I was recently able to catch up with Tommy Rebel at the filming for the Sneakr Addicts Dvd. I took that opportunity to ask Rebel some questions about himself, sneakers and his clothing company Brooklyn Basements.
How long have you been collecting kicks?
I have had an avid interest in sneakers since 1987. I wouldn't say that I collect sneakers. If the aspect of collecting was my primary interest, I would have started collecting baby sneakers. They take up way less room than size 12 boxes.
What are your favorite kicks of all time?
The majority of my collection is from 1987--1997...if I was to go on about favorite sneakers it would be a long list but I will say that it's winter now so its ACG time!
You have been featured in an assortment of media outlets, can you name a few?
I have been featured in many over the years. Names such as MASS APPEAL, THE SOURCE, FOOTWEAR NEWS, VAPORS, JUST FOR KICKS, LTD, SOUL COLLECTOR, WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING,LIFE SUCKS DIE, ANIMAL ,YRB,KICKSCLUSIVE, INQUIRING MIND, UNDER PRESSURE, ALL CITY, FORGOTTEN-NY.COM, LTV SQUAD,etc etc etc...
With all that publicity, do people recognize and stop you in the streets?
I have gotten stopped a few times in random places before, and I have a few funny stories as well. Overall I'm just a regular guy not some superstar or anything.
Because of the magazine interviews and the movie you were in, most people know you for kicks but i also know you have a serious Polo collection. What attracted you to Polo and how long have you been wearing it?
The major attraction to Polo clothing long ago was the attention to detail and the craftsmanship in the garments, not to mention the graphics and the long bill hats. Another major contributor to my attraction with RL as a young kid was always trying to look richer than you were. I can remember wearing thousand dollar outfits and having to hop the train cause we had no money.
I wear a good amount of Lo myself, whats some of your favorite pieces?
Some of my favorite lines from Ralph were the STADIUM ,SPORTSMAN and HI TECH lines from the early to mid 90's.
Tell us about Brooklyn Basements, how long has it been around and what made you start it?
The Basement has been around since 1951, it manifested into a headquarters in 1996 and a sort of speakeasy. I started to produce clothing in 2003 although I have been making graphic T shirts since the early 90's. The idea of starting my own company was basically the avid interest in designing clothing and wearing quality garments. I felt there was a void in fashion of what interested myself as well as some of my friends, especially when it came to head wear. After the clothing of that time period became more scarcely available, I decided it was time to start my own company.
How many people are part of Brooklyn Basements
Everyone who supports me and who owns anything I have designed.
What makes your outerwear different from already established brands?
I won't speak on any brand in particular but last year I made a waterproof ski jacket, offered it in over 30 colors and made a very limited amount. I'm basically catering to each consumer as an individual on a one on one basis. I also consult with many of my customers for input on the products I create.
Besides designing your own clothing, I also know that you helped design a new NIKE SB with Supreme. Can you tell us about that?
Basically a friend of mine works at Supreme and referred me for this project. We sat down and discussed a lot of ideas. We introduced a sneaker for this project that has never been retroed by NIKE and on November 8th you can get a chance to purchase what we have created.
Would you ever venture into designing your very own sneaker brand like Bape or Greedy Genius?
At the moment I have no plans to start my own sneaker brand at all.
What can we expect from Brooklyn basements in the next year?
A vast arrtay of quality garments so stay tuned.
Thank you Tommy for the interview, it was a pleasure. I'll keep checking for Brooklyn Basements clothing and keep the readers updated. See you in the Sneakr Addicts dvd.
