Skateboarders enjoy a perpetually laid-back reputation, but there’s more to this youthful subculture than high-tops and hoodies. Skate culture has spread far and wide – see Tony Hawk’s videogame empire for proof. Angel Cabada, the founder and owner of Costa Mesa-based KR3W Apparel, is another skaterboarder-turned-businessman who has his eyes set on both the bottom line and the backside air.
Ask KR3W Apparel’s top accounts, and they’ll tell you that Angel and company have hit on the perfect combination: a great skateboarding team and cool clothing that clicks with the kids. It sounds simple, but it’s a delicate balance. As in any trend-driven field, kids can always tell the difference between the real thing and the copycats, and they vote with their (or their parents’) wallets. I know that firsthand, as it’s my 13 year old son, Tyler’s favorite line.
Angel is uniquely qualified as the brains behind KR3W Apparel. As a skaterboarder himself he vows to remain one for as long as his body will allow. He and his friends know well the need for gear that’s both stylish and functional, and they continue to inspire and test his designs.
But Angel’s hours on the half pipe comprise only half the story. Behind those ollies and grinds is the razor-sharp business sense of a restless entrepreneur. Before establishing KR3W Apparel, Angel was a partner in TSA Clothing, another skateboard clothing company, but he left TSA shortly before its demise, and in 2000, he opened up shop at KR3W. He also started Supra Footwear, a skateboard shoe firm, in 2006. And when he wasn’t happy with the idea of giving a third-party distributor the responsibility of shipping his products, he started his own: One Distribution.
KR3W Apparel originally started with T-shirts and hats, but after Angel noticed skateboarders wearing brand-name jeans that had contributed nothing to the sport, he took the company into the denim market. KR3W’s premium denim uses the same high-quality material, washes, and manufacturing as the luxury companies. This top-flight clothing doesn’t come cheap, but skaters can rest assured that KR3W hasn’t sacrificed their demands for fit and feel along the way.
Complementing KR3W’s hot clothing line is the company’s skilled skate team, which includes Terry Kennedy, Jim Greco, Chad Muska, Erik Ellington, Antwuan Dixon, and Tom Penny. Together, they hit skate parks and hot parties all over the Southland, as well as the world. You’ll find them beaming proudly from the pages of skate magazines, with KR3W Apparel on their backs.
And what will these skaters be wearing this season? KR3W’s holiday and fall lines include various washes of denims and cords, in today’s current slim silhouette, as well as stretch fabrics for more strenuous requirements. Jim Greco’s namesake jeans and cords are there too, fitted and tailored to his exact measurements. In fact, all the riders go through the same process before their name goes on a pair of KR
3W jeans. They even have to keep trying on new washes and new colors to see how the fabrics react to real-world use. But in the end, the combination of a quality product and a professional endorsement guarantee that the KR3W name is being worn well and that it wares will be continued to be stocked in fine skate shops across the United States and in 50 other countries.
So the next time you see a skater shredding down your street, don’t shake your head. That could be the next mogul on wheels. Just ask Angel Cabada. KR3W Apparel
