A Look At HUF’s New Collaboration With STARTER

Keith Hufnagel grew up skateboarding in the gritty streets of New York City in the late 1980s. In those days, skateboarding was simply not accepted. Far from the mainstream, it was punk rock yet it was also hip-hop; it was a counterculture of outcasts misunderstood by the masses.

In 1992, Hufnagel moved to San Francisco to pursue his passion of skateboarding. He turned professional soon after, which brought him the opportunity to travel the world. Brought up by the very “do-it-yourself” approach that came along with skateboarding, Hufnagel saw an opportunity to give back to that same community which had raised him. He went on to open a small boutique on an offbeat block of San Francisco’s Tenderloin District, which was arguably the first of its kind.

Hufnagel’s store — named HUF — brought the most respected brands that the skateboard, streetwear, and sneaker communities had to offer together under one roof. HUF quickly came to be recognized as the Bay Area’s premier skateboarding-related purveyor of hard-to-come-by goods.

Fast-forwarding to 2019, HUF recently announced a partnership with the heritage American sportswear label STARTER on a new collection celebrating 1990s-era skate and street cultures. HUF’s latest lookbook was shot in Los Angeles and features Young Dirty Bastard — son of legendary Wu-Tang Clan founding member Ol’ Dirty Bastard — as an homage to the legacy of 90s hip-hop.

I had the pleasure of asking some questions to PR coordinator Chase Warner about HUF’s collaboration with STARTER. More on HUF can be found online at www.hufworldwide.com.

How did the opportunity to work with STARTER first come about?

Chase Warner: STARTER is a timeless brand with deep roots in 90’s skate and street culture, especially in New York where Keith grew up skating, so it made a lot of sense to collaborate on this vintage inspired collection.

Did you know YDB before this collaboration?

Chase Warner: No. YDB upholding the legacy of his father, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, as a member of Wu Tang while bringing his own style and voice aligned seamlessly with the story the collection tells. The look and feel of vintage pieces with a contemporary HUF DBC twist. A match made in heaven.

Do you have a favorite piece in the collection?

Chase Warner: The Breakaway Anorak Jacket is the stand out piece of the collection… Keith also told me that the Breakaway Anorak Jacket was his favorite too.

YDB collaboration aside, what is coming up for the brand?

Chase Warner: Picking up right where the HUF x STARTER collab leaves off, our New York inspired Spring 2019 collection releases this February. The rest of 2019 is full of great collabs, elevated designs, and a couple other exciting ventures you’ll have to stay tuned for.

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Tags: Chase Warner, HUF, ODB, Ol' Dirty Bastard, STARTER, Wu Tang, YDB

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."