A$AP Ant Interview with HYPEBEAST

admin / 01 May, 2017

To say skatewear brand Marino Infantry is on the rise is an understatement — in its recent releases that included a VLONE collab and a colorful Easter-themed range, A$AP Ant‘s burgeoning label sold out these offerings in less than a day. The brand is hardly a new kid on the block as it’s been around for about more than 10 years now — Marino’s earlier pieces can be seen in A$AP Rocky’s 2011 “Peso” music video, one of Lord Pretty Flacko’s earliest rap vids. The journey to now hasn’t been smooth for Ant’s imprint either. He and a former partner split because of creative differences and the line also had to be put on hiatus. But with anything creative, whether music or fashion, timing is of the essence and the man, also known as YG Addie, revamped Marino Infantry with a more focused vision. “It’s all in God’s hands now,” he says.

As part of A$AP Mob, A$AP Ant is already renowned for his music whether it’s with the group or solo endeavors, but his passions extend beyond the mic and stage. A love for skateboarding culture in his youth lead him to start Marino Infantry which was initially called Marino Gang. Besides being inspired by early skate vids, friends who skated, and the general skateboarding community of his neighborhood, Addie was also influenced by Pharrell Williams and the N.E.R.D. artist’s ICECREAM brand. The Mob rapper credits Williams for being a pioneer in packaging the worlds of skate, fashion and hip-hop together for the mainstream to digest. His goal for Marino Infantry follows the same blueprint albeit in a more cautious and tactical way. As some of you who pay attention to the streetwear industry might already know, ICECREAM has moved out of the spotlight and its skate team which had Terry Kennedy and Jimmy Gorecki are no longer major players in the world of skateboarding.

We recently sat down with A$AP Ant to talk about Marino Infantry, his music and possible brand collabs down the line. He also gives his insights on the recent Supreme x Louis Vuitton collab and where his brand stands amongst today’s more established skatewear labels.

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