‘You Either F**k with Us or You Don't’: PLEASURES, Punk Rock and PUMA
Founded by Alex James and Vlad Elkin in 2015, the Los Angeles-based label are having a thumping impact on contemporary streetwear. Catapulting into fashion circles via a punk rock ethos, provocative branding and ballsy tees, the team has rapidly expanded to become supersonic collaborators. For their latest project with PLEASURES are feeding on the Mule phenomenon running wild across the footwear industry, and they've also launched their minimal take on the Spirex, which is a Dr Godwin Baxter-esque amalgamation of several footwear anatomies. We got down and dirty with co-founder and New Jersey native Alex James to celebrate the launch. Hell, he even made a special playlist for your scrolling pleasure!
How did the PLEASURES project initially come together?
PLEASURES was founded in 2015 by myself and my friend, Vlad. We both worked for other streetwear brands. At the time, streetwear was very misogynistic, violent, masculine, hyper sexual. It was not our language. We wanted to make something that spoke more to us, to our music, genderless identity and people within our community. That was the pulse of our lives and the brand. We launched PLEASURES at a pop-up shop at that was curated by Edison Chen (shouts to Ed). We pushed the brand through this month-long pop-up shop and it started to get attention. Instagram was much more popular back then than it is now, and we started to catch a little bit of a wave. We just stuck at it and continue to build it within our community. It’s been a wild ride.
I know music is such a core identity for PLEASURES. What were you listening to back then?
My scene was very much East Coast hardcore, punk rock and nu-metal. I grew up in New Jersey right outside of lower Manhattan, so the world was my oyster for this type of music. I experienced a lot of amazing bands at a really young age. Vlad was living in Los Angeles and was really immersed in the nu-metal and rave scene. He was going hard at early Coachella and Insomniac festivals. We were both from very different cities and cultures but came together for the love of sound.
Streetwear is such a competitive market, particularly on the West Coast. How were PLEASURES able to carve out a space?
Our graphics and brand identity are real. They’re easy to understand and relate to people. We pride ourselves on inclusivity over exclusivity. Streetwear is very much like, ‘wait online, and buy it at resell’. PLEASURES is for everybody. You either fuck with us or you don’t.
How did growing up in the tech age influence the PLEASURES identity?
Early internet and Y2K culture helped mould our identity – even down to our website and social media. A lot of people like to use 2000s tech as an aesthetic, but we actually lived it and experienced it. We’re trying to convey what the real experience was during that time.
What’s your relationship to PUMA personally?
At first, I always saw PUMA as athletic wear – sponsoring soccer teams, athletes, etc. So my relationship to them was more on-field. As I developed my taste in my teenage years, I started to wear and classic sneakers like that. As a kid, I remember one of the first concerts I went to was Beastie Boys and Rage Against the Machine. It was a fucking wild show. Beastie Boys were repping PUMA at that time. As time progressed, in the 2000s, there were so many progressive, crazy styles that got overlooked. If you look into the archive, there’s some truly wild stuff around the early 2000s. I had a lot of friends at the time that were wearing and weird leather booties.
The latest PLEASURES x PUMA collaboration involves the Spirex. It’s a model drawing on a lot of different visual languages – football, running, motorsport. What was your first impression of the model?
We were part of the original conversation when PUMA reached out and said, ‘Hey, we made this Frankenstein shoe, what do you think of it?’. They’ve incorporated nearly everything into one shoe. I’ve been wear-testing it for months. I really do love it. It fits in with the current way that I want to dress, while also giving me the comfort level that I need. Whereas some of the other models are more obviously racing shoes or basketball shoes, the Spirex pays homage to several different codes at once.
Can you talk on the Mules for us? They’ve obviously become super popular over the last few years.
The PUMA project is interesting because it’s about athletes and speed, but it’s also about rejuvenation – restoration. That’s why there’s a yoga mat and a Mule in there. So I think this is kind of the aftercare portion of the project. We’ve never made a yoga mat, so I’m personally excited about that. I’m a yoga lover. If you’re wearing the Spirex all day, you can sort of put the Mule on afterwards and just chill. We wanted to make something that was bulky, opulent, kind of representative of a higher-end seat of a motorcycle or car.
Does the PLEASURES label shift in terms of its vibe as you grow as an individual?
As you progress in life, your tastes change. With all the good artists that we love, their first album sounds different from their current album. We’re shaping the brand on where we are in our lives right now. I think the latest collaboration is a good representation of where the team is at right now.
Where are PLEASURES heading in 2024 and beyond?
I’m still on a high from the AC Milan launch. I was out there DJing the event, hanging with the team, and travelling with the squad. It felt like I was a part of it. It was amazing. I’d love to do more sport-focused projects through our graphic identity. The project was really well-received globally, and I think it’s going to live on internet culture forever. We’re working on some more home goods and non-clothing related stuff.
PUMA x PLEASURES Part Two is available exclusively from starting on March 1, and from , PUMA flagship stores, and selected retailers starting March 2.