“There’s a sentimental feel for skateboards,” Sam Fishman says. “You go through a journey with each board—you landed a certain trick, or you were in a special place. But if you’re skating a lot, you go through a lot and they stack up, so they are really just bound for the landfill.” He’s hoping to change that with Stede Threads, his new headwear line aimed at the tightknit skater scene. Each piece features a laser-cut wooden label made from recycled skateboard decks, sewn on by Fishman himself.
He started the project through Emerson’s E3 entrepreneurship program, a launchpad for the likes of Roxy’s Grilled Cheese. The 22-year-old marketing communications major is quick to call it the best thing he’s done in college. “The founder of E3, Karl Baehr, passed away this fall while the program was already underway,” Fishman explains. “It was challenging to stay afloat through that loss.” But he kept at it, earning second place—scoring grant money and mentoring—at this spring’s ninth annual E3 Expo with a project that reflects his passion for the skateboarding community. “We’re of a different breed. People don’t really understand how we can put our bodies on the line for something that seems meaningless, but for us it’s all about progression, and it drives me to explore the world.”
On his style…
- “I grabbed this floral button-down in a thrift store in Maine—pretty sure I found it in the old ladies’ section!”
- “I like to go for mainly solid pieces and then mix in some flair. I tie-dyed a bunch of my white socks, so those are always good.”
Dressed for Success
The founders of five new fashion ventures share their stories—and style.
By Renata Certo-Ware | Photo Credit: Holly Rike | June 20, 2014
Sam Fishman – Stede Threads
“There’s a sentimental feel for skateboards,” Sam Fishman says. “You go through a journey with each board—you landed a certain trick, or you were in a special place. But if you’re skating a lot, you go through a lot and they stack up, so they are really just bound for the landfill.” He’s hoping to change that with Stede Threads, his new headwear line aimed at the tightknit skater scene. Each piece features a laser-cut wooden label made from recycled skateboard decks, sewn on by Fishman himself.
He started the project through Emerson’s E3 entrepreneurship program, a launchpad for the likes of Roxy’s Grilled Cheese. The 22-year-old marketing communications major is quick to call it the best thing he’s done in college. “The founder of E3, Karl Baehr, passed away this fall while the program was already underway,” Fishman explains. “It was challenging to stay afloat through that loss.” But he kept at it, earning second place—scoring grant money and mentoring—at this spring’s ninth annual E3 Expo with a project that reflects his passion for the skateboarding community. “We’re of a different breed. People don’t really understand how we can put our bodies on the line for something that seems meaningless, but for us it’s all about progression, and it drives me to explore the world.”
On his style…
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