Bianca Chandon Crashes Skateboarding into Fashion, or Whatever
Image: Bianca Chandon and ThePFW.
Bianca Chandon—the barely six-month-old skateboarding-inspired fashion fusion lifestyle brand that has, in a blink of an eye, become the outfit for busted-knee boarders in Longbeach and socially #trending downtown Manhattan club kids alike—takes no frills in its sudden en vogue status. Born from the mind of Alex Olson, a photographer and the first second-generation pro in skateboarding history—his father, Steve, was named Skater of the Year in 1978 and is noted as first introducing the checkerboard pattern into skating—the brand takes a ‘we’ll get it to it when we get it’ approach to its subversive design, pulling references from Studio 54, fashion spreads from the late 80’s and early 90’s, and Paris is Burning to create limited edition runs of quirkily worded t-shirts and vintage themed boards.
Image: Bianca Chandon and ThePFW.
When each batch runs out? Olson makes something else. Or whatever. It really depends on how he’s feeling that day. And perhaps it is this sense of reverse sales psychology, or even almost apathy that has inspired such a must-have response to the brand from communities on and off the skate ramp, empowering kids to flock to buy something that doesn’t particularly care if it sells. Endorsements from the likes of Frank Ocean also don’t hurt.
Image: Bianca Chandon and ThePFW.
And while it would be wrong to believe that Bianca Chandon pours too much marketing thought into its product line—as in the case of many corporate-owned boarding brands—with offerings ranging from a retro “Fire Island” tee to another one-pocket nostalgically labeled “Lover,” perhaps Olson breathes just enough breath into the line to keep us all interested. Or at least waiting to see what trick he’s going to pull off next.