So funny thing about the the internet is that sometimes, even when you think you know who you are talking to you might not.
For example, I was recently looking to reconnect with an old acquaintance who had a clothing company called EZ Clothing.
With a quick Google search, I found a website and sent an e-mail to the contact listed. It never even occurred to me that there was a possibility I was sending an e-mail to the founder of a completely different EZ Clothing company.
But I definitely was.
I’ve always been bad with names, and I unfortunately didn’t remember the first name of the person I was looking for.
But the founder of this EZ Clothing company was Jay. And I thought that sounded right.
The first response let me know that he was glad to hear from me and that he was definitely interested in doing an interview for the magazine but wanted to wait until his new website was done.
After a few weeks the website was up and I sent him out an e-mail interview. I knew the person I was looking to get a hold of no longer lives in Salem and was not from Salem, but lived in Salem for a few years while playing Football at Willamette.
Jay was a little confused why I was asking him questions about living in Salem and going to school at Willamette and responded “Jake I think you have me mistaken for somebody from Oregon which is unfortunate, but I still filled everything out in hopes you’d still publish us on your site. I’ve had extended stays in Oregon before though, and did my best to answer your questions accordingly.”
Turns out the person I’m looking for is actually named Jon.
But either way. Thanks to Jay of EZ Clothing for taking the time to answer our questions.
We Out Here.
ALSO We’ll be doing EZ Clothing giveaways via Out Facebook Page so make sure you like it!!
Thanks for taking the time man. Congrats on getting the website redesign up as well. Hows everything been?
Life’s good man, spring’s here now so the weather’s been pretty sweet. Then again, it usually always is down here in SD. It’s beach and park season, and with that comes skins and barbeques, can’t complain.
Tell us about your brand and the identity behind the name EZ Clothing.
EZ Clothing is centered in the hip-hop lifestyles. As the founder, I’ve been in art and graff game since elementary. When I started skateboarding in junior high, art was still very much part of my scene along with hip-hop music. I remember taking the bus and trolley to skate downtown, rocking a walkman listening to mixtapes of the Visionaries, Benefit, and Dilated Peoples to name a few. All of that took a backseat when I enlisted in the Navy, but now that I’m out, I’m fully engulfed in the scene again. I’ve brought it back to the roots; EZ is about the expression of and the appreciation for the hip-hop world. That’s who we are in a nutshell.
You stayed in Portland for awhile, what were you upto?
I stayed in Astoria and Portland in 2008 and 2009. I used to go to Portland for tattoo work. Then my friend moved to Boston, I forget her shop’s name but it was off MLK.
Any other Northwest ties?
We actually met the Sonicsgate crew in Denver this past weekend. We hung out in our hotel lobby.
What can people expect from EZ this year?
We’re still in the infancy stage of the company, but we have high expectations for this year. We’re going to be branching into a new line for the females, Easy on the Eyes, as well as expanding our product selection to include hats and lightweight cold gear. We’re also looking into a new process that will allow for more custom options for our customers aside from basic size selection: garment color, design placement, and multiple design selection.
What do you guys do to differentiate yourselves from other clothing companies?
We very much appreciate our fans and supporters, and I guess one difference is that we actually care about what people think. We interact with customers daily and are responsive to requests and ideas. Because we interact so much, we’ve found out what people care for and what they don’t, and have been able to translate that into lower prices for our customers and increased revenues. We skip the unecessary bells and whistles and go straight for what the people want, which are dope graphics printed on high quality tee’s.
What were some of your favorite food spots you went to while you were in Portland?
I’ve had extended stays in Astoria and Portland, Astoria had this great spot for salmon called Baked Alaska. That’s the only place I ate actually cuz it was so damn good, dope setting and good food. And sheit. Portland has too many to mention. One spot that sticks out though is South Park. You can grab some pretty good Calamari and Oysters from the appetizer menu and be straight. I was there at the same time as some wine testers, I guess they have some good wine but as a beer guy myself, I didn’t partake.
Whats your favorite beer?
Coming from the hood I’m down with any malt liquor pretty much!
Closing thoughts?
Shouts to Erika A. and Jake Espi.. We Out Here and EZ Clothing, one love yall.. be easy!
To learn more about EZ Clothing Visit www.ez-clothing.com