This post comes under the category The Origins of Streetwear. What brands do you think should fit into this category?
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I had forgotten about this brand until I stumbled upon an article by Nick Schonberger at www.highsnobiety.com titled Fila Heritage. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Nick for the quality of his blog posts. I wish I was as hardworking as him,,, I’d probably be rich by now.

Tags: Why am I not rich? The origins of streetwear, footwear brands. Good blog, congratulations. Fila footwear. Skateboard shoes, skateboarding. Local skateboard shops. Hip Hop wear. Popular clothing brands. Sportswear brands.

Ecko is a clothing brand that I personally look up to.  They got great tee-shirt designs.
The ECKO hoodies and jeans are pretty good too. They also do great footwear.

Judge by yourself: Here is a classic T-shirt signed Ecko.

ECKO unlimited classic style

Now the question I was asking myself is:

How did Ecko move from classic Skatewear / hip hop wear styles into more rock orientated styles?

See the tee-shirt design below, can you tell me it does NOT Rock?

Most popular Ecko T-shirts look very rock n roll in terms of design.

I think both the classic style and the new -rock- style are great. Designers in this company rock!!!

It feels like we are back in the eighties when Run DMC came up with Walk this way.

It feels that the fashion trend nowadays doesn’t separate influences from hip hop and rock.

Instead, they blend into each other and create a new style that rocks like Run.

I am definitely the right guy to push this influence into the creation of more mixed designs for the REAL DEAL clothing line.

Watch me out! I know what’s good and I know what’s great. You will verify this by yourself in the REAL
DEAL wholesale street-wear catalog coming up soon.

While writing this article I found out that my favorite skateboard decks brand – Zoo York – belongs to the same guys who created Ecko.

Here is the information I collected about the company:

About Ecko Unlimited:

Ecko Unlimited is a registered clothing brand of Marc Ecko Enterprises (MEE).

MEE markets itself as a fashion and lifestyle company. The company reported sales of over $1.5B in global retail sales in 2007 and has 1,300 employees worldwide.

Over the past 15 years, the group of companies that comprise Marc Ecko Enterprises (MEE) has grown to include:

- Marc Ecko Cut & Sew, a contemporary menswear line;

- Zoo York, a line of action clothing (i.e. SKATEWEAR!!);

- Complex Magazine (circulation of 340,000);

- ecko red juniors apparel;

- Avirex, a mid-tier sportswear brand;

- Marc Ecko Entertainment, a videogame development and production company.

Did you know?

MEE licenses include Skechers footwear as well as  Callanen watches and jewels.

Note: <<REAL DEAL is the clothing brand of ECM>>

I’m glad to show you this Skateboard Tee-shirt pic from the DC Co. t-shirt line. I think this one is called the Dotz.

DC-skateboard-Tee

I just couldn’t find a better example of the style of simple t-shirts we are working on at ECM.

DC is a great brand of skate-wear. They’ve always been very popular, even more since MTV show Rob and Big featuring pro skateboarder Rob Dyrdek who is sponsored by DC.

I found this picture on www.skateparkoftampa.com where you can buy this t-shirt (retail only).

About Rob and Big: That’s the best show I know about. I don’t watch too much TV, but this one is worth the time wasted as a coach potato.

I heard that Big has left the show which is a shame. I guess there won’t be a new season. Anyway Rob and Big without Big can not be as much fun. Can it?

Rob and Big - popular MTV show. Rob in DC skatewear.

I saw the question Why has Big left? on some forum and I have been tempted to answer: He didn’t leave, he exploded.

I didn’t, I thought the fans wouldn’t appreciate my sense of humor. I know Big would have laughed, this guy is just great.

About the skatepark of Tampa: It is opened since 1993 in Tampa, Florida. Address: 4215 East Columbus Drive, Tampa, Florida, 33605.
Tel: (813) 621-6793 -  Email: info@skateparkoftampa.com

What’s your favorite skatewear brand? Who is your favorite pro skateboarder? Do you know why Big left the show? Thanks for sharing in the comments section.