Ben G is a skateboard boutique in Amsterdam that Benny Komala opened in June, 2005. Because Benny grew up in the skate scene, he was able to recognize the niche market of older skaters that wasn’t being addressed. With the majority of skate shops filling their racks with brands focusing on younger skaters, Ben G has broken the mold by carrying lines geared toward those skateboarders with a more mature, discerning taste. Ben G was the first store to carry The Hundreds and has remained a steadfast supporter since then.
Freshcotton is the number one street/skate online retailer in the Netherlands. In the beginning they only offered their customers hard-to-find tees, but now, eight years later, they sell both men and women’s clothing, music, books, shoes and accessories to fit every need.
The collaboration comes in the form of a hat and a t-shirt. The icon on the front of the cap is derived from Amsterdam’s coat-of-arms. With black and red being traditional the traditional Amsterdam colorway, this was the obvious choice for the hat. The green underside of the bill is a both a play on Amsterdam’s “greens,” offerings (Heineken and marijuana) and it is the classic snapback color. The three Xs on the side are taken directly from the three Saint Andrew’s Crosses from Amsterdam’s coat of arms, but they’re also interpreted by many as the other XXX for which Amsterdam is known.
The tee plays upon the XXX as well. Those who’ve visited Amsterdam recall the red-brown bollards that separate from street. Those bollards, or posts, are emblazoned with the three Saint Andrew’s Crosses as well and are known as, “Amsterdammertje.” Amsterdammertje translates literally to, “little one from Amsterdam.”
Look for these at Ben G Saturday, July 25th and online at, Freshcotton.com, Wednesday, July 29th.
ViA: HiGHSNOBiETY
