You May Know Him From Supreme, but Sean Pablo's PARADISE NYC Is All His Own
Sean Pablo is a name and face recognizable to everyone who knows anything about Supreme. The iconic skate brand's film Cherry threw Sean into the highest echelons of skateboarding (and in turn, streetwear) fame at the ripe age of 16 with moves and tricks that belied his age. Now 22, the skater, designer and artist is known for more than his association to Supreme - with lots going on besides skateboarding such as his own label, PARADISE NYC.
We spoke with Sean Pablo on how he's doing, PARADISE NYC and where he gets his inspiration. Check out PARADISE NYC's latest at juicestore.com and at JUICE K11 Musea!
Hey Sean, how have you been lately?
Doing great man, hope you are too. Just got back from SF, rolled my ankle a while ago but recovering well, starting to skate again. I have no complaints at all.
I’ve been following your career for a while now, wrote about you a few times when I was at HYPEBEAST. You became so well known at such a young age as a skater - I always wanted to ask, what made you decide to go into apparel?
I’ve always been interested in art and design, my dad’s a painter, my mom’s a teacher and my uncle’s a director and they’re always working on projects and turning me on to good stuff. My friends are pretty much all creative and always making shit that kills me. I love music too so it all seems to come together in apparel design, each piece is like a mini conceptual art project. I want to make sure to have more going on than just skating, something to obsess over other than wood and wheels. I’m also working on my music. But it all feels connected and part of some bigger aesthetic thing.
I'm sure you hear this all the time - but do you ever get sick of being "Sean Pablo From Supreme's Skate Team?"
Haha sometimes it’s annoying, I get a lot of hate and a lot of love but overall I’m so ‘blessed’ to be working with all these guys. I’ve met so many cool people and learned so much just hanging and skating, traveling and talking. A day out skating with the Gonz & Fat Bill or hanging with Weirdo Dave or Dill is like a few years in art school :)
So how does your skateboarding influence PARADISE?
It’s all DIY, punk, freedom and openness, like skating, it’s permission to do what feels right, what seems interesting and see if it works. It’s not a big deal, experimental, more like playing and trying to express some weird idea that’s hard to put into words. Sometimes it works and sometimes not but it’s so fun trying to get people’s attention and hopefully blow their mind in some small way.
Where else do you find inspiration for the brand and its designs? Any cool stories that made it into the apparel?
I’m really into thrifting, finding shit that’s weird and off the cultural radar. Most of the work I do with Paradise tries to capture that feeling of finding the weirdest, stupidest, but best shirt you’ve ever seen. I’m really influenced by my friends' ideas and art, my dad’s prison art collection and by cheesy horror movies too. The New York City vibe is a big one too, so much human energy, insanity, history and diversity in such a small space.
What are your plans for the brand - in 2 years? 5 years?
Want to keep it small, personal and intimate and hopefully interesting and authentic.