Welcome to an exclusive interview with the trailblazing streetwear brand, Smoke Rise, hailing from the gritty streets of New York City. Known for their edgy and fashion-forward designs, Smoke Rise is slowly becoming a name to respect in the world of streetwear. Join us as SNIPES’s very own Derek Bailey sits down with Maria Hwang as she delves into the creative inspirations and bold vision behind Smoke Rise’s iconic collections to uncover the secret behind the brand’s unique aesthetic and the passion driving their innovative approach to streetwear.
Maria Hwang of Smoke Rise
Smoke Rise is a unique and interesting name, that I feel coincides well with the current product offering, what is the story behind the name Smoke Rise?
Funny Story! Our founder was on his way back home after having dinner with some friends. During the drive back home- they passed a town called “Smoke Rise” and his friend looked over and said, “Wouldn’t that be a great name for a clothing brand?” And right then Smoke Rise NY was idealized.
Correct me if I’m wrong, Smoke Rise hit the scene in 1993, correct?! Take us back to the 90’s what were some of the inspirations behind your ideas in the beginning stages. Do you carry the same DNA today or has it changed?
Yes, we were founded in New York in ’93, but under another label called Match One. We were in the college license business then. That was the era of Cross Colors, Karl Kani, Starter Jackets, etc. Hip Hop as a NY kid was omni-present. Inspiration came just from walking down a street in NY, reading The Source Magazine, listening to Hot 97, or watching MTV. Over the span of 30+ years, we’ve had iterations of different labels specific to what was trending at that time. And with the shift in trends came the inception of Smoke Rise.
I’m an ’80s New York kid at heart and so the streetwear DNA will forever run through my veins. The look changed, but New York Streetwear has always been an element of all our designs. We’re constantly looking at the market and pulling inspiration from all facets of fashion while maintaining our New York City identity.
It looks like Smoke Rise has made a way through many phases of fashion. We saw a huge boom in Urban wear in the early 2000’s, followed by a huge attraction to streetwear and designer fashion, to our current densely populated fast fashion landscape. How does a brand maintain such positive traction throughout the years?
We have been fortunate enough to gain a huge following and are extremely grateful to our loyal customers. I think the key is to never be complacent. Our team loves streetwear, it’s not as one-dimensional as people may think. The market is constantly changing and we’re changing with it. Our customers are savvier than they’ve ever been and know what they want. We do our best to maintain a feedback loop from the idea/conception of a design to it ultimately landing in a customer’s hands.
At the core of our R&D, we try to dissect things to their barebones to understand what’s going on. This allows us to put products together while integrating our New York DNA into our designs. Once again, we’re incredibly fortunate that our consumers enjoy wearing our clothing.
The streetwear market has been growing and slowly changing the future of fashion. What role do you feel Smoke Rise plays in the future of the streetwear culture?
Smoke Rise is looking to bring streetwear to the masses. Not only for the world’s fashionistas, but also for the everyday person. As mentioned earlier, streetwear truly is omni present. Right now, Streetwear is luxury and luxury is streetwear. Will that change…probably. But with Streetwear being a part of our DNA, we will continue to do what we do best, regardless of what is trending in luxury. So then how do we stay current & exciting? We are on a constant lookout for inspiration outside of streetwear and giving it the streetwear touch. That’s what we do best, creating something that isn’t traditionally found in streetwear and making it accessible.
We see the creativity bar rise every season. Our customer is savvier than before. This goes back to us never being complacent with what we have and constantly pushing the envelope when it comes to innovation. We’re always striving to make the best product possible whether it be newer washes, washing techniques or finding the right fabric for a specific fit.
I know collaborations are very popular when promoting brands to the public. Can you tell us about any cool partnerships or collaborations Smoke Rise are involved in?
N/A
No partnerships yet, but always open!
I must ask this, as one of the many headquarters for the newest and hottest sneaker releases, what is your favorite sneaker to pair with Smoke Rise Denim?
While I don’t wear sneakers as much as I used to, Smoke Rise loves pairing our denim with the classic Uptowns. We’re also big fans of Retro Jordan 1s, 5s and of course you can’t go wrong with Timbs in the Fall/Winter.
We also love seeing the fun colors which are coming out on these classic silhouettes, and the collaborations which are happening. It’s a great time to be a sneaker enthusiast.
Written By Derek Bailey – Digital Content Manager – Eternal fashion and footwear student looking to push the futuristic envelope forward.
