five questions with generic surplus

Prior to meeting with Generic Surplus founder Brandon Day and the brand's creative director Greg Chapman this week, we went against our better judgement and didn't google the design duo. Instead we went to the brand's website and spent a good 45 minutes looking at past seasons and the myriad of amazing collaborations. When we met the guys on the Bowery for breakfast it turned into an almost two-hour long hang where we learned not only about the brand but everything from their youth on. While Day grew up in Campbell, California, Chapman spent his youth in England--he's a Man United (NOT CITY!) fan if anyone's wondering. We discussed our mutual love of punk rock D.I.Y practices, which lead to the conversation of collaborations and the organic approach to making things with friends. It turns out those rad Generic Surplus partnerships with companies like Obey, Comme Des Garçons, Sophnet, Steven Harrington, and well all of the others came about because the fellas are buddies with all of those folks. It was cool to find out that Chapman, the tattooed Mancunian, has been tattooed by some of the very same people we've got ink from. The shoes these guys design and make are a direct result from years of experience and a friendship that goes back to before they worked together. Leaving the Bowery we couldn't help but be a little stoked that this time we didn't use google to get to know someone, but instead met up and became friends the old fashioned way. Check out our five questions and learn more about Generic Surplus and these awesome dudes HERE.

What was your favorite cartoon/TV show as a kid?

Brandon Day: I turned on the TV one day and saw the original broadcast of MTv and then I just watched a lot of that

Greg Chapman: The Hair Bear Bunch.

What was your favorite cereal?

BD: Grape Nuts.

GC: Wheatbix.

What was the first record you bought?

BD: Kiss Alive 2

GC: The Sweet Blockbuster

What was the first live show/concert you went to?

BD:Berlin

GC:UB40

What posters were hanging on your bedroom wall in High School?

BD:Surf posters and pen pal letters from Mike Muir, of Suicidal Tendancies, I got an address to write him from a magazine and he responded so I had letters from him.

GC: Manchester United posters.