Pop Trading Company

First of all, who are you, and what is Pop Trading Company?

My name is Peter Kolks, I run Pop Trading Company with my partner Ric van Rest. Pop Trading Company is an Amsterdam based company doing stuff in skateboarding.

When and why did you start Pop Trading Company?

It purely started out of passion, we really liked what they were doing, we knew a lot of the people involved from jobs we worked on before, so there was a natural way of things to progress the way it did. We never had the intention to live off of the company, which we still don't. It has always been a side gig, getting a bit more serious lately though ;) We just wanted to give back to skateboarding, thats why we do a lot of events, have a big team of riders, create content with them etc. (Pop News page) These days we still take care of Palace for Netherlands and Belgium and have a few other small brands we distribute like Quartersnacks from NY and Wayward out of London, but the focus has shifted to doing more of our own merchandise.

What does 'Pop' mean? And where does the name come from?

Pop obviously has different meanings to everyone, but in skateboarding "pop" means you got a good snap, you can jump high, if you have a good board, it has good pop, so when we started, we dealt in skateboards, meaning we traded in Pop, ha!

What is the story behind this collection?

I guess we wanted to create something that had a twist of seriousness to it, but more so good quality, our own cuts, made in Portugal & USA. A bit of grown up skateboard apparel. Taking for example a pretty loud vintage Droors jacket and making it into an all black corduroy, with some more subtle branding. A menswear approach on skateboarding. We both worked in skateshops, but also in menswear stores, so there has always been an interest in both. The problem we had with a lot of other skateboard brands is that they put out Allstyle blank tees with a print, Fruit of the Loom hoodies, those crappy China made dad hats, we just felt it would stand out if we made something proper, that would last.

What is your goal with Pop?

No real goals, we just take it as it comes. All we really care about is doing stuff proper, pushing our team of riders, going on trips, doing events for the skateboard community. Basically giving back to a culture that has shaped both our lives in such a way that its enabled us to make a living, but more so there is just a lot of love for it, we are just big skate nerds, haha..

Any future plans / collaborations with Pop Trading Company?

Well there are always new plans, but we can't really share a lot about that. We are working on something with a classic Irish footwear brand which will come out somewhere in the new season. And for this AW17 season we had the honor to make a few exclusive styles for Mr. Porter, you know they also worked on shit with Gucci ;)

Where can we find Pop Trading Company?

The new season is available in a mix of the best skateboard stores worldwide as well as contemporary menswear stores. So for example in London we work with Slam City Skates and Other Shop. In Tokyo we got Beauty& Youth H and Prov, Street Machine in Copenhagen, Mini Shop in Madrid, Mr. Porter does online together with the very well curated Palomino from UK. There is a bunch more you can find them on our stockists page (Stockists) , we are very proud to work with all these retailers.

You had several pop-up store, some for a month, some for just a weekend. Any plans to start a store?

Lets see what the future brings, baby steps, innit?

There are rumors of Supreme carrying Pop in the near future, any words on that?

Well, we already sell at Supreme in Paris, I believe its sold out now, but we are chatting to get some more in there, hopefully also in some of their other stores, lets see. They have a good curation, also a bunch of skatenerds haha.

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Words and photos by Izzy Capulong

The Spanish-born London-based designer has been well-loved for his genderless tailoring, latex mastery, and overall message of empowerment. Dressing everyone from ravers to A-listers, De Javier’s latest drop pushes his design repertoire to a new level. “While designing for my celebrity clientele and showcasing my creations on the runway has always been my dream,” he notes, “It’s equally important to me that my brand resonates with a wider, more diverse audience.” While this collection’s medium has shifted from corsets to sweatshirts, the classic LDJ avant-garde sensibilities remain. Bikinis and booty shorts are shamelessly emblazoned with “PUTA,” blazers are constructed with ample shoulder padding, and I had my eye on the cheekily-named “Faguette Bag.”

The Puta collection will be available exclusively on emcee.

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In the wake of significant challenges including the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war which has heavily impacted production and logistics, Syndicate continues to innovate by integrating themes of survival, resilience, and the complex emotions involved in modern relationships. The collection features bold, thematic elements such as textual prints derived from real-life break-up phrases embodying the irony and emotional depth of contemporary dating narratives.

Some of the collection prints were created in collaboration with Magalie Heroux — a London-based graphic designer, the "Dating Olympics" collection employs a mix of early 2000s aesthetics with simple, impactful fonts and ironic slogans, capturing a nostalgic yet fresh vibe. The use of heat-reactive techniques further enriches the tactile experience, emphasising the warmth and connection that are essential to human interaction.

Text Alex Blake
Photography Vidar Logi
Styling Ira Vasylevska & Magalie Heroux
Casting & Production Andriy Zozulya, Taras Schevchuk
Hair Ruth Javy
Makeup Martina de Rosa
Models Sleeze McQueen, Dylan Proudfoot, Olive Harvey
Assistant Tony Poly

Shot by the Icelandic photographer and frequent Björk collaborator Vidar Logi, who's known for his distinctive style that blends natural landscapes with human elements, the “Dating Olympics” campaign is the perfect visual ode to the creative vision of the Syndicate founders Taras and Iryna.

With this collection, Syndicate not only addresses the hardships faced by many due to the current geopolitical situation but also celebrates the enduring human spirit to love and connect, even in times of adversity. The "Dating Olympics" is more than a fashion statement—it's a testament to the resilience and adaptability of love.