Co-founder Kyle Ng made a trip to The Garbstore to chat about upcoming collaborations, his typical day and the story behind meeting business partner Ed Davis.
C&TG: Where do you live?
K: Los Angeles, California.
C&TG: Best thing about where you live?
K: The amazing creativity all around.
C&TG: Please describe your typical day.
K: Get up, drink a shit load of coffee, hang with friends, freak out that I need to do work, hang out with more friends, work, eat, work, eat, work… hopefully sex.
C&TG: Where do you draw inspiration from?
K: Everything. I am a nerd and I love everything. Art, comics, music, books…you know name it…I love it.
C&TG: What was the first thing you ever designed?
K: A window display.
C&TG: How did you and Ed meet / come together? Where did the connection first start with you two. Fashion? Art?
K: We first met online. He was making crazy bootleg T-shirts and I had a brand called AXS Folk Technology (carried at The Garbstore). We had mutual admiration, and we loved all the same things. Next thing you know…we started Brain Dead
C&TG: Do you share a studio space?
K: We see each other maybe twice a year.
C&TG: We heard you go to Art book fairs?
K: I love going to the New York and Los Angeles Art Book Fair…We are inspired by all the creativity as well as the amazing work.
C&TG: What other brands do you think are particularly interesting at the moment?
K: I love Engineered Garments & SasquatchFabrix.
C&TG: Do you have a design process with Brain Dead?
K: There is really no process…when we both get inspired we start to discuss and throw ideas around. If we both love the idea we then make it.
C&TG: You produce a lot of collaborations with Brain Dead, are there any more coming soon?
K: We have a shit load of collaborations. We think that the brand is all about the idea of working with likeminded people. We have A Vans, Gimme5, NTS Radio, and a few others that we can’t talk about just yet…
C&TG: Tell us about the filming you’re currently doing with Red Bull, it looks mental. How did it come about?
K: I got asked to host a weird, funny TV show about men’s style. I have been traveling for 3 months learning all about random shit. It comes out in September…so get ready!
C&TG: Can you explain how yours and Eric Elms’ Powers Label came about?
K: Eric and I are friends and I really wanted to help him create some products that were birthed from his visual language. The dude is a genius and I love his work…it’s great to see it out in the real world!
C&TG: Any other careers you would have liked to pursue?
K: Food and film.
C&TG: Favourite item in your wardrobe?
K: A good pair of cropped big pants and some skate shoes.
C&TG: Favourite place in the world?
K: JAPAN!
C&TG: Favourite decade?
K: NOW!
More Stories...
Converse First String
The Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star returns with a premium update in the First String line. Retaining the silhouette’s timeless simplicity, these reconstructed Chucks introduce a higher foxing tape, a shorter toe cap, and a wider footbed for improved fit. Available in three new designs in Men's and Women's, First String is limited to just a handful of select stockists across Europe, including Couverture & The Garbstore.
TDR AW25
TDR returns for AW25 with a collection that champions genre-less British design, revisiting signature styles and introducing new silhouettes shaped by fabrics sourced across Japan, Scotland, and Canada. The focus is on winter comfort and craft, pairing functional construction with refined detailing for pieces designed to be worn every day.
Meet 5 new brands joining The Garbstore for AW25
We’re always looking to build on what we already have by adding new brands to The Garbstore roster - each with its own story to tell.
