
In 1986, while procrastinating
studying for exams during my
first year at the University
of Calgary, I was drawn away
by a closet full of STAR WARS
drapes my Mom had put away.
For some reason I thought these
would make cool shorts (we’re
talking back in the day when
long flowery ‘jams’ were
killing it). So Mom taught
me how to sew and I spent the
entire summer making shorts
for friends and anyone else
who wanted a custom pair of
trunks.
Fast forward to University
in London Ontario (UWO) where
I continued to make shorts
and then started to design
and produce custom screen-printed
t-shirts for the student body. I
branded my line GRUBWEAR as
it seemed to be the clothing
that my customers were changing
into, post work/school.
I slowly
developed my line of t-shirts
and shorts into a full-fledged
clothing brand and began to
sell to local skate/surf/streetwear
shops in Southern Ontario and
subsequently across Canada.
In 1988 I decided that I needed
an iconic logo to combat Quiksilver
and OP. So
I busted out the protractor
from my pencil case (didn’t
even have a computer) and went
with three tweaked G’s
in a circle.
Simple, clean and effective. Now
you know.
That logo has taken me around
the world. I have it tattooed
on my body. It has given
me strength and torn me apart….but
I wouldn’t change a thing
and I’ve never looked
back.
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