Today, you might recognize Jason Lee from the hit TV series My Name is Earl, but long before that, he was a professional skateboarder. Back in 1992, he teamed up with fellow skater Chris Pastras to start Stereo Skateboards, before taking an eight-year hiatus to focus on his acting endeavors. In 2003, the duo picked up their decks yet again to re-launch their brand.
After a long legacy as WeSC-sponsored WeActivists, Jason and Chris celebrated their very first collaboration with the Swedish lifestyle brand with the help of WeSC CEO Joseph Janus yesterday evening. GlobalGrind was in the building at the WeSC store in Soho to chat with the trio about their new collection of crewnecks, t-shirts, chinos, and headwear.
Check out our conversation with Jason, Chris, and Joseph after the jump.
It’s almost 11 years later since your re-launch and you have the WeSC collaboration—why did it take so long for the two brands to join forces?
Jason Lee: That’s a really good question. I think I was the one who said we should do clothes with WeSC.
Joseph Janus: When I first took over being CEO, it was just the first thing I said. That we have to do a collaboration with Stereo. It made perfect sense to me. I called up Chris immediately.
Chris Pastras: Yeah, he made it happen, I gotta give Joseph credit.
And you both were WeActivists from the beginning—what did that mean to you back then?
JL: It just meant being a family member of the company and them supporting people being creative in their own right and just wanting to create a world versus just being sponsored by somebody.
CP: Yeah, it’s not a traditional skate sponsor where they pick you up in a van and you do a two-month tour. It’s more about supporting people who are already cool and doing cool unique things and supporting that.
JJ: Both Jason and Chris had a lot to do with putting WeSC on the map here in the U.S. A lot of people associate WeSC with Jason and Chris.
How has the brand stayed so relevant for so long? Especially when there are so many brands out there now.
JJ: It stays true to itself and it keeps trying to prove itself—it doesn’t stay stale. I think those are the two elements.
WeSC is a leader in streetwear, but how do you define the term?
JJ: It’s all over the place. It’s very mainstream and a lot of people call themselves streetwear. One thing about WeSC, which is interesting, is that it’s a true streetwear brand in the sense of a European streetwear brand. Whereas a lot of urban brands and other brands are trying to become streetwear today—it’s a word to sort of say anything that’s counterculture. This is a true fashion streetwear brand that has its roots in counterculture, but also has its roots in fashion, so the clothing always meant something. It wasn’t just, “Hey, here’s a famous rapper, let’s put our name on a T-shirt.”
Who is a rapper that skateboards and has what it takes to be a WeActivist?
JJ: Somebody who isn’t trying to do their own clothing brand and that’s trying to be original. When we see him, we’ll have him.
CP: Can we steal Pharrell from Ice Cream?
What are each of your favorite pieces from the collaboration?
JJ: I like the jacket that Clint Peterson did with the artwork. The workwear jacket, I love it.
CP: My favorite is the long-sleeve with the WeSC x Stereo sleeves.
JL: Yeah, that one’s pretty badass, you don’t see a lot of that. That’s probably my favorite one, too.
Shop the collaboration in stores or online today.
PHOTO CREDIT: WeSC
