Bobby Kim
Bobby Kim is the co-founder of streetwear brand The Hundreds and author of This is Not a T-shirt. Bobby has been writing and publishing online for many years, providing interesting and thoughtful commentary on running a business, the world of fashion, LA culture, and much more. If you'd like a crash course in thought-provoking writing, be sure to check out his blog.
The blog has been a big part of The Hundreds as a brand for a long time. What lead you to start writing it?
In my teenage years, I published punk rock zines and so when the Internet started coming together in the late ‘90s, right when Blogspot/Blogger launched, I signed up to have a broader dais for my expression. Blogs were like independent publishing on steroids, plus it was free of cost. My personal blog never quite made it, but when we started The Hundreds, it was important to have the blog play a part so the brand felt personal and transparent.
We used to call it the world’s first “social merchandising” brand. This was years before companies relied on social media to activate their voice and connect with their customers. I was publishing 2-3x a day on my blog, broadcasting my life and business to a hungry entrepreneurial readership. Seems conventional by today’s standards, but back then, it was pretty innovative to have a brand speak this personally.
Do you think that writing (and writing regularly) has been part of the success you've seen with your entrepreneurial projects? What impact has it had?
Of course it has! Everything comes back to the way I communicate and tell stories. Brands and businesses are just conduits for us to connect as human beings. I have an advantage as a writer, and as a fan of writing, because I can relate to our audience even more effectively. If you care to write, you care to connect.
And, that’s the secret of any successful brand: a healthy dialogue.
In recent years, I've noticed you've been doing more independent writing over on your personal blog/newsletter. What inspired those efforts...and how does writing there help you share ideas beyond streetwear?
I’ve gotten older and my interests and tastes have transcended simply streetwear and fashion. Most of my core audience follows me for the streetwear stuff, so I don’t want to bore or confuse them by unwinding about my social justice work, Disneyland visits, or even family life.
All of these ingredients go into my brand, of course, but as people, we are fluid, and to stay creative means to stay inspired. I’m a curious person, so I deep dive into the most random pockets of culture. And, I like to bring my followers along.
Tell us about your book.
It’s called “This Is Not a T-shirt” and you can find it on Amazon. Maybe the best way to describe it is a business memoir, but it’s really a story about community and finding connection in this world.
It’s also not necessarily a success story, in the traditional sense. The first part of the book details the rise and boom of my streetwear brand, but the rest of the book is about how it all fell apart. How I coped with that and pulled the fragments together to create a sustainable and profitable business again.
Even if you have no interest in streetwear or fashion, this is a book about finding composure and meaning in life and work. And what it means to survive and thrive.
What have you learned from the process of writing your book that was surprising/unexpected?
So much. I believe everyone should write memoirs, even if you never publish them, because it forces you to reconcile with a lot of ugly and uncomfortable parts of your being. It was a terribly humbling experience. I gained a better perspective on success and failure, and realized I’d had it twisted most of the time.
And, it gave me a better empathy and compassion for other young upstarts, for those who feel they are in the minority, and anyone else who is lost - in life or career. This book brought me a lot of comfort and reminded me how arduous - but redeeming - the process is. Patience. And how everything needs time.
What one piece of advice would you give to people who struggle to write or to see themselves as a writer?
I tell people to just write like you speak. Pretend like you’re talking to a friend or hosting a guest. For me, I pretend like I’m just talking to myself. Sometimes I even talk out loud as I write, and then I clean it up later.
Oh yeah, that’s the most important part - it’s not the writing, it comes in the edit. Just dump all the materials out on the table, and then curate and create something beautiful. Have fun.
