Blog

Taking utilitarian design cues from archive hiking and military boots, the YEEZY 500 features a smooth neoprene and shaggy suede based upper alongside the usual stitching, laces, and a supportive bulky adiPRENE sole seen in the YEEZY 500 line, all finished in a seasonal appropriate tonal grey colourway. The YEEZY 500 ‘Ash Grey’ launches at […]

Taking utilitarian design cues from archive hiking and military boots, the YEEZY 500 features a smooth neoprene and shaggy suede based upper alongside the usual stitching, laces, and a supportive bulky adiPRENE sole seen in the YEEZY 500 line, all finished in a seasonal appropriate tonal grey colourway.

The YEEZY 500 ‘Ash Grey’ launches at HIP on 04/12/21 online via raffle.

Established in 2010 by Alex Dondero as a printing studio and later on as both a clothing and record label – LQQK Studio first began as a creative hub for printmaking and design work based in Brooklyn, New York. Alongside offering top of the range printing and creative design services for both local and global clients, LQQK has developed […]

Established in 2010 by Alex Dondero as a printing studio and later on as both a clothing and record label – LQQK Studio first began as a creative hub for printmaking and design work based in Brooklyn, New York. Alongside offering top of the range printing and creative design services for both local and global clients, LQQK has developed a reputation for its seasonal and sporadic apparel and accessories offerings which push the boundaries in both the graphic design and screen-printing realm, producing totally unique takes on the classic hoodie, tee, cap and more.

In conjunction with our first delivery from LQQK Studio at HIP for AW21, we caught up with Brooklyn based LQQK founder and designer Alex Dondero to talk studio life, records, Brooklyn as a local hub and more.

Hi Alex – we’re excited to get LQQK stocked at HIP for AW21 – firstly, please introduce yourself and your role at LQQK?

My name is Alex Dondero – I am the owner and founder of LQQK Studio. 

How was LQQK born and how would you describe it in its current form?

LQQK was born from the need for space. It was originally a shared space with many individuals who had other brands or projects but needed a collective space to use equipment. Fortunately most of the people involved in the formation of the collective space shared similar passion for art and music. We would throw parties that engaged with the community we appreciate being part of in Brooklyn. Over the years LQQK has streamlined into a business that has 2 main functions, Commercial screen printing, and the LQQK Brand. We still like to party. 

What is your daily routine in the studio like currently?

My ideal day starts with me not dropping my coffee as I try to open the heavy rollgate door in the morning. I power on all the machines so they are ready for whatever production we are printing. I pick 3-5 albums from the record collection that matches the mood that I’m in. I really like being the first at the studio so I can pick the tunes. By that point everyone who is working that day has arrived and we pow-wow on what we need to accomplish this day. Depending on how many guys are working I will reclaim screens, coat screens, expose screens, register screens to press, print a run, stack shirts, box shirts, schedule pick up, and repeat the process. Somewhere in between that is lunch and I would ideally get general tso’s tofu from the Happy Garden.

Alongside graphics and printing, music and records are big part of LQQKs DNA – what have you guy’s been listening to recently?

It’s true music is at our core. I have recently been listening to my friend Person of Interest’s new music project called OpSec. I also have been bumping a lot of Time Dance records. Also Hardline records has been really hitting the spot also. Besides that i listen to Roots reggae and dub a lot, It’s the best printing music.

How do you go about the creative process when creating each LQQK drop? We are big fans of the fun accessories such as the Scented Paint Candle in this collection or the well-known “Cash Cushion” you did.

I just keep notes in my phone of ideas that come to me – or if i see something that I think is cool or “usable” I’ll take a photo and add it to a shared album i have with some guys at the studio. The worst thing you can do is not document your ideas and inspiration, even if they are not fully resolved or totally understood. Eventually they might be used for even a part of a concept that gets made.  I like to push my ideas as far as away from my restraints of printmaking. LQQK is known for being t-shirt printers, so when we can make objects other than shirts I really want to nail it. 

Brooklyn has become a thriving creative hub as of recently, alongside your nearby neighbours at ARENA Embroidery and Blue Sun Records, are there any other local businesses you’d like to shout out?

Arena and Blue Sun are family. But I would like to shout out the following brands, designers and businesses who are very close to us both in proximity and communally.

Vintage Sponsor, D’Emploi, Emma Sienkiewycz Tailorin, Daytime Novella, Mankind Studio, Emersin Studio, Young Coffee, Lichen furniture, Hmmmm.., COMMA, Victoria Adrian Design

Looking into 2022, what is next for LQQK? 

I want to keep making sick clothing, I want to work with cool brands and designers who appreciate what we do on a local level, and I want to work with wood more often, like making elevated objects with function. 

Lastly, what advice do you have for those starting a brand right now?

It has to be authentic. If you aren’t really about anything then I would wait until real passion hits. Also trends are the worst thing to follow when trying to draw inspiration, and having the discipline to stay focused is very difficult especially when you need to pay rent.  But all that shouldn’t stop you from making things, LQQK never intended on being a brand, it just evolved.

Keep up to date with Alex and LQQK here.

LQQK Studio – new to HIP for AW21. Online now.

Introducing the coveted YEEZY 700 in an all-new vibrant iteration. The adidas YEEZY BOOST 700 ‘Fade Azure’ features a full-length drop in BOOST midsole, a tonal upper composed of a blue and dark teal premium suede with mesh underlays and orange sole detailing to give a real pop to this stand-out colourway. Finishing off this […]

Introducing the coveted YEEZY 700 in an all-new vibrant iteration. The adidas YEEZY BOOST 700 ‘Fade Azure’ features a full-length drop in BOOST midsole, a tonal upper composed of a blue and dark teal premium suede with mesh underlays and orange sole detailing to give a real pop to this stand-out colourway. Finishing off this new take on an iconic silhouette, the adidas YEEZY BOOST 700 ‘Fade Azure’ features a supportive black traction sole along with reflective heel and three stripe branding.

The YEEZY BOOST 700 ‘Fade Azure’ launches at HIP on 27/11/21 online via raffle.

HIP has a long history of providing new and exciting products to enhance the lives of people who care about good design and quality. Conceived in 1987 as a pioneer of style in the city of Leeds UK, HIP has evolved through the years to become a true lifestyle retailer offering top tier brands from […]

HIP has a long history of providing new and exciting products to enhance the lives of people who care about good design and quality. Conceived in 1987 as a pioneer of style in the city of Leeds UK, HIP has evolved through the years to become a true lifestyle retailer offering top tier brands from a range of categories.  It was the local community spirit that allowed us to flourish, like minded individuals who share the same appreciation for ‘nice things’ as we do.  With exciting in-store experiences and an innovative digital platform that aim to educate and engage, we can now grow this community to fit the modern world we live in.

We are currently looking for a Full Time Social Media Executive to join our quickly expanding team based in Leeds, Yorkshire.

If interested, please apply here.

Overview

The purpose of this role is to work with the HIP brand and Marketing team to maintain, improve and grow the social media channels for HIP, produce weekly reports and monitor the success of ongoing social media marketing campaigns and activity and to ensure HIP social media channels are kept up to date with content, respond to queries where necessary and develop an online community.

Role Overview & Responsibilities 

To continually build and improve the social media channels and offering for HIP channels across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other channels.

Ensure regular content is pushed out across social media channels daily (6-8 posts per day).

Build and retain a loyal customer following across all social media channels.

Work closely with customer service to help with customer queries regarding brand and product.

Work with the HIP creative and marketing team on developing integrated strategies that ensure social is always at the heart of what we do.

Work with brands and third parties on promoting campaigns and competitions.

Carry out strategies and campaign ideas that will help improve social media following and interaction across all channels.

Help to develop new channels and/or improvements to existing channels such as YouTube and Tiktok.

Develop the use of a social monitoring tool to gain consumer insights, target influencers and report success.

Reporting on any campaigns and competitions to show the benefits and coverage obtained. Monitor return on investment and commercial results for each campaign where necessary so we can showcase the benefits and value of social to the wider business.

Work with the HIP brand marketing team to ensure relevant/up to date content is being pushed out across all channels.

Develop the weekly reporting pack to show week-on-week and also trends over time of social performance to present weekly.

Continually monitor relevant competitors and inspiration sources to report to the wider team.

Share and push out relevant content to our partners and other external sources to help grow HIP externally.

Continually monitor advances in social media and technology and share any findings and points of interest to the wider team, to ensure the HIP social channels are always capitalising and are at the forefront of new advances.

Skills/Experience Required

Strong attention to detail.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

The ability to work as part of a small team in a fast moving environment.

A willingness to learn new skills.

Experience dealing with customers.

Previous experience of blog writing and social media community management is essential.

Experience of scheduling and planning of social media.

Strong organisational skills essential.

Excellent grasp of the HIP brand and relevant product knowledge is a distinct advantage.

Part of Nike‘s seasonal ‘Toasty’ collection – yet another rendition of Nikes classic Dunk Low Retro is here – this time a winterised spin of the iconic silhouette which originally came out in the 1980s. Crafted from at least 50% recycled materials, this Dunk features a number of details designed with the colder months in […]

Part of Nike‘s seasonal ‘Toasty’ collection – yet another rendition of Nikes classic Dunk Low Retro is here – this time a winterised spin of the iconic silhouette which originally came out in the 1980s. Crafted from at least 50% recycled materials, this Dunk features a number of details designed with the colder months in mind such as reinforced nylon patchwork quilted overlays, furry inner linings and classic gum outsoles.

The Nike Dunk Low ‘Toasty Sequoia Green’ launches at HIP on 25/11/21 online via raffle.

With Christmas just around the corner, here at HIP we’ve edited our expansive range of products to bring you a collection of curated gift ideas. Our selected collections will help you find the perfect gift for even those who have everything – easily shoppable by gifting pricing, ranging from below £25 to over £150. Explore […]

With Christmas just around the corner, here at HIP we’ve edited our expansive range of products to bring you a collection of curated gift ideas. Our selected collections will help you find the perfect gift for even those who have everything – easily shoppable by gifting pricing, ranging from below £25 to over £150. Explore the wide selection of our latest clothing, footwear, accessories, home goods and more for both men’s and women’s now.

Christmas gifting at HIP – online now and in Leeds.