New York origins can be both a blessing and a curse for brands. On the one hand, the roots of streetwear can be traced back all the way to the boroughs here, and there is no shortage of fashion icons that rose to prominence from these inspiring neighborhoods; on the other hand, coming from New York means you went straight to the big leagues - there is tremendous pressure to do the city justice and represent the hustle with attitude, and the benchmark of success is against legends like Supreme and KITH.

For Queens native Teddy Santis, Aimé Leon Dore is the manifestation of his coming of age experience, and the brand's inspiration came from the iconic activities kids grew up doing in his neighborhood - hip-hop, basketball, graffiti, and all things street culture related.

The authenticity of Santis's background combined with minimalistic designs and quality tailoring gave Aimé Leon Dore a swagger that proved to be the brand's winning formula, the hype was simply a by-product as high-profile collaborations piled up and products get sold out instantly.

For Santis, there is no end game for Aimé Leon Dore as the evolution of the creator and brand happens simultaneously. In the meantime, browse their latest collection online or in-store at JUICE.