science: One of the great things about SF is the sense of community we have with other designers. Everyone seems to be very open to helping each other out while still having there own independent style and direction. There are so many great brands like Imaginary foundation, Rebel8, Mama, FTC, Upper Playground, Gama-go, Fluffy Co and She-Bible to name a few.
CHAMP: With Exact Science at the beginning stages what was your vision and goal that you wanted to achieve?
Exact Science: We had a strong love for music and graphic design and wanted to see clothes that focused on those ideas rather then a company logo flipped a few different ways. We wanted each design to speak to people, whether it was a very stylistic design that they could appreciate for great art or something simple and funny that spoke to the kid who was going to rock it.
CHAMP: Now the name Exact Science. How did you guys come up with the name?
Exact Science: It became our motto early on in our partnership as co-art directors and co- owners of Exact Science. The idea that nothing ever is an exact science, is a great way to sum up our different backgrounds in forming our brand. Andrew being on a path of science studying molecular pharmacology but with a strong understanding of the arts, and I was interested primarily in motion graphics and music production. We found a common interest in fashion focusing a lot on the idea of having high end graphic art on tees.
CHAMP: Now your designs are looked upon as good quality clothing with a spectacular artistic look as if you use clothing as a canvas for artwork that should be framed. How easy do the concepts and ideas come to you guys and how many new ideas do you come up with a week?
Exact Science: Inspiration can hit you at any moment, that being said a good design can take a few passes and some refining before we are ready to go with it. So the design process is always ongoing. We surround ourselves with some very talented designers and are constantly collaborating on new concepts for each season.
CHAMP: Your ultimate goal is to reach beyond the limit of "cool". What in your own definition would be a status beyond cool and how would you define that in one word?
Exact Science: I don’t think being “cool” was ever our ultimate goal. We just wanted to share our love for music and art in a really accessible format and clothing turned out to be that format. Exact Science: Being”cool” is just an illusion; in fashion there always is “the next great new thing”, for us we look for great ideas and art that can translate that in an exciting and fresh way.
CHAMP: Now did you have the idea customer for your clothing when you first started and what was it?
Exact Science: We got tired of seeing Logo tees everywhere we looked. I think when we first started out we just wanted t-shirts that we would want to wear and that we thought our friends would want to wear.
CHAMP: We now live in a society where vintage shirts, belt buckles, and fitted clothing are in. Do you feel that the retro look often seen conflicts with evolution in style?
Exact Science: I think we live in a sampled based culture, which is great. Fashion has seemed to always move in cycles and things that are perceived as “retro” come and go through time. Evolution in style is usually based on taking something that already exists and creating more accessible version that relates to what is going on at that given moment in time. I think looking at ones history is the best way to learn and move on towards new ideas.
CHAMP: Which direction do you see "cool" or beyond "cool" fashion heading in the next ten years?
Exact Science: I think the every day environment we live in will always affect the direction fashion is going. When designing towards the future we look at our current everyday surroundings and often try to make conscious cultural responses to what we see, whether it be through a serious response or showing the humor of the situation. We often are putting a mirror to what current pop culture is doing.
CHAMP: You guys also do music and came out with the Music Is My Universe disc. How long have you been doing music and what are both of your roles?
Exact Science: From the inception of Exact Science we wanted to create art in both print and in sound. I had a bit of a background in DJing and putting on some early electronic music events in San Francisco and was able to work with a lot of amazing artists and labels. We collaborate with musicians both in the San Francisco, Bay Area and all around the world on a series of compilations each year.
CHAMP: Speaking of music alot of artists tend to indorse clothing. Are there any music artists that love your work and endorse Exact Science?
Exact Science: We are friendly with a lot of musician and labels. Checkout our myspace page to see some of our musician friends. We have had a lot of mutual respect for Rasco (Pockets Linted), J-Boogie, Zeph and Azeem (OM), Blue Scholars, Dj Tommy Blak, Crown City Rockers, KID606, and our peeps at Quannum, Rhymesayers, Kajmere Sound, Palette Records and Ghostly International.
CHAMP: What else can we expect from Exact Science in the future?
Exact Science: We are working towards some secret projects in the shoe game and as always dope new tees.
