Yahoo Sports Street Dreams: Crenshaw Skate Club Comes to London With Browns
LONDON — Tobey McIntosh founded Crenshaw Skate Club when he was just 14 years old in 2017 in Los Angeles.
Six years later, while studying computer science at Stanford University, he’s launching a 20-piece ready-to-wear collection and four skateboard decks from CSC with Browns. Prices range from 135 pounds to 535 pounds.
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“I can’t believe I’ve had the opportunity to do something like this out in London and to just put my ideas on a canvas. The goal of the clothes is to tell a message [and shed] light on inner-city skating and show them the importance of it,” said McIntosh on a Zoom call from his university dorm.
“Usually when I do like a collection, it’s just me by myself, but [Browns] not only let me design, they gave me their whole support, which helped me bring it to life,” he added.
The collection will be sold exclusively at Browns’ Brook Street store in London and online at Brownsfashion.com and Farfetch.
McIntosh has designed a black denim co-ord; a black, green and red tie-dye workwear jacket with matching straight-leg trousers; a soft beige three-piece trouser, jacket and shirt combo printed with the Crenshaw Square sign, and playful graphics featured on the skateboard and a small soft teddy wearing a gold chain with the CSC logo.
“I wanted the collection to symbolize the growth of CSC over the years. I started the brand when I was 14, I’m 20 now and it’s matured with me,” he explained, adding that this is a testament to the brand’s growth.
He wanted to create pieces that spoke to his younger self and who he is now, such as the logos.
“The brand may be growing, but we’ll never forget our roots. I wanted to go back and play into that,” said McIntosh.
One of the varsity jackets contains the phrase “Escape to a power,” which holds sentimental meaning for McIntosh.
“As an inner-city skateboarder and especially an African American skateboarder, when you skateboard, you skate to not only highlight yourself, but you also empower others that look like you and you can show them that they can go and skate, too,” he explained.
Through the collaboration with Browns, he came to realize how much his style and taste has changed since he was younger, when he would always opt for the brightest and busiest graphic T-shirts, he said.
McIntosh only features members of CSC in the campaign imagery because he sees his team riders as friends that he’s matured with over time.
To kick off men’s London Fashion Week on Friday, Browns will be hosting a skateboard activation at BaySixty6 with Farfetch Beat 009, a retail concept series that incorporates products with experiences, hosted by McIntosh.
“When I was talking to the Browns team about doing an event, what I really wanted to do was bring the community together in a way that’s true to CSC, so we decided on a skate competition, where we’ll have food and a DJ,” he said.
The skate competition is open to the public and the winner will be prized with pieces from the collection with Browns.
“From the first moment I connected with Tobey, he impressed me with his maturity, vision and love for his community,” said Ida Petersson, buying director of Browns and a fellow skateboard enthusiast.
For McIntosh, it was during the pandemic that his community grew with more people taking an interest in learning how to skate.
“I remember when I wanted to get skateboards made during that time, it was super delayed because a lot of people were making skateboards,” he said, adding that growing up it was niche to see kids with skateboards.
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