JFK to LAx

“When we started seeking buyers we stepped into a Santa Monica boutique and they weren’t feelin’ our stuff for a ridiculous reason, but the second we left the store someone approached me about my shirt and I realized that we didn’t need the store buyers after all.” Gavin McNeil

Redefining the West Coast is what young entrepreneur, Gavin McNeill, and partner, Joshua Myles are set to accomplish. Established in August of 2006, LAx or Life & Times of the West Coast, was created to shift the mindset of the youth despite social oppressions and economic disparities found within their home, particularly, the city of Angels. LAx is a branded lifestyle that hopes to revive the urban youth by teaching them to embrace their circumstances and strive beyond them with sincere ambition, confidence and conviction. Using fabric as a tool for their movement, LAx is all about starting a never-ending vibration to wake up the stagnant minds who feel society has always worked against. Engined by the Paperboy$, LAx is definitely more than just a clothing line, it is a lifestyle.

Scheme: What kind of clothing line would you say LAX is?

Gavin McNeill: LAx is a lifestyle brand. LAx stands for “Life and Times”. So the name says it all. It’s a brand inspired by the Life and Times of the West Coast culture, which has been the target of many negative stereotypes. The clothing line, however, is a tool for the movement to change that image by exposing the true beauties that do in fact exist within the lifestyle.

Scheme: What kinds of folks does your line cater to?

Gavin McNeill: Our line caters to the trendsetters of the young urban culture. By “urban” I don’t just mean the hood, I mean the youth today that many like to refer to as the hip hop generation. And I agree that that’s exactly what it is: A generation raised by hip hop that has grown into something so much more than just a genre of music. Crenshaw to Beverly Drive.

Scheme: Who is the line mostly received by? In other words who buys most of your stuff?

Gavin McNeill: The People…those actually living this West Coast lifestyle. Our feedback from the streets has been so much more comforting than a lot of the feedback that we received from the stores. When we started seeking buyers we stepped into a Santa Monica boutique and they weren’t feelin’ our stuff for ridiculous reason, but the second we left the store someone approached me about my shirt and I realized that we didn’t need the store buyers after all. That’s not to say you’ll never see any LAx designs in stores, but for right now we’re enjoying this more intimate relationship with our customers that come with doing our own retail.

Scheme: How long has the line been in existence?

Gavin McNeill: LAx, the brand has been in existence since August of 2006, so almost about a year now. I rolled up to MAGIC with our first run of shirts and I was solo the first day. I was a little nervous to be honest, but then to hear people yelling out “Cali Is Active!” when I walked by, made me feel so much more comfortable. Kind of like when your out of town and you meet someone from your hometown, you feel a little connection because you share that same lifestyle.

Scheme: What kind of music inspires your creations and/ or your team?

Gavin McNeill: Of course West Coast hip hop, which FYI is not just Gangsta Rap. We’re inspired by all different kinds of music that fit our lifestyle. We follow up and coming artists that we feel are truly representative of the West Coast, progressive artists such as Dom Kennedy, J Myers & Mulatto. Really any type of music that has a good sound and is matched with a positive message, we’re inspired and we support.

Scheme: What does your team consist of? Who designs? Is there a graphic artist?

Gavin McNeill: The team is The LAx PaperBoys. Our family consists of young ambitious individuals, The PaperBoys; Joshua Myles, Fred Mack, Mikey P, Julian, Christian, Joanna, Britt, Wes and our supporters because we have so many people that do little things for the company here and there that are so crucial to us. Also part of our family is Daniela Escobar and
Shiondre Austin of Contrashadow PR, and they contribute a great deal and do an excellent job at what they do. The design team is made up of myself and Julian who are graphic artist and Christian who is a freehand artist.

Scheme: What is your space (where you create) representative of? Meaning tell us what it’s like to work where you work? Is the space full of colors that inspire you?

Gavin McNeill: Our work space is representative of our lifestyle, laptops, business cards and food. Our headquarters are downtown in the lofts. But we work on the move, we get
inspiration from all different places, and probably the least from our office. Really, were just living. I’m not going to tell you we sit in our loft with our Dickies and our Chucks on sipping 40s, watching “Friday” and that’s where we get our ideas. No, it can come from anywhere. Majority of the inspiration comes from outside the office.

Scheme: Do you work with screen printing?

Gavin McNeill: We do some of our own screen printing as well as out source with different printing companies.

Scheme: Is your line in production and carried at stores?

Gavin McNeill: Our line is not in stores. For now we’ve made the decision to do all our own retail with plans to eventually set up shop somewhere in the LA area. It’s a lot more work but we feel it’s the best way for the customers to appreciate all we have to offer.

Scheme: Do you do all of your selling through myspace? If so, please explain how great or not so great that is.

Gavin McNeill: We have an online shop on our website that is under construction (laxpaperboys.com) which is our main avenue of sales but if you know how to contact any of
the PaperBoys we’ll work it out for direct sales as well. But yes, temporarily the majority of our sales is through Myspace. (myspace.com/laxpaperboys)

Scheme: Give me a couple words that explain LAx?

Gavin McNeill: LAx is a brand designed to inspire its consumer to embrace their circumstances and strive beyond them with sincere ambition, confidence and conviction. Like “yeah, look at my situation but look what I can do.” We’re out to paint a beautiful picture of the Life and Times on a canvas called “The People”.

Scheme: Where can others see your work?

Gavin McNeill: For now you can see our work on the myspace.com/laxpaperboys, but expect to see a lot of new things when the new website is finished. You will see some new things popping up in the streets here and there that will catch you eye as well, so don’t be alarmed when all of a sudden you see your mom is in a new LAx crew neck (laughs).

Scheme: Have you created for any celebrities?

Gavin McNeill: We haven’t created anything custom for celebrities but we have received a lot of great feedback from a lot of people including comedian Anthony Thomas, Lil Fizz, Murs, Editors from various publications, & celebrity designer Waraire Boswell, to name a few. But like I mention before, we like to support more up and coming artists and “local celebrities” from the West. So expect to see some collabs and a lot of support from cats like Dom Kennedy, J-Myers, U-N-I, Jim Chitty, Pacific Division, Hope, Antidotes ov Hip Hop, Grown Mo, NV, and our fam over at S.O.B. Clothing, Krispy Klean, Phresh Clothing, YKNOT Clothing and everybody else doing there thing out here. We’re on the come up so, shout out to all those cats.