The streetwear brand Revenge is notoriously secretive.
Its co-founder Garette only goes by his first name and shies away from interviews and social media. When you do see him, he hides his face behind a mask. But that level of secrecy has become part of the brand’s mythology. Revenge started out in 2016 in a garage in East Los Angeles with no clear path forward. Then, it was just an idea from two 19-year-olds. This weekend, it will be celebrating eight years in business.
Revenge’s ascent came hand in hand with a crop of promising young rappers that were sprouting up on SoundCloud at the time, most notably XXXTentacion. Its “Kill” hoodie that was first released in collaboration with the rapper in 2017 is still one of the brand’s most coveted pieces. To this day, Revenge celebrates the life of the late musician. Throughout 2024, it has held exhibitions in Miami, Los Angeles, and China.
“[XXXTentacion] was the first person to believe in me and inspired me to follow my dreams. I’ll always be grateful for that,” says Garette via e-mail (co-founders Garette and Han have requested to only be referred to by their first names).
The brand has continuously fostered its connection with hip-hop since. Juice WRLD, Chief Keef, Young Thug, Ski Mask the Slump God, Kodak Black are among some of the individuals who have starred in Revenge campaigns since 2016.
“If I didn't have music to draw inspiration from and inspire me, there wouldn't be the brand Revenge,” says Garette.
These partnerships, along with Revenge’s signature punk-inspired design language have helped the brand cultivate a loyal fanbase. Its most coveted products are its series of arch logo hoodies, which continue to release in a wide variety of colors to this day. As the brand grows, it has also expanded its product offering beyond logo T-shirts and hoodies into more intricate cut and sew items like vegan leather bomber jackets, knits, and embellished denim.
Now, the brand is making sure to give back to its loyal following that’s helped it get this far by hosting a special archive sale. Over 150 items from over the years will be up for grabs starting on Sunday, May 26 at 2 p.m. PST via its web store. There will even be giveaways for items like PS5s and Nintendo Switches.
Ahead of Revenge’s eight-year anniversary archive sale, Garette and Han took some time for a rare interview to reflect on the brand’s history.
The brand has such a strong connection with music and many artists that helped define the SoundCloud era. Why was it so important for the brand to continue to foster that connection with the world of music for the past 8 years?
Garette: Ever since I could remember, music was my first inspiration and outlet to express myself. I was in the back of class making drums on my desk or downloading FL Studio to try to make a beat. Music and streetwear have always gone hand in hand. As a kid, I wanted to dress like 50 Cent and Pharrell because not only did they make good music, but whatever they put on would be looked at as the "cool" shit. Fostering the connection between music and Revenge was done so naturally to me. All the artists we worked with have been genuine relationships. I see ourselves as a vessel to help the artists turn their energy into something visual. If I didn't have music to draw inspiration from and inspire me, there wouldn't be the brand Revenge.
Han: From day one, Revenge has been rooted in music culture and the spirit of the underground. I grew up admiring new boundaries being pushed by up-and-coming artists from the LimeWire/iTunes era to the SoundCloud era. Seeing these artists come from obscure parts of the country and going against all odds to impact culture and create their own communities inspired hope and courage in me to try to do the same. Fate led us to Revenge. For that reason, incorporating artists trying new sounds and pushing the culture forward will always be a top priority. Music and fashion will always be intertwined — one feeds off the other — and I want to continue building Revenge as the home for that connection in streetwear.
You have worked with many rappers on various campaigns over the past 8 years. Which is the most memorable and why?
G: XXXTentacion. I started out as X's graphic designer back in 2015, running his Bad Vibes Forever brand back when he had 1500 or so followers on Twitter. Working closely with him, while developing the brotherhood I always wanted, while simultaneously witnessing him turn into the superstar he is, was unreal. Getting the opportunity to finally travel outside of my one-bedroom house in East LA and go on the Revenge tour, while working with him after the shows to build each collection is something I'll always hold close to me. Not knowing what the future held for us, while still continuing to push boundaries, was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. We never had a plan B. But I always believed that shit would just work itself out through hard work. I can talk about him all day, but mainly he was the first person to believe in me and inspired me to follow my dreams. I'll always be grateful for that.
H: Some of the most memorable and craziest moments were the very early days with X. We all connected when our combined communities were barely scratching a couple thousand people. It was the truest representation of a group of outcast kids and perceived failures trying their hardest to make something happen and to make it out by any means. To get into detail would be a long trip down memory lane, but from the feeling of the very first time Revenge and X released a physical product, to designing and planning things on daily collect jail calls, to the Revenge tour, to the brotherly fights from us all being so stubborn and opinionated, to funny moments like the first time he found out I was Asian and getting geeked out, will mark my brain forever. To be honest, now that I’m reflecting, I’m smiling and thankful for all the unforgettable moments I’ve shared with these legendary artists we’ve worked with. Coming from a random part of LA where nothing really happens, it’s crazy to think where a dream can take you.
Can you explain the brand’s signature art style and what inspires it?
G: During our early days of designing what is now our signature style, it was just a combination of whatever I hand drew along with a lack of knowledge of Photoshop. I could never afford an iPad to draw on, so I would always use notebook paper and a pen. Then, I would take a picture with my phone, upload that into Photoshop, and watch YouTube tutorials to edit. Eventually, it was a simple click of the threshold tool that gave everything a certain roughness that I had seen used on the black metal albums I was listening to. [That style] wasn't as popular in 2016, which is maybe why I was so drawn to it and still love it today.
H: The dark tone of Revenge and the rough art style have been our signature since we started in 2016. It stems from Garette and I preferring to wear black most days since middle school and being drawn to punk and grunge culture. I also personally loved classic streetwear and the patterns and graphics from old Japanese brands where the design language was rough around the edges. Garette was more into death metal and hard rock, so the brand became a hybrid of all of our interests. It’s a mixture of so many different reference points. Revenge ended up developing a unique style of its own.
Fans will have a chance to shop the Revenge archive this weekend. What is your favorite item from the brand’s archive?
G: Probably all of our jewelry collection. Everything was exclusively created by one of my closest friends Liron Eini. Working on something other than T-shirts and hoodies is always more fun. I think fans will be excited for a second chance to get our old collaborations [this weekend].
H: My favorite items are all the denims. It’s a new program we launched last year, and the attention to detail with all the custom metal hardware, leather trims, washes, and embroidery is something I’m proud of. The fit is also the perfect middle ground between baggy and straight.
What aspect of the brand do you think has improved the most over the course of its eight-year history? What are you most proud of?
G: Our supporters. There is a surreal feeling I get when I see someone wearing Revenge. I have seen so many people walking down the street or skating in it, and it always makes my day. Even when we started on a small scale of just selling T-shirts to like five of my homies, I used to be so happy seeing them wear it proudly. The support has been growing fast, as have the events. Every time we do a pop-up, giveaway, or show, I'm nervous as hell that maybe people might not show up. But each one tends to get bigger each year. I couldn't be more thankful. Without them, we wouldn't be here, and I hope we can continue to create memories for everyone in the future.
H: I think the quality of goods, the value-to-price ratio, and the customer experience are the greatest improvements we’ve made. I’m also proud of our media productions and the team we’ve fostered. We struggled for a lot of years with things like fulfillment, customer service, and product development because we were thrown into the fire at 18 years old and had to make all the mistakes along the way to figure shit out. After all this time, we’re finally getting things down and really trying our hardest these last two years. It looks glamorous from the outside, but we’ve gone through hell and back and are still here pushing harder than ever. I’m most proud of our resilience.
Any other memorable stories or milestones from Revenge’s history that you are particularly proud of and would like to shed light on in celebration of the 8-year anniversary?
G: It's actually an upcoming milestone that I'm most proud of and excited for. Everything is coming full circle again to where I originally started. Bad Vibes Forever.
H: The thing I’m most thankful for and the most important milestone is the world of Revenge we’ve built and our community. To see people actually care and show out in real life at our events and online brings me more joy than anything material ever can. It reminds me to always continue dreaming and not doubt myself so much. We try to make Revenge an example and a reference point to people going through it and feeling anxiety on their current path. One foot after the other, don’t stop.
