“Dude, I Am the Real World”: My Fantastics Magazine Interview

NOTE: The full interview is below my write-up. Enjoy.

Fantastics Magazine ran a long interview with me back in 2008/2009. I found the pages recently and read the whole thing for the first time in years.

Some of it held up. Some of it made me laugh. All of it is me at that age, so here it is.

Andrew Hanson in his Los Angeles studio for Fantastics Magazine 2008-2009

Where it started

I started making clothes at 16 because I was tired of paying for Diesel. My first machine was a Viking Lily, and the store threw in lessons. Picture a punk kid in a sewing class with a room full of grandmas. That was me.

Later I went to FIDM, but I already had a line and was selling it. My teachers were surprised, and not in an encouraging way. I told the magazine what I was thinking back then: “Dude, I am the real world.”

Model in a striped dress with an appliqué by Andrew Hanson, beside the Fantastics Magazine pull quote “Dude, I am the real world” 2008-2009

I’d say it more politely now. But the point still stands: the work only happens when you start doing it.

“I create on a garment”

They asked me the difference between a fashion artist and a fashion designer. My answer: “I create on a garment rather than create garments.”

Spray paint, custom dye, appliqué, grommets, zip tags, whatever I found at the hardware store. I still walk those aisles asking, “What could I put this on?” That part hasn’t changed.

How did I define my style? “Unconventional convention.” Taking the classics and changing the way people look at them.

Striped dress with a studded skulls appliqué by Andrew Hanson, Fantastics Magazine 2008-2009

Bert and the $100 shirts

I met Bert McCracken on the 2005 Warped Tour, while I was riding around in a van with the Street Drum Corps. He ordered ten shirts at $100 each and told me, “Go, do your thing and I’ll pay you what you’re worth.”

Nobody had said that to me before. After the tour, I worked out of his garage for about six months. More on The Used in a future entry.

Red hand-printed sweatshirt by Andrew Hanson / Fantastics Magazine pull quote: “What could I put this on?”

Red hand-printed sweatshirt by Andrew Hanson / Fantastics Magazine “Why America Rules” 2008-2009

Fashion Enemy

Every Monday, I ran a live show called Fashion Enemy on Stickam. I demonstrated a technique, answered questions and took custom orders on the spot. The point was simple: show people what “custom” and “one-of-a-kind” actually mean.

Japan

From about 20 to 24, I sold a lot to Japan. Then I stepped away from trade shows because they didn’t feel like the right platform for my work. I kept selling to people in Japan one by one through my website, and I told the magazine I found that more rewarding.

I still do.

Close up of spray paint all-over-print skinny jeans by Andrew Hanson on Model 2008-2009

Spray paint all-over-print skinny jeans by Andrew Hanson on Model 2008-2009

The parts that made me laugh

My rap name, Hanny Utah. A rap-off with Joaquin Phoenix that was a rumor I started myself, just to see if I could make it happen. And “Paris who?” when they brought up Paris Hilton.

Young me had jokes.

Andrew Hanson with two models and Bones, wearing his own designs for Fantastics Magazine 2008-2009

What I’d still say today

They asked for my philosophy on art. Part of my answer: “Anyone can play basketball but not everyone is Michelangelo Jordan.”

The line before it is the one I’d keep: art comes from inside, so there is no right or wrong.

Spray Paint hand-printed tee with TV and eyeball patches by Andrew Hanson 2008-2009

Your turn

What did you believe in your 20s that you still believe now?

Tell me in the comments.

FULL INTERVIEW STARTS HERE

Andrew Hanson seated in his studio with his handmade clothing 2008-2009

[You're originally from Las Vegas?]

Las Vegas I love you, but you just can't offer me the level of fun and excitement or deliver the same amount of broken promises as the City of Angels – or can you? I need lots of broken promises to get my ass in gear; to always 'do me.'

[What's the cultural difference between the two cities?]

Los Angeles translates into inspiration for me because I really am an observer. I really don't feel like I have a culture other than watching and enjoying everyone else. But I will say this, America has a culture, it's just not like the others. Then again the whole world seems to be joining or guided by the ranks of consumerism.

[Is the LA fashion scene tough to break into?]

Nope, I don't think it's hard to break into, the trick is maintaining and not getting ripped off in an industry where you can't copyright or trademark your work. Breaking in or showing off your art is easy – it's getting people to invest in you and not rip you off because they own a factory in China. I feel it is not about being way ahead of the curve and showing off. I'm not really sure if I am in a scene. I will be honest; I am pretty reclusive by choice and by the amount of work I do. Sometimes I just can't leave my house because I have too much on my mind. At times I know I live in my own dream world... this does not mean I have checked out. I am well informed and that might be part of the reason. Plus I love to create, listen to music... in short I like to live by my own clock. Everything in due time.

[What made you start sewing and designing?]

I started making clothing when I was 16 years old. I was tired of paying for Diesel. In my opinion it was the coolest stuff you'd find in Vegas at the time, when it had more of a European look.

[Formal training, or did you dive in?]

When I bought a Viking Lily, my first machine, they gave me lessons at the store. Until then I had only used my mother's old Singer. I was this punk kid with a bunch of grandmas in the Viking sewing gallery learning the ropes on my machine. So I had some training, but I like to think I draw with my machine. A few years later after my second trade show when I started making money, I moved up to the Designer 1 model which was the top machine at the time. I opted out of learning how to use it and went off on my own. For me it's how an artist sees and the sewing machine is his or her main tool, not the pen or pencil. I also attended FIDM in downtown Los Angeles. The odd thing was that my teachers from day one were super surprised I already had a line and was selling it. It wasn't real encouraging. I felt like the school was trying to groom me for what some call the 'real world' and I was thinking "Dude, I am the real world."

I made my world because I was doing it and really all that means is I was taking action, which is the key to making anything happen. Was I good? I don't know but I really believed and still believe in what I do.

[What has influenced you artistically?]

The biggest influence in my early days was Johnny Rotten and the Clash with a dash of Rage Against the Machine. I say music because it really was the catalyst for it all. Instead of being a singer I could channel all my creative energy into a t-shirt, the most basic garment people wear, and just take it to a new level. I like the "bills" or "bombs" – I think that's what they're called – those posters I see plastered all over the place in major cities. So in that respect you see me using lots of appliqué and cutting to create the urban-decay sort of look that inspires me. I would also say the streets and people and Shamans.

[Why do shamans inspire you?]

Not really sure it's just something that resonates inside – I'm not into recreational use of hallucinogens, so it's not about that. I guess it's personal.

[How would you define Hanson style?]

Unconventional convention. The new aesthetic. Patch work collage work. Custom stitch work. Taking the classics and changing the way people look at them.

[Fantasy designer collaboration?]

Vivian Westwood and John Galliano I suppose.

[What about punk appeals to you?]

The aesthetic and the energy. It was the opposite of everything else. I really like the sound, it's fast and up-beat and I have a lot of energy so it's sorta like brain fuel. Plus, these people made something out of almost nothing. That is art in motion, that is survival. Shit, it's a lot of things to be general about it.

[Favorite punk bands?]

The Clash, Richard Hell and Voidoids, Johnny Thunders, Bad Brains, The Dictators and The Stooges. I say the Sex Pistols and I say it with pride. I know they get loads of shit, but honestly, when you know the history of that band and the time in which they existed as a band they changed the face of music as much as the Beatles.

[Your work has an anti-establishment vibe, like punk.]

I guess I am against oligarchy posing as capitalism, or against the elite world bankers and billionaires and their subtle form of communism. I believe in freedom and in my eyes truly free people can accept other cultures, sexual preferences, religions, et cetera. I don't want to 'destroy,' as that famous punk shirt rings. To be honest, I want things to change, but not through violence in the streets. I don't want to see misinformed people killing each other, because that's what 'they' want – and that is what I'm against.

[Like punk did with the safety pin, you change the meaning of everyday objects like grommets and sheet metal.]

I would say that is part of my design style for sure. When I am in a craft store or a hardware store I look at all the stuff they have for sale and I think "what could I put this on?" or "what could this be used for?"

I don't believe I go out of my way to do this, it's just the way I think. I look at something and see a whole other use for it. Red Zip tags were probably the first to be used in my work besides card board and spray paint for hand printing.

[You call yourself a fashion artist, not a fashion designer. What's the difference?]

I create on a garment rather than create garments. I will at some point create my own patterns but currently I use spray paint, custom dye tricks, sticks, appliqué and unconventional items to embellish my garments. I have been developing with spray paint for ten years now and have developed a style of printing with it now that is truly unique – paint science!

[Tell us about your weekly web show, Fashion Enemy.]

The show came about when I said, "You know what? I should just film everything I do and show people, plus open my new e-commerce store." This has really helped me to communicate to the consumer what it is that they are actually getting when I say 'custom' or 'one-of-a-kind'. I run my show every Monday live from stickam.com/fashionenemy and usually demonstrate a technique that I use in my clothing line and take questions. Sometimes I don't perform the lesson live and instead I run a two or three minute short on a technique. The show is great because I can show people what I do and take custom orders on the spot as well as design a clients garment in real time.

[Do you normally sew topless, as in the striped tee episode?]

I actually sew naked, it's Youtube who won't let me post naked sewing videos. And blurring out my body parts is too much work to post.

[How do you move ahead without selling out to corporate?]

I am going to follow the path of George Lucas. I have searched my feelings and I know them to be true. About the only thing I can do is keep on trucking and if someone wants to work with me, and I mean really work with me – making a deal that makes sense – there's a lot of money to be made. But until then I will keep sinking my own money into my future, who knows where it will lead?

[Big names in entertainment wear your work. Has that changed your direction?]

When you work with country artist Keith Urban and then The Used it confuses people. It's made it difficult with all this macro/micro marketing going on these days. People seem to want to be the music they listen to or be a lifestyle, whether it truly reflects them or not. I am not a genre of music, nor do I live by song or movie quotes, I am a human being.

[Was Bert from The Used instrumental in giving you a push?]

I was riding around in a van with the Street Drum Corps and they invited me to the West coast dates of the 2005 Warped Tour. This is where I met Bert and right off the bat he wasn't a prima donna acting like I owed him. He offered me $100 bucks per shirt and he wanted ten shirts, so that makes $1000 bucks, and to this date no one has offered me that. I mean, people have paid up to $1800.00 for a t-shirt but not like Bert saying, "Go, do your thing and I'll pay you what you're worth." After The Warped Tour Bert moved to LA and I worked out of his garage for about six months until he moved into the house he lives in now. We became friends and the rest is history. I have been on tour with The Used and I have filmed many of their shows, so to say they have not aided in my cause would be a lie. I have a connection with the band and the music and I really appreciate it – it's been one hell of an experience.

[Coolest celebrity you've dressed?]

Honestly, it's really cool that I had a chance to work with Dhani Harrison. My parents loved the Beatles and I grew up listening to them. I have been to Liverpool and witnessed the whole nine. It was surreal. I almost still don't believe it.

[The rumored rap-off with Joaquin Phoenix, and the beard.]

I'm not really going to battle Mr. Phoenix – it was just a rumor I started to see if I could make it happen. See, my rap name is Hanny Utah. Long story short, Bert from The Used calls me Hanny and one day, a few years back, I was driving on Melrose and saw a Hannah Montana billboard and decided my rap name is Hanny Utah. Of all the states, Utah sounded the best and that's cool because that's where The Used are from. As far as the battle: "I am still waiting, heavily anticipating the war I have been secretly waging in my mind against the grind here to save all that's in a blind, some say I'm bold, I say I'm fine but that's ok 'cause I ain't got no mask to hide behind." Yu heard?

Oh, and the beard will stay till the day I say time to go. I think of it as one of those Tibetan Buddhist sand pictures.

[Paris Hilton has worn your designs.]

Paris who?

[Not your type?]

As I try to think of anyone my mind goes totally blank, I take that as a sign. Hollywood might not have anyone to offer, but I have been wrong before. Living in LA the past few years I never get celeb crushes anymore, they are just people. I need someone real. But going off looks I would have to say Emmanuelle Chriqui from Entourage is my top Hollywood female.

[The video of you with guns and knives in Japan.]

If I am I don't know about it yet! My excitement for guns and knives probably has something to do with the Sons of Liberty and my belief in the constitution of the United States of America. It also could be past lives. Although I personally own zero guns and well, really only one kitchen knife, I totally believe citizens need to arm themselves. Not just with guns and knives, but more importantly: knowledge. When you have a real education in life you don't need a gun. But as the saying goes: it's better to have one and not need it than to need it and not have one.

[You have a Japanese fan base.]

When I was 20 to 24 I sold a lot to Japan. Not really sure what happened so I voluntarily stepped out of the trade show market because I don't believe it was the proper platform for my work. It has put a halt on my sales to Japanese retail stores. I still sell on an individual basis to people in Japan through my website. This is really what I do now and I find the process much more rewarding. Plus, I reach everyone with an internet connection and a phone. Can't beat that.

[Your philosophy on art.]

True art is the reflection of the time and space in which the artist creates. Art is just creation and imagination. Create a form or study one, anyone can paint and create art because it comes from inside, so there is no right or wrong. Art is not math even if there is some sort of method to it. Art is in the eye of the beholder whether we like it or not. Anyone can play basketball but not everyone is Michelangelo Jordan.

Andrew Hanson seated in his studio with his handmade clothing 2008-2009