Martian Crew
Words by Jenkin Au
Photography by Adam Luk

Martian Crew, born and raised from False Creek. justalilhype! Crew visited the Martian at their home base, Granville Island False Creek. We had a nice chat together about the start of this brand and how their life style embraces the Martians.

Tell us a little more about Martian Crew.

Dan: I started it mostly for fun. Originally, I started a clothing line when I was 10 years old called DMD Clothing but I stopped it when I got into high school; I didn’t take it seriously. As I got older, I really wanted to pursue that passion. Around grade 10, as I was listening to Lil Wayne, I decided to start a clothing line called “Martian Crew”.

What inspired you to get the name “Martian Crew”?

Dan: Lil Wayne saying, “We are not the same, We are the martian.” I thought it was a dope name, something different and something that you’ll remember.

Kid Cudi just dropped his new album, “Man On The Moon”. He really relates himself to outer space and martians and all that. Before, he had this song called “Embrace the Martian”.

Dan: I know that song. I don’t relate myself to it, but I know the song!

Do you think you can relate to Kid Cudi for all the space shit that he does?

Dan: I like Kid Cudi – I saw him, actually. I went to his concert when we were still drinking out of my car. He’s good and he’s got some good mixes. No platinum records or anything yet. He’s fresh.

Tell us how you got to where you are today.

Dan: Man, when I started when I was 10, I was going door to door selling those clothes. It wasn’t actually as much of a clothing line as Martian Crew is – it was blank red t-shirts with my initials stitched on it which I designed on [Microsoft] Paint. After that, with Martian Crew, it was just us Creekers walking around, repping just sweatshirts with Martian Crew. When kids saw that, they were like, that’s fresh and how do I get that? I started a group on Facebook and every time I go on Facebook, kids are like, “How do I get Martian Crew?” What I think a great part of that is that I don’t remake the same clothes. You’re not going to see too much to anything around. Everyone is not going to be wearing the same t-shirt and we have a lot of one of one’s. It sucks for people that see it and they go, “I want that one”, but I think it’s a fresh aspect.

What is so fresh about keeping it “just a lil”?

Dan: You know when you get a hot shirt and then your best friend or another acquaintance, he’s got the same shirt, same jacket, same shoes, even! You don’t want that! Next thing you know, you see some loser wearing that shirt! I’m picky who I sell to, too – I don’t sell to everyone.

Have you ever rejected someone from buying your shit?

Dan: Oh yea.

Tell us about these kinds of people.

Dan: Listen to this. My friend, Mike, calls me and says, “I got two girls that want to buy sweatshirts, how much?” I’m like, “Who are these girls?” and he tells me that I’ve probably seen these girls before because they go to my school. I’m thinking, “They go to my school and I don’t know them?!” I told him, “$60. You know what? Make it $80 and see what they say.” I go to school and he tells me that they’re willing to pay $80 and I want to know who they are. I shouldn’t say their names; actually, I don’t know their names. These girls, you don’t want them wearing your clothes. You do not want them to. The people that wear your clothes, it says something about the brand, right? They go to my school and everything, man. I mean, if they were out in like Toronto, I’d be like, “Shit! I’ll sell it to you for $75.” I had to reject them.

Can you tell us about your team and what they do?

Dan: Alright, it’s Remy and I, mostly. I started it and they are all my help. They’ll do anything I need to help me out. Marcus just supports so much and Keenan. I love it, as soon as I get something out, David, who works here at the [Granville Island] market, as soon as I get Martian Crew, he’s in it and he’ll buy five of the same shirt, as long as it’s in a different size or colour. I have a lot of support. My friend Joseph, he’s all over it and buys like crazy. These guys are my friends too, so I want to hook them up, but at the same time, they’re like, “No, we want to support you.” I’ve been really lucky with the support that I’ve had.

You talk about support being key. How do you plan on branching out to those places without the support being there?

Dan: I’m going to have to make those connections, you know what I mean? I’m lucky to have my cousin who’s in Toronto and has a lot of connections to stores down there. I have John Fluevog, he’s a huge family friend, and he lets me sit in on the staff or business meetings, just to get a feel of what the industry is like. They were actually going down to Las Vegas for a convention down there and the guys from Dipt and John Fluevog were going down there as well. They invited me to go down there and if this is something that I do follow, in the clothing industry, at least I’ll have the connections there to help me along. You can bring a horse to the water but you can’t make it drink.

Are you guys going to be sticking to the prints or are going to be moving into cut and sew?

Dan: It’s whatever. A lot of Martian Crew evolves how I grow up. If I started Martian Crew when I was in grade nine, it would be very basketball orientated, and if I started it in grade seven, it would be very DJ orientated. We’ll see, man. It depends on what I feel and if I want to pursue it fully. Honestly, Martian Crew has been for fun and it’s not been, “Let’s see how much money I can make,” you know? It’s about getting the name out and seeing people rep it. It’s just a passion for me and being true to the game.

What plans do you have next for Martian Crew?

Dan: I got someone to design a website for us, Josh. He helped out and helped me design the logo. My brother’s friend helped me out like crazy and I need to hook him up. He’s designed so much for me. If I do want to branch out, then we got the online store and if I want to take this more business serious, then I will do that – there’s no reason you shouldn’t. Internet is such a powerful tool. There are people messaging me from Chicago, man! I don’t even know how they found this stuff and even Wales, England. I guess weird friends in common on Facebook is how it happened. “This shit’s fresh, man! Hook it up, I’m in Ethiopia!”

Branching on the last two questions, you said that how Martian Crew grows will be dependent on how you grow. Where do you see yourself growing next?

Dan: I see myself going to Australia in 24 days.

How do you think that will influence you?

Dan: Stay tuned. It’s a big decision to make and I have a lot of inventory right now. I could try to sell it all and get rid of it all, or just keep it here and have it when I get back. I’m going to be gone for six months and all and shit, Martian Crew will meet Australia.

I know you guys, drink. Do you guys blaze?

Dan: Is this on the mic? What you got?

Remy: How do you know we drink?

You said you guys were drinking out of your car down in the states.

Remy: It could have been water! I was thirsty, OK?

Dan: That blue Gatorade, shit.

How different do you think Martian Crew would have turned out if you didn’t drink or blaze?

Dan: No different!

Remy: It wouldn’t play a part in it at all. It’s not like we’re stoners or anything.

Dan: I think if I was a movie director it would affect me more.

Remy: This is day to day life. We’re going around and we just think that this would be sick.

Dan: We had fun with it. It’s not when I blaze or drink that I get shit done. Ideas come from boredom. They come when I’m like, “Shit, I don’t have the energy to go out.” When I designed most of my clothes is when I’m sick at home and can’t move. A lot of my designs just come from when I’m hung over, when I’m sick, or when I have a cast on for six weeks because I totaled my motorcycle.

Going back to the brand, a lot of your earlier promo used the colour accent mode to bring out the greens. How does green represent Martian Crew?

Dan: Green represents False Creek right? Martian Crew is originated from False Creek so we take pride in it.

Can you describe tell us about the logo and the connection to False Creek.

Dan: False Creek is sick because it’s got generations. Way back, there are cats that are 35 now that will still throw up a “C” from back in their youth when they grew up here. It’s pretty cool that us young kids are still throwing up a “C” and we’re going around repping that shit, you know? Even now, the younger kids throw up the “C” and go, “Fuck Yaletown! False Creek!”

What is HYPE?

Dan: HYPE is people knowing. HYPE is connections, HYPE is Martian Crew. HYPE is people with no idea who we are and asking us, “How do I cop a shirt?” Or, “You need to make more of this because there aren’t any for me to buy.” When there’s that need and when there are people talking behind your back and when they’re going, “Have you heard of this?” That’s what HYPE is.

Remy: HYPE is life. If there was no HYPE, life would be so boring.

Dan: How boring would life be without HYPE? A business can’t be as successful without HYPE. A club without HYPE is a whack-ass club. There would be parties in the sewer if there was HYPE for it.