Guy Mariano released his signature collection from Dickies Skateboarding. We asked the legend who has continued to contribute to the evolution of street skating since the 90's about his thoughts on the items he has created.
──GUY MARIANO (ENGLISH)
[ JAPANESE / ENGLISH ]
Special thanks_Dickies Japan
VHSMAG (V)： How did you start skating for Dickies Skateboarding and what drew you to the brand?
Guy Mariano (G)： It all came together very organically. I’ve been repping Dickies for quite some time. In the last decade, I’ve watched Joe Monteleone create a genuine well respected skate team and brand that aligned with a lot of my core beliefs and values. I was blessed when he and the team made the opportunity a reality.
V： How did your signature collection come about? What inspired the design elements in your signature collection, and how do they reflect your style?
G： There’s a lot of 90s fashion showing back up with brands right now and I’m loving it. It's a style and era I feel most comfortable in. The 90s, with its impact on skateboarding, music, and my life in general, remains a favorite era of mine so this influence was a natural choice for my capsule collection with Dickies.
V： Can you share some insights into the collaborative process between you and Dickies Skateboarding in creating this signature collection?
G： I was really lucky to have a great design and merchandising team at Dickies that was able to really push for the things I wanted down to the little details that were really important to me. This collaborative effort resulted in a collection that authentically reflects my vision and represents me.
V： Were there any specific challenges or exciting moments during the design phase?
G： Creating a mood board and pulling old photos and videos was a very nostalgic and inspiring jumpstart to the project for me. Timing always seems to be the biggest challenge, but there was a solid crew of women who spearheaded the design process with me and really nurtured this project and brought it to life. Shout out to Megan, Colleen and the rest of the team.
V： As a legendary skater, how do you feel your experiences on the board influenced the functionality and practicality of the pieces in your collection? What are the features or details in your signature collection that you believe will resonate with the skate community?
G： My experience as a skater heavily influenced the functionality of the pieces in my collection. I used Dickies classic styles and quality materials, which have proven over time to be great skate garments that function well. Durability is important to me, so we used duck canvas that actually, the more it gets beat up the better it looks. My athletic mesh short has an elastic waistband giving it ultimate mobility, but durable enough to skate in, with zippered pockets which is key. I also chose elevated minimal branding. I think all these details will definitely resonate with skaters.
V： As an influential figure in the skate community, how do you hope your collection will inspire and connect with the next generation of skaters?
G： I feel the style of this collection may be more popular today than in the 90s. I remember my first anorak and my favorite striped polo and the memories made in them. I hope these pieces have the same effect on this generation of skaters as they did on me. Dickies and I share a legacy in skateboarding, but I believe we are currently producing some of our best work. Together we’ve created a capsule that is very meaningful and important to me and we included the whole team in the campaign. That formula I believe and hope will connect and inspire the next generation of skaters.
V： Are there any memorable moments or stories from your skate career that influenced the designs or concepts in your signature collection? Can you share your favorite piece from the collection and the story behind its design or inspiration?
G： The influence for my collection was mid 90s, California, spring vibes. We started with a color story inspired by my Axion Aries shoe I designed from an Airmax I was wearing at that time. The jean short, inspired off of a 13” 874. Something I’ve always wanted to see from Dickies. I also brought back that 90s yellow shirt that showed up lot in my past. The font and script we used has that LA vibe with a very 90s athletic feel. And then the anorak, the anchor in this collection. I grew up skating with a lot of guys from SF/ EMB. The anorak was a staple piece for us. It holds a heavy influence from that era in fashion, making it my personal favorite in the entire collection.
V： I heard you have an edit for the collection. Any behind the scenes story from the shoot?
G： I like to say we made an edit. The whole team got behind this one. Joe came up with a special campaign with the team celebrating spots that I’ve skated over different generations. Dylan Jaeb did unreal table lines to honor my schoolyard era. Jamie Foy hit spots I skated from the Blind video to Full Flared. Tom did some rad lines in some cutty LA spots from more recent times. These types of clips and their involvement were very meaningful and meant a lot to me.
V： What keeps you going for all these years?
G： As I get older I find my motivation in my gratitude for still being able to do what I love doing. I still feel like I have more in me to give to skateboarding.
V： What’s next for you?
G： I’m in a creative space and blessed that my body and mind are still positively motivated. Dickies is making their first full length skate video dropping this year which will be my next project.
Guy Mariano
@guymariano
Born 1976 in Los Angeles. All of his video parts, including "Video Days," "Mouse," "Fully Flared," and "Pretty Sweet," have become historical masterpieces. He's currently one of the faces at Dickies Skateboarding.
