Namesake is a Taiwanese label that uses fashion to reveal family secrets.

“Who are we?” Steve Hsieh – One third founded by brother Taiwanese Fashion label Name (以父之名) – he says, zooming in on a bright red, 3D-printed basketball shoe in front of the camera. Modeled after the adidas Kobe 2 trainers and equipped with mesh linings on the sole The shoe pays homage to the Hissey family’s fishing business – combining their father’s traditions with the elegance of the Steve, Michael and Richard generation. “Fishing and basketball and futuristic, technical things represent the brand name,” Steve added.

The name Sak, which translates to “in the name of the father” in Mandarin, is the second time the three brothers have collaborated in business. In the year In 2013, after spending years between Taiwan, Japan, and the US – with academic degrees that were prudent and encouraged by their parents – they opened He was born. Feelinga Taipei-based concept store that stocks high fashion and street brands Rick Owens to the Diesel, Wells BonnerAnd GmbH. Seven years later, the brothers started Namseok in honor of their father.

Although the brothers often feel like outsiders, they approach Simsek to celebrate the diverse cultures in which they grew up. “We always think we ‘don’t get it.’ Christmas,” says Michael. But with genderless tailoring, futuristic accessories and sustainable textiles, The top level of the brand is the culture of basketball It has developed a following from NBA basketball players and streetwear fans. NAw, a few weeks after launching their latest collection, The brothers were chosen for fashion fame LVMH Award.

Below, we hear Steve and Michael Hsieh’s response to the nomination, the inspiration behind their AW23 collection and balancing family traditions in their own voices.

Congratulations on your LVMH Award nomination! How did you feel when you found out you were shortlisted?

SHsieh had: It seems unreal. We have been in the industry for almost ten years since we started as a buyer. It’s always been our dream to have our own voice, create our own brand and tell our own story, but we thought it would be easier to gather a community behind us by opening our own store.

We want to let people know that there are many different ways to get here. You don’t need to go to design school to get accredited. I think we showed people a different way, and that’s the most important thing for us, to inspire the next round of people. to be recognized by LVMH It’s an extra incentive for us to work harder.

When did you decide to work in fashion? Were you all on the same road?

SHsieh had: We all went to different schools for university. I went to school in California for civil engineering, Michael went to psychology school, and Richard went to biology school. When we were kids, our parents wanted Richard to be a doctor, me to be an engineer, and Michael to be a lawyer. Before I applied to college I knew I wanted to do design, but my parents didn’t support me because I had very good school grades, so they thought it was a waste of talent.

When I moved to California on my own, I realized that design was what I wanted to do, so I got an internship and started working in a warehouse and gradually tried to become a brand designer. It was then that we all came together and decided to do our own thing – and not go the way our parents wanted us to.

“We want to let people know that there are many different ways to get here. You don’t need to go to design school to get recognized” – Steve Hsieh

The name Devil draws a lot of inspiration from your father and the way he introduced you to art and creativity. Are there certain moments from your childhood that stand out today?

Steve Hussey: At first, my father wanted to be a designer, but in an Asian family you usually have to manage the family business, so he couldn’t. Growing up, I feel that he used us to show his desire to design. We would dress in whatever he wanted to wear – always Fit or Ralph Lauren. He is very interested in fashion and now he carries a lot of magazines and stuff. I think we were unconsciously in this design environment and that influenced us a lot.

Michael Hsieh: We all went to Japan for high school, and when we were there, our dad showed us a lot of Japanese magazines, so we sat around and flipped through them. We three brothers were more interested in Japanese brands and Harajuku style, but our father introduced us to high fashion. I remember bringing us to the Dover Street Market in Ginza.

You grew up between Taiwan, Tokyo, Los Angeles and Seattle. How do those spaces come into play in your designs?

Steve Hussey: Our thinking is that we want to preserve Chinese traditions, Japanese beauty and American freedom; Those are the three things we want to represent our brand. When we moved to Tokyo, we realized that the social structure is very rigid, but at the same time, there is a lot of beauty and art that influences what we do now. When we moved to America, the freedom that was suddenly unleashed was what we wanted to express ourselves as well. For us, there is always a compromise – we want to be independent, but our family upbringing is very traditional. It is a combination of the two.

Explore the conflict between your collections and your own. Why is it important to your work?

Steve Hussey: When we moved to Tokyo, it was difficult to adapt to the environment, so we always felt like outsiders in any community we went to. When we were in America, it was completely different. When we went to Taipei, it was very normal but still very far away. That’s the combination: we always try to bring two opposites together, but we find the common ground between them. I think that’s the engineering part of me – I always like to give myself questions that I can answer through the collection. Having two opposites and finding similarities is like finding answers to these questions.

Michael Hsieh: That outsider mentality is something we always keep in mind, because it is humility and integrity that keep us grounded. Even though we are in the fashion world, we always feel that there is room for improvement. I really enjoy being an outsider because sometimes it means you can really see what’s on the inside.

Could you please tell us a bit about the inspiration behind your AW23. Silk Road show?

Steve Hussey: Each collection starts with family history and then we translate it into sports. We make it into a bigger story so it resonates with more people. For AW23, the story is about myself. When I was growing up I was sent to a fake Buddhist camp where all the children were physically abused by the monks – it was huge news at the time and they are all in prison now. The moral of the story is that even though it was a very difficult experience for me, I feel like I wasn’t hurt that much. The slogan of AW23 talks about persistence. I feel like I learned from this experience.

I always compare life to riding a horse. You feel like you’re moving in the direction you want, but you can’t control it. Life is like a horse, and the horse is in control, so you can just enjoy the ride. That’s why horses are a really symbolic reference this season, plus my Chinese name has the horse character in it and our parents’ favorite brands have the horse symbol in them – they like Ralph Lauren and Hermes, both of which have been a big inspiration behind it. The style of the collection.

“The most important thing in basketball is the life lessons and teamwork ethic. We feel that resonates more than just basketball.” – Steve Hsieh

Is there a piece from this collection that you feel represents Namesake as a brand?

Michael Hsieh: Each of us has a different opinion on this! That’s the fun thing about name sak because normally families all dress differently but you can still look at them and see that they’re family. I think that’s what the name represents. I like a more formal style that suits my dad. We made this big suit crew neck – it’s like a crew neck, but we built the whole thing up with fine tailoring and then added a hole in it. It’s like a Ralph Lauren cardigan, but we’ve turned it into a crew neck to represent casual wear with a sporty, basketball vibe. You can wash your clothes without thinking and go out.

Craftsmanship has always been a core part of your work – taking basketball fashion into a luxury space. Why is this important to you?

Steve Hussey: We grew up in a fishing port, and our parents wouldn’t let us play any games. They just gave us a basketball and said, ‘Go to the port and play.’ So we grew up with basketball watching port and agriculture. From there, basketball became a common language between us brothers. We loved it, but before we started Namesake, we felt there wasn’t a basketball brand that really resonated with people who love fashion and basketball. There’s definitely a community for that and that’s why we wanted to start a nom de plume.

For us, the most important thing about basketball is not playing it, but the life lessons and teamwork ethic. We want to translate that to everyone, and we feel that goes beyond basketball.

What do you want people to feel or connect with your clothes?

Steve Hussey: We want to give people hope. With each story, we want to encourage people by saying ‘don’t worry’. You can get through this.’

Michael Hsieh: I was insecure growing up and our SS23 collection was a story of me gaining confidence after finding my passion. Growing up I always felt weird and fashion kind of saved me and gave me a lot of confidence. I want it to translate to our product and our customers.

What’s one thing you’ve learned about your brothers since starting the account that you didn’t know before?

Steve Hussey: WWe now have a sixth sense, knowing what others are thinking or feeling, because we live and work together. Amazingly, we still come up with amazing ideas for each other.

Check out Namesake’s AW23 collection in the gallery above.