I’ve heard a lot of talk about Paul Rodriguez’s brand, Primitive, so talked to CEO and co-founder Andy Netkin when I was at S.L.A.T.E.
Primitive started as a boutique about three years ago in Encino, Calif. Netkin was a shop grom and then worked for 118 Boardshop, owned by Brian Dunlap of DVS, when he was 18.
Netkin became the Team Manager at 118 Boardshop in the late 1990s and signed Paul Rodriguez to the shop team when Paul was only 13 years old.
The two became good friends, and in 2007, when Rodriguez was 22, Netkin approached him about opening a boutique and then starting a brand.
They opened their first Primitive boutique in Encino, California about three years ago.
The shop carries mostly limited edition footwear as well as some streetwear items and decks.
Since Paul Rodriguez rides for Nike SB, they have a large selection of hard to find Nike SB products, which makes the shop a destination.
Besides Nike SB, they also have Jordan and Nike Sportswear. Considering that Nike treats these categories like three separate accounts, it’s rare to find a shop with all three Nike lines.
“We had to prove to them (Nike) that were not just a skate shop and we’re not just a streetwear store. We are just a lifestyle boutique run and owned by skaters,” said Netkin.
See Page 2 for more about Primitive
Aside from Nike, Primitive also carries other skateboard brands like Vans, Adidas Skate, Gourmet, Converse, and Supra. They also started doing collaborations with brands like Diamond Supply Company (T-shirt and hat), and Vans (two separate shoes), as well as a shoe with DVS coming out next year.
About this time last year, Netkin and Rodriguez launched a wholesale private label line for Primitive as well. Netkin said they always planned to launch an apparel brand, but wanted to start with a boutique first.
So far, the Primitive line is mostly Ts and hats, and they recently starting making a few cut-and-sew pieces.
Netkin said his wholesale business and retail have been doubling every year, though they are starting off small numbers.
The wholesale line is currently in about 80 accounts in the U.S., and Southern California is still the company’s biggest market, though they just opened up Canada and Europe to select distribution.
They also opened their second retail flagship store this past July in Berlin, Germany, where Primitive’s main European distributor is located.
Netkin said that since there is such a huge demand for limited skateboarding products in Europe, the Berlin store is usually busy.
At MAGIC, Netkin was busy writing orders. He said he was slammed the entire time at the Agenda show the week prior.
I asked Netkin if Primitive’s retail stores or if the new wholesale line would be a bigger focus.
He said that while both the shops and brand are both growing rapidly at the same pace, he thinks the wholesale line has the most potential for growth.
