Our Favorite Instagrammers – @denimhound
Name: The Denim Hound
Instagram Name: @denimhound
Amount of followers: 17,1K
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Actor
Hello! My name is Greg, I am an actor, musician, photographer and denim blogger. I’m half Japanese and half Irish. I’ve lived in California most of my life, born and raised in the bay area but I have lived in LA for the past 13 years. I am driven by creative expression and I think clothing is a very powerful form of communication.
What keeps you awake at night?
I worry that I am not doing the most I can with my time or not spending it wisely.
What is your favorite hotspot?
I don’t go out much anymore, but every second Saturday in Chinatown there is a 60’s French Pop discotheque at a place called the Grand Star Jazz Club. I really like going to that and throwing down some moves. Haha!
Favorite food / restaurant?
Food… that’s a tough one, in LA there are sooooooo many options! I’m the worst at picking out a place to eat, it takes me about 30 minutes lol.
My favorite sushi in LA is at Sugarfish. Best pizza in LA is Joe’s (NY Style, not exactly like NY but the closest I’ve tasted in LA) and Hollywood Pies (Chicago style). I heard they moved but years ago, the only way to get a pizza from Hollywood Pies was to order by phone and pick up. The place was a kitchen only with no storefront, no sign, nothing. Just a hard to find door by an alley. you would knock on the door and you would just pay for your order and get your pizza through the door. It was like a drug deal. The pizza was as addicting as drugs too.
What are your passions in life besides Raw Denim?
Acting, music, photography and skateboarding. I was a sponsored skateboarder from the ages of 12 to 18. Through skateboarding became really fascinated with photography. Then about 16 I got into music. I was a songwriter and producer for about 15 years. Then I found acting, I’ve been doing that ever since. I’m captivated by the process of taking an idea, whether it be a song, a picture or a film, and creating it. I feel like artistic and creative expression is the strongest form of communication we have.
-
Why do you share your outfits? And why Instagram?
I’ve always been into fashion as a creative form of expression. To, me it’s not about labels or brand names, it’s about taste, quality, self-awareness and perception. I think the Instagram platform has attracted more creative types like myself and it also much more of a positive space as opposed to other social media sites.
-
What makes your Instagram feed so special?
I like to think my photographs are distinct and how I style raw denim and workwear is has an original take. My Instagram feed as an extension of my blog thedenimhound.com. My goal with the blog is to offer some of the most comprehensive, unbiased, and easy to read denim reviews available online. I want the blog to be a data base and a resource for a denim heads researching raw denim.
-
Where does your inspiration come from?
For @denimhound, my inspiration starts whit the denim itself. Each pair of jeans has its own unique characteristics, details and story. I spend at least two weeks with each piece. Denim speaks to me and I try to interpret the story it is telling. I also do extensive research and try to interview the people behind each brand, to make sure there is no info left out.
-
Where does your love for denim come from? When did it start?
Here is a little story about that from my blog.
My love of denim began in the 80’s when I met a kid at school who wore a black t-shirt, slim indigo Levis cuffed high, black and white Converse All-star’s and a digital watch. It was the first time I’ve ever seen a kid wear a watch …it was the first time I saw Levis. He listened to the Beastie Boys in a walkman and didn’t talk to anyone. He was the coolest kid I’d ever seen.
“Why don’t I have a Walkman? Who are the fucking Beasties Boys?!” I thought about it seriously. I was too young to understand that when my parents divorced a year or so before it took everything my mother had to raise my little brother and I. She was busy worrying about how to close the gap between my fathers child support and our bills. I was so disappointed when I got black acid wash stretch pants instead of 501’s. Payless knock offs instead of Chuck Taylors.
In the late 80’s I got really into glam rock, leather pants and jackets. I didn’t like when leather would look too clean and new. I didn’t yet know the word patina. Obviously leather clothing was out of the question for a child.
By the time the 90’s rolled around I was a full blown skateboarder who loved garage rock and gangster rap. I finally got my first pair of Levis. A dark black warp with a white weft. I wore them every day for a couple of years until I grew out of them. As the 90’s rolled on I got into shopping at army surplus stores. Camouflage cargo pants, scratchy cotton tees. I wore one shirt and pair of pants at a time watching them get softer and softer until they slowly dissolved away completely.
In the early 2000’s I picked up a pair of Levis 510’s and it slowly rekindled my current obsession with denim fabric and watching it age.
-
Your top 3 favorite (denim)brands?
So tough… I think Pure Blue Japan has some of the best construction I’ve ever seen. I’m a big fan of Oni, their denim fabrics are some of the most beautifully crafted lo tension Japanese denim. 3rd place would be a toss up between, Tanuki (for the same reasons as Oni), Rouge Territory (their direction is stylistically in my zone), and Livid (same reasons as RGT). I really like the fits from Denham and Lee as well.
-
What is your favorite accessory?
My red bracelet from M. Cohen and my sunglasses from Yves Saint Laurent. Have worn them almost everyday for about 6 or 7 years. Also, my belt from Pigeon Tree Crafting, and my wallet from RH Leather Works.
-
Which items do you wear most at the moment?
I’m wearing my Sutro boots and Kato Brand 4way stretch a lot because they are very comfortable for working in. Also been wearing my Rising Sun western shirt quite a bit along with some RGT pieces. I wear a lot of Oni, PBJ and Tanuki denim, as well as Brave Star Selvage.
-
What is your favorite shop? And what is your favorite webstore?
Favorite shop is General Quarters. It’s right down the street from me so I stop by all the time just to hangout. Blair, Miguel and Brian are super cool dudes and I consider them friends.
Favorite web shop for Japanese denim is a tie between Okayama Denim and Denimio. Best customer support and prices and you get your orders super fast!! For Made in the US denim, if I’m not going direct to the brand I like to go to Blue Owl Workshop.
-
Do you care about the production process?
Absolutely. Not only the process but the materials used and why. For one, I work hard for my money and this stuff can get expensive! I want to know my money is going into the garment not into marketing. Also, I really like to know everything about the construction and materials used, as well as why they are used and their effect on the garment. If there is a certain characteristic I like in that piece, I will know what contributed to it and I can look for that in my future pieces.
-
What are your dreams for the future?
To be able to support a family with my acting. To travel as much as possible. Also to one day own a pair of Momotaro Gold Label jeans.
Just wanted to give you all the heads up that I will be announcing something very exciting in early December. It has been in the making for almost a year now and it has been really hard to keep a secret!
Share
Tweet
