This Is Not a T-Shirt

The story of The Hundreds and the precepts that made it an iconic streetwear brand by Bobby Hundreds himself. Streetwear exists in that rarefied space where genuine "cool" coexists with big business; where a star designer might work simultaneously with Nike, a tattoo artist, Louis Vuitton, and a skateboard company. It's the ubiquitous style of dress comprising hoodies, sneakers, and T-shirts that is worn by everyone from rappers to models to book editors. In the beginning, a few brands defined this style; fewer still survived as streetwear went mainstream. They are the OGs, the "heritage brands." The Hundreds is one of those companies, and Bobby Hundreds is at the center of it all. Bobby Kim, a.k.a. Bobby Hundreds, is the cofounder of The Hundreds, one of the first streetwear brands to go global. The creative force behind the brand, he has emerged as one of streetwear's most prominent faces and voices. But growing up as one of the only Asian American kids in a mostly white and Latino community, a year ahead of his peers, with artistic aspirations, he reminds us that The Hundreds was started by outsiders and that that is truly the story of streetwear culture. In This Is Not a T-Shirt, Bobby Hundreds cements his spot as a champion of an industry he helped create, celebrating the inspirations that birthed The Hundreds-from his Southern California, punk-DIY-tinged youth to the brand's explosive success. His story is both inspiring memoir and business book-an expert assessment of the history and future of streetwear and the tale of his commitment to a creative vision and to building real community.