betterchemistry-lookbook- 2015
TRANSCRIPT
Brand Book 2015
: : Experiments in Living
The Story
BETTER CHEMISTRY : : Experiments in Better Living Welcome to Better Chemistry, a unique visual language born of our authentic rootsin global art & action and a true commitment to authenticity and artisan quality.
Tomorrow is happening. Artists, the visual storytellers of society, tap the collective consciousness, manifesting creative inspirationin tangible form. Designers blend color, type, and image in a collage of new communication. Musicians bend chords and blend beatsto move the crowd. Surfers carve perfect arcs inside an organic vortex. Skaters sketch new lines on concrete landscapes.
This circle of inspiration informs our perfect mixture of style, visual imagery, and product, as the essence of Better Chemistry.
The Hits
The Artists
A Global Network of ArtistsTop artists from every discipline, including world-famous graphic designers,commercial artists, fashion illustrators, and photographers, express their true passions through Better Chemistry, the brand platform for a global wealth of creativity. A myriad of creative voices with common directives, to travel and exhibit worldwide, collaborate on commercial projects, and draw from the universal mind as a pure creative sourceof inspiration and motivation.
Live to create. Create to live. This is the core of Better Chemistry.
The Glory
The Posse
Better Chemistry Founders Press and Posse(this page): Andy Howell and Ginger Che, Zach Mandelstein and Tony Hawk, KRS One, Dallas Austin, Big Boi from Outkast, C-Lo, Tara Reid, Ashlee Simpson, Mischa Barton in ‘Drop Knowl-edge’ tee, Jessica Stroup of 90210 for Ginger Che, Lil’ Jon in Andy Howell Artist Series Skullcandy Headphones, Patricia Arquette with her Howell original painting in Malibu, Ginger Che and Nath-alie Kelley in Las Vegas.
(previous page): Andy Howell Interview Slider Magazine Japan, Artpsrojekt feature in Vogue Italia, Ginger Che in Womens Wear Daily, Howell Quiksilver Snowboards Special Collection in Marie Claire, Lil’ Jon and Andy Howell feature in Juxtapoz, Howell Rossignol Skis for X Games, Naomi Campbell in Girly Things, Howell Wired Magazine Interview, Better Chemistry Home Essentials featured in HFN Magazine, Elle blog and Esquire online magazine features
Experiments in Better Living
Art & Action RootsGlobal Creative Network
Authentic LifestyleArtisan Quality
The Brand Essence
“Making our mark on the canvasof global popular culture.”
Offering Global Licensing OpportunitiesFounded in 2004 in order to offer a creative product platform to artists of all disciplines, Better Chemistry forged a union of digital and organic design into a cohesive commentary of the art and action lifestyle we live and breathe everyday.
A decade of style, innovation, and artisan quality design is now available for the first time to strategic global partners.
Apparel ~ Accessories ~ Footwear ~ Wearable Electronics ~ Active
The Opportunity
Printed Apparel
Printed Apparel
Let your imagination
be your guide.
Pints, Flasks & Martinis
Barware
Shots
Barware
Clocks
Lighting
Desk and Floor Lamps
Footwear
Socks
Footwear
Sandals / Flip Flops
Tech Gear
Device Cases & Accessories
Display
Retail install store-in-store
Artist-specificHangtags
Flags for retail install
Flags & Tags
Andy Howell is a self-described Artrepreneur who brings his unstoppable life experience and creative prowess to nurture authentic lifestyle as the core of Better Chemistry. As an in-novator of youth-driven culture for over 25 years, the artist, author, athlete, founder and ex-ecutive has propelled the success of online and offline service and product brands in action sports, fashion, footwear, jewelry, beauty, automotive, food and beverage, video games, and technology. He is a featured speaker at MIT’s Media Lab and the Global ECom Conference.
As a professional skateboarder and co-founder of Element Skateboards (Acquired by Billa-bong), 411 Video Magazine (Acquired by Wasserman Media), New Deal Skateboards, Girly Things Apparel, and Zero Sophisto Apparel in the early to mid 90’s, Andy helped usher in graffiti-influenced, cartoon graphics as the ruling aesthetic for the skateboard industry. He launched the first-ever baggy jeans made for skateboarders, Big Deals, in 1990.
Andy turned his brand-building experience to the mainstream with the creation of Imagew-erks (Acquired by Interpublic’s McCann Erickson Worldgroup). He has created successful brand-building campaigns for a variety of companies ranging from edgy boutique brands to Fortune 100 corporations, including Quiksilver, DC Shoes, Vans, Skullcandy, Stance, Activ-ision, Time Warner, Coca Cola, Levis, Scion, and Microsoft, among many others. Howell’s “Board Buddies” McDonald’s Happy Meal promotion landed in the top-ten best-selling for North America and was the all-time leader in Australia and New Zealand.
Andy was founder and CEO of Artsprojekt (Acquired by Zazzle), an online community of over 1500 leading artists and designers worldwide. He formed the brand department at Zaz-zle and led a rebranding which helped propel the company from low tens of millions to over $200 million in revenue in just 4 years. He is a founder and principal of Ideakind, a technol-ogy incubator and consultancy in Palo Alto and Los Angeles focused on evolving consumer experiences in e-commerce and mobile.
Howell is known as an influencer among influencers. He has created pop-up collections and full-chain retail programs for Apple, Best Buy, Nordstrom, Target, PacSun, Claires, Urban Outfitters, and hundreds of cutting-edge boutiques worldwide. Andy started his career as a professional skateboarder and museum artist, traveling the world for demonstrations, exhibitions and competitions, and has devoted followings in both worlds. He created a backpack-style hip hop group in the early 90’s with Lil’ Jon, long before Crunk and his award-winning production career, and an early design studio with famous contemporary artist Shepard Fairey before his rise to fame. Howell is credited as a pioneer in the fusion of street art and street wear.
Andy’s award-winning illustration, art direction, and brand creation have been recognized in Fast Company, WIRED, Vogue, Marie Claire, Rolling Stone, Nickelodeon, Complex, HypeBeast, Cool Hunting, Wall Street Journal, Thrasher, and Juxtapoz, and over a hundred others. His monograph Art, Skateboarding & Life (Gingko Press) documents the indelible influence he has had on the youth culture of today.
Andy Howell resides in Malibu, California with his wife, artist Ginger Che, and children. He follows art, tech, high fashion, and hip hop, and loves exploring with his kids in the tidepools by their home. He longboards or shortboards 1st point Malibu whenever there’s a swell.
Andy Howell founder & visual chemist
The Founder
Zach Mandelstein began his love affair with brand buildingat age 19 as a sponsored snowboarder for Nidecker Snowboards, a 127-year-old Swiss Manufacturing company, which is world renown for making high end Swiss made sporting goods.
Twenty years later Mandelstein continues to work with theNidecker Corporation to develop brands. His commitmentto long term relationships, authentic brands, and qualityproducts is evident in the brands he has helped found anddevelop over the years.
At age twenty two Zach and a close group of friends launchedLRG (Lifted Research Group), which was ranked #5 in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Hot 500 list of fastest-growing companies in 2007.
In 2006 and 2007 Zach and partner Andy Howell createdtwo exclusive apparel lines for Target USA called Zero Pop andUn1versal Mind. These brands allowed Target to connect withauthentic youth culture.
Zach is currently a partner is Australia’s largest product licensing agency, Haven Licensing Pty. He resides in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, California where he and his son Max Mandelstein enjoy snowboarding and snowmobiling.
Zach Mandelstein Principal
The Principal
Our commitment to authenticitysets the gold standard
for our global brand.
We believe in long-term partnerships,driven by a powerful group
of connected global partnerswho are aligned with our vision.
Join us as we make our markon the canvas of popular culture.
The Next Wave
For global licensing opportunitiesplease contact
Zach Mandelstein(415) 465-4030
Andy Howell(760) 445-4343
Los Angeles | San Francisco | Malibu | Lake Tahoe