Welcome to clipboard, a weekly newsletter about good shit in Tāmaki Makaurau, by me, Reilly Hodson. This week, I speak with Jordan Gibson, the mind behind the boundary-pushing brand Checks Downtown. If you enjoy clipboard, share it with your mates! You can also contribute financially to the creation of this free weekly product by clicking this button:
Checks over stripes
It’s no secret that I’m somewhat of a fanboy of Checks Downtown - the local streetwear brand’s new product drops get regular coverage in the virtual pages of this newsletter, and I’ve been responsible for it featuring in the physical pages of Life magazine and Metro. It has occasionally gotten to the point that people close to me ask if I’m on the payroll, to which the answer is I wish.
I first walked into Checks Downtown when it was a boutique with an in-house clothes offering in a basement on High Street. At the time I was a uni student with aspirations to a creative career, which of course meant I fancied myself as a photographer. Jordan Gibson, the proprietor of Checks, let me take some pictures for the brand’s Instagram, in return for a bit of store credit, which I spent on some pants I wore to death and a belt which I still wear every day.
Over the years I’ve contributed to the Checks blog, modelled for the brand, and spent more time hanging out in its shop (now above ground, on Pitt Street) than I’d care to admit.
I’ve changed a lot from that wannabe photographer, and the brand has changed, too: Checks has surged to the front of the pack of New Zealand brands, churning out eye-catching, undeniably dope clothes that take global influences and translate them through an Aotearoa lens. It’s not just me, either. Checks is beloved by New Zealand style icons like Chris Parker and Chlöe Swarbrick, and it’s built itself a strong community of caring, creative folks who do cool shit.
And now, it’s turning 5. Today (if you’re reading this issue on the day it comes out), Checks is throwing a big fifth birthday party at East Street Hall with burgers from Baby G, tacos from Broke Boy, and music from an esteemed crew of DJs. It’s going to be sick, and I hope to see you there. In the lead up to the celebration, I spoke with Jordan about 5 years of business, his favourite pieces over the years and what he’s most proud of.
clipboard: how would you describe the journey of Checks so far?
Jordan: Wow, how to sum this up in a couple of snappy sentences.. That old adage that starting a fashion brand is a bit like jumping out of a plane and assembling the parachute as you fall comes to mind. The early days were really scrappy and tremendously hard work. We've become a lot more established and now really exciting opportunities that I had envisaged are coming our way. My goal was to create a clothing brand that told a local story and resonated with people that felt under-represented but also operated at an international standard. I think we're succeeding on both counts.
how do you think that the brand has changed over the years?
There have been lots of chapters, but also a continual throughline as a brand that is playful, a bit eccentric, and maybe slightly earnest. When we started I think there was a clear identity that largely remains, however there was a process of seeing what the market reacted to. Starting broad in the offering and narrowing it down, we had to quickly react to the commercial realities of starting a business. My feeling is that with time we continue to get closer and closer to the most refined version of that vision.
what’s on your Mt Rushmore (top 4, unranked) of Checks pieces?
Our original striped mohair cardigan, the kawakawa camo pants, there was an early seafoam–coloured ombre flannel shirt, and patchwork corduroy pants.
what are you most proud of since starting Checks?
We have fostered a community that I am really proud of, I seriously enjoy my interactions with all of our customers. I believe we've played a part in challenging the local market and what seemed to be possible for an Aotearoa–based clothing brand. I'm not sure how much credit could be taken, but I see a lot more happening in the space that also feels like the people behind the scenes are holding themselves to a similar standard and aspirations. That's super exciting to see and that our followers continue to show year over year how much they care is incredible.
The Checks Downtown 5th birthday celebration is on today, Sunday 24 July, at East Street Hall from 12-8pm.
clips
🛋 Kiosk Store is doing a giveaway for 3,000 IG followers, enter here
🏖 I’m into the new Beach Brains collection, particularly this checked jumper - very cool stuff
👕 I saw this Porter James flannel in person yesterday, and the fit is *chefs kiss* - not too long
⌚️ Brynn Wallner from Dimepiece has a new watch podcast, if that’s your thing - it’s called Killing Time and I’m into it, so far
🛫 I’m still taking Melbourne recommendations - particularly for where to find the best coffee. Send me an email with your Google docs
That’s all for clipboard this week, thanks for reading! Hopefully I’ll see you at East St. this arvo, otherwise I’ll be back in your email inbox next Sunday morning. In the meantime, send me an email or IG DM with any questions, suggestions or offers of work.