When someone mentions Panama, one of the first things that come to mind is the Panama Canal but pretty soon that will change. Panama, because of its historical reliance on commerce, is above all a melting pot. This is shown, for instance, by its considerable population of Chinese originating from when many immigrated to Panama to help build the Panama Railroad. A term for “corner store” in Panamanian Spanish is el chinito, reflecting the fact that many corner stores are owned and run by Chinese immigrants.

Panamagoo is a stunning reflection of Panamas demographical make up, serving as a melting pot of our everyday environment and social/cultural images fused into fashions that can be rocked in the hood and the suburbs alike. We had a chance to sit down with Panamagoo founder Gus Lo to chop it up on the science behind Panamagoo and where it’s headed and his ode to your local Chinese take out spot.

Scheme: Tell us about the name Panamagoo, where did it come from and what does it stand for?

Gus Lo: Basically the name comes from a cross breed of my name and where I am from. My name is Gus but my people in the hood call me Goo. I’m Panamanian so the two just got fused together. Originally I wanted to come up with a crazy name that was just left field and one of my peoples suggested I name it Panamagoo. At first I really wasn’t feeling it but it grew on me quickly because it rolls of the tongue easy and people just started flowing with it and it just stuck.

Scheme: So when did Panamagoo start up?

Gus Lo: It started around 2 years ago but before that me and my buddy J Ricks would just be chilling in the crib and about 6-7 years ago we just came up with the idea of throwing black celebrities on t-shirts, not political but go left field with it. For instance putting Michael Jackson with Bubbles but after a while that market got saturated so we deaded that idea. So then about 2 years ago I was playing around on the computer with some designs. One design in particular caught my eye so I freaked the design a bit and made adjustments and Panamagoo was born.

Scheme: How would you describe Panamagoo’s style to someone who’s never seen or heard about it?

Gus Lo: Basically I would say that Panamagoo is fun; a lot of the inspiration comes from music. There is nothing too hard about it; I would never put any images that were like gangsters or guns and violence but just keep it fun and fresh. It’s a brand that takes its inspiration from hip hop music, my everyday surroundings, thoughts and beliefs.

Scheme: So it’s partially inspired by Hip Hop, what are your opinions on the state of Hip Hop right now?

Gus Lo: It’s a business! Like any other business it is controlled by the head honcho’s and there are a lot of people that have no say in what they put out. I feel it has lost its art form and those that still do it for the art form, sadly enough they are typically the ones that don’t get noticed for it. What’s the standard right now? Platinum or multi-platinum and the one’s that are hitting that standard are really not that crafting with the skills but they have formulas that the masses agree with.

Scheme: I’ve seen you come to the defense of the New York Hip Hop scene on the comment sections of Scheme Magazine. How do you feel now about New York Hip Hop?

Gus Lo: Like I’ve said before, New York Hip Hop is certainly not dead. This is the birth place of it all, it started in the BX. If you’re looking at it strictly from the standpoint of record sales then yeah you can say it’s not doing too good but in terms of skills and lyrical content, nah! New York Hip Hop will never be dead in terms of lyrical content. This is the essence of it all; New York will always have that.

Scheme: So what was your first introduction to Hip Hop?

Gus Lo: My first introduction was my cousin, he was heavy into break dancing when I was like 5 years old and he was about 13-14. He would travel the entire eastern seaboard and entire contest and him and his man Freddie would just kill em. I would just look at the gear they would rock, you know the track suits with the stripes, and I don’t know if they were Adidas or rejects but they were always matching and wearing the ill airbrushed T-Shirts. After that would have to be Yo! MTV raps. Yo! MTV raps was definitely a big part of it for me as far as Hip Hop because where I grew up, in the suburbs Hip Hop wasn’t something that you were exposed to everyday. What the rappers talked about didn’t really happen in the suburbs. Yo! MTV exposed me to a lot of it beyond just the music on the radio.

Scheme: You vividly remember what your cousin was rocking, you know the track suits and air brushed tee’s etc. Does that sometimes come to mind when you’re designing Panamagoo or do you take more of your current day surroundings into account?

Gus Lo: I definitely take to the old school into account and mix it with the current day flavor. In fact we have a sample piece right now that’s going to be a go that is an all over print. We have one specifically for the men and one for the women but it’s themed around old school flavor. For the fall they will be made into sweatshirts with these themes. I love to incorporate the old school.

img src=’http://schememag.com/wp-content/uploads/kicks1.jpg’ alt=’kicks1.jpg’ />

Scheme: That’s hot! So of all your pieces, going back into your archives and even current day offerings what is your favorite piece that you have produced?

Gus Lo: I’d have to say “The Four Faces of Goo”. I freaked the Andy Warhol concept and used my Panamagoo character with the color scheme. It’s one of my first pieces and it’s simple yet bold.

Scheme: All right, let’s talk about this “Chicken N Fries” shirt. The reaction I’ve witnessed has been crazy. Personally, the concept is one of the most refreshing things I’ve seen. The design is simple, yet it relates to almost everyone with subtle nuances that make it special, but you took the packaging game to the next level! Explain the “Chicken N Fries” shirt real quick

Gus Lo: Well the packaging comes in the same exact Styrofoam box that you get your Chicken and Fries in at your local Chinese spot (he’s not lying, check out the pictures). You have the T-Shirt inside and then you also get a fortune cookie inside with a custom Panamagoo saying, and 2 different Panamagoo Stickers. I felt like the shirt needed to be done because Chicken and Fries is a huge dish in the hood. When you’re down to your last $5 and you go to the Chinese spot you’re not going to get the Beef Lo Mien or the Chicken Fung Goo you’re going to get the Chicken and Fries and it’s going to hold you done for the night. The t-shirt is a tribute to all the Mr. Chen’s, The Mr. Panda’s, The Happy Delight’s they chef up all the juiciest Chicken and Fries and Panamagoo chef’s up the juiciest shirt’s for your wardrobe. It’s all about demand, design and distribute.

Scheme: So this shirt is out now?

Gus Lo: Yes, It’s out on the La Cuidad series which in Spanish means “The City” and is available now. That as well as the “Loosie” T-Shirt, which Method Man has rocked are in the La Cuidad series, we concentrate on those things that are part of Urban Survival.

Scheme: So where can heads cop the latest from Panamagoo?

Gus Lo: You can definitely log onto Panamagoo.com or if you are in Chi Town, it’s sold at Leaders 1354, which is a specialty boutique on South Cottage Grove Road. You can also find Panamagoo in Cali at Alter Ego in downtown Fullerton, CA. You can also hit up Platform in the Bronx, The Spot in Elmhurst (NY) and High Tops in Fort Lauderdale. With the new T-Shirt we are releasing, the “Chicken N Fries” from the La Cuidad series will hopefully find its way into more Boutiques in the USA.

Scheme: What’s your scheme for Panamgoo in the next 3 years?

Gus Lo: In 3 years my goal is to have the brand established to the point where we can go into designing and creating accessories, extending into a women’s line and children’s line like Babygoo. I basically want to make it a lifestyle brand.

Scheme: It seems that with the technology available to the general public, fashion seems very accessible. In all essence someone can take a drawing to a print shop and have it made into a shirt. With this accessibility the market becomes oversaturated, are you seeing a lot of garbage product being put out right now to make a quick buck?

Gus Lo: Absolutely! With the good comes the bad. Everything that is put out will not be grade A material, you are going to have a lot of stuff out there that is an F. That’s comes with the territory though, you just need to hope more people realize your quality versus those that don’t.

Scheme: When you’re designing and coming up with ideas, how do you know you have a winner? When paralleled to music, you can make a song and then just upload it to the internet and get immediate feedback. With clothing, you have to invest more time and money wise in terms of getting stuff printed and then trying to sell or place it so it’s a much bigger risk, so when do you know you have that winner?

Gus Lo: When it comes to idea’s I don’t stress or think too hard. A lot of my ideas just come to me from everyday life and observation. I could be driving, or be listening to music, just walking and it just hits you like “Boom, this is the one”. You get a gut feeling and roll with it. I heard a designer from L.A. say the other day, “you think long, then you think wrong.” That’s true with fashion; you can over plan the actual design.

Scheme: So was this the same feeling you got when you decided to start Panamagoo? What really made you get into clothing?

Gus Lo: Really I just started out doing some pieces for myself just to have something exclusive and that I liked. Slowly I started making pieces for my friends and the demand started to build with people started buzzing about it. It wasn’t a one day thing, it slowly grew.

Scheme: Who do you think is putting out really quality pieces, major designer wise? Personally I really liked Echo when it first came out but now it’s so big that a lot of their stuff just isn’t hitting. Who do you like now?

Gus Lo: I like 10 Deep’s spring collection; I like the patterns and colors they are using. I like Swagger, they are hot right now. Acapulco Gold is doing some good things and Reason is doing nice stuff as well. Overall, there is a lot of quality stuff coming out this spring. Designers are really stepping their game up this year in the street wear game, especially in NYC.

Scheme: What would you say is your go to piece, or just your comfort zone with the design game?

Gus Lo: I don’t have a comfort zone because that’s when you start putting out the garbage. My only comfort zone is putting out quality designs that the street will accept, weather it be a t-shirt, hat, jacket or pillow.

Scheme: Are you looking to do any internet sales anytime soon?

GusLo: A few of the pieces should be going up on Karma Loop in a few weeks and you can always cop on Panamagoo.com.

Scheme: Let’s shift over to the music game for a bit, who are your top 5 all-time MC’s?

Gus Lo: Number 1 is Rakim, I mean “The Ghetto”, that track still moves me. I go to YouTube at least once a week just to see the video and hear it. Number 2 is Big, 3 is Nas, 4 is Jigga and number 5 is KRS-One.

Scheme: Okay, that’s a healthy top 5! Just to keep things fun, let’s play a little one word association. First up: Jay-Z

Gus Lo: Mogul

Scheme: Premier

Gus Lo: Vintage/Classic

Scheme: Barak Obama

Gus Lo: President

Scheme: Rap City

Gus Lo: Positive outlet

Scheme: Enyce

Gus Lo: Outdated

Scheme: Panamagoo

GusLo: Panamagoo cannot be sized up in one word, it’s a phrase. Timeless pieces of fashion meet radical elegance!

Scheme: Break that down for us

Gus Lo: It’s saying first of all that it is for all time, not just now or next year but anytime and that’s the timeless piece. The radical part is because the colors like “The Four Faces of Goo” shirt, the colors are bold and stand out but at the same time the design is elegant. You can throw on a blazer and eat at a fine restaurant or a nice lounge. That’s Panamagoo.

Scheme: What has been the biggest challenge with starting Panamagoo?

Gus Lo: Really just trying to get placed in the stores and convince them that Panamagoo is a quality brand that is here to stay. Some of the stores choose to deal with the bigger contracts from well financed brands but those who stay looking for the fresh stuff are still rewarded. Our sales are speaking for themselves, for instance Panamagoo has been selling really well at Leaders 1354.

Scheme: Are there any particular stores that you are trying to get into now?

Gus Lo: I would like to get into Union in LA with the “Chicken N Fries” but really I’m open to any store that wants to build a relationship. I’m looking for stores that are knowledgeable of the brands and the street wear game and can really explain well with the consumer when they come in. A lot of stores, just come and go and they are in it for the moment but don’t really understand the culture. Panamagoo doesn’t want to be in stores that don’t understand the culture.

Scheme: What’s the most rewarding part of Panamagoo?

Gus Lo: Acceptance, when people are feeling your stuff it gives you a great feeling. Even if Panamagoo doesn’t excel to the level I want, I still feel good because I know I did a good job with it.

Scheme: What’s the bad part, the unseen part of Panamagoo?

Gus Lo: You really need to go hard at it. You can’t just do a few hours a week, unless you’re just doing it for kicks. You need to live it everyday and really put your time in.

Scheme: What’s craziest thing you have experienced with Panamagoo?

Gus Lo: That first order for T-Shirts! When that first order came in, it was such a great feeling. I still have my first check; it’s framed at my crib. When you push to the stores and finally break through it feels good. It also felt good that when I gave a shirt to Method Man and Bobby Valentino, they rocked them and I’ve seen it on the internet.

Scheme: Tony Shelman, probably best known for Enyce has started several brands since then such as Parish. Once Panamagoo gets to a certain point, can you see yourself getting out of Panamagoo and starting new lines?

Gus Lo: No I don’t see that, I really just want to keep adding onto Panamagoo to make it a lifestyle brand to cover men, women, and children, home décor and everything else.

Scheme: Is a boutique a goal for you or do you really just want it placed in other stores?

Gus Lo: I definitely want a boutique! When it’s all said and done, I want to be settled in the city that the name originated from Panama City and just distribute from there and still have the boutiques.

Scheme: Who is your best advisor?

Gus Lo: Truthfully, my inner conscious. That first instinct is strong with me and I ride with it. I also receive really good advice from my close friends and family.

Scheme: Down the line with the Panamagoo business, is this something that you would want to pass onto your children?

Gus Lo: Absolutely, if that’s what they want to do. I actually have another business of breeding and caring for exotic fish and designing and installing the proper hardware. I ask my daughter all the time, do you like to design more or do you like dealing with the fishes more. I really want my kids to do whatever they want to excel at but it would be a great thing to pass it onto them.

Scheme: Exotic fish? Like sharks and tropical fish?

Gus Lo: Yup

Scheme: That’s different, what’s your favorite breed of fish to work with?

Gus Lo: My favorite Breed is the African Cichlids and they come from Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. It’s another passion of mine, I enjoy doing it.

Panamagoo is set to make a big impact in the industry. Not only can they hook you up with the timeless elegance of clothing but they can put you up on game in the exotic fish arena. Check out our Panamagoo contest to see how you can get involved with the movement and get some free gear!