Baxter of California, the leading innovator in understanding and meeting men’s grooming needs, along with The Hundreds, a Classic Californian Streetwear brand, are excited to announce the launch of a limited edition collaboration of soft goods and grooming products, with custom graphic and label artwork by famed pop artist, Aaron Kai (@aaronkkai).
The two disruptive California-bred brands, having experienced rapid growth across the US and international markets since their inception, both value a strong local presence in their native city, Los Angeles—Baxter of California’s owned and operated barbershop on La Cienega Boulevard and The Hundreds’ retail flagship store off Fairfax Avenue. Leading innovation within their respective categories of grooming and apparel, the collaboration between The Hundreds and Baxter of California represents both brands’ visions of what a modern essentials set should be.
Yasmin Dastmalchi, VP of Global Marketing for Baxter of California, states of the collaboration, “We believe our top-notch products within this collaboration prove that premium doesn’t have to be pretentious. Grooming and fashion are two different facets of style that usually elicit personal authenticity and ones truest version of self. Baxter of California and The Hundreds are two authentic brands that share a core message of not trying to be perfect, but to instead be true to who you are while continually growing and adapting to changing environment.” Offering that, “both brands offer a toolbox for their consumers to be the best versions of themselves.”
The collaboration consists of a carefully curated selection of Baxter of California grooming products, as well as soft goods designed by The Hundreds including a waist pack, two different styles of hats and t-shirts, as well a pullover. The waist pack was an essential part of this collaboration as the brands believe it is the ultimate culmination of California lifestyle—a redefinition of the dopp bag and the perfect intersection of grooming and streetwear/apparel.
“It’s a statement bag that can be as impactful as a graphic tee,” explains Ben Shenassafar, Co-Founder and CEO of The Hundreds, “Because our waist pack can be worn in different ways, it’s a good way to showcase the personality and style of the wearer.” Adding, “Traditional dopp bags usually don’t have straps, but we pushed this bag to be a daily essential that can hold a good amount of accessories and also be worn around the waist. As well as it being very heavily branded with Aaron’s wave art.”
As streetwear has often been inspired by pop art, the brands commissioned Hawaiian artist Aaron Kai for the custom artwork for this collaboration. Famous for his pop art-style waves, Kai’s vibrant work highlights the blue color scheme of the waves to the tune of Baxter of California’s signature blue bottles. Additionally, the collaborative label was designed to appear like a splash of water, tying into the freshness of Baxter of California’s  grooming products.
“My waves are representative of my past, growing up surfing in Hawaii. As a surfer, there’s not always waves to surf, so I started drawing waves on my free time. These waves eventually got warped, mangled and stretched into the waves they are today, and I’m sure in 10 years the waves will look different. I feel this design represents both brands for obvious reasons, one of them being the surf culture that Hawaii & California embody. Another is the cleanliness of the waves, as to me that meshes perfectly with the idea of men’s grooming products—everything is clean,” says Aaron Kai.
The brands first previewed the collaboration at Le Bon Marche’s “Los Angeles Rive Gauche” event in Paris last month, however, the full collection  will officially drop in the US on October 15th, 2018 and will be sold on both brands’ e-commerce sites (baxterofcalifornia.com/thehundreds and www.thehundreds.com), as well as in select specialty boutiques and national department stores. The products range from $18-78.
For more on this collaboration, follow Baxter of California (@baxterofca) and The Hundreds (@thehundreds) or search #thehundredsxbaxterofca.
ABOUT BAXTER OF CALIFORNIA:Â
Founded in 1965, Baxter of California was one of the first companies to seriously address men’s  grooming needs. The company, headquartered in Southern California, strongly believes in product quality through a commitment to research and development. Its innovative products for men are available at lifestyle stores, apothecaries, better barber shops and online at baxterofcalifornia.com, as well as at Baxter Finley Barber & Shop in Los Angeles, which features classic barbering services alongside a curated collection of men’s grooming products. 
www.baxterofcalifornia.com
ABOUT THE HUNDREDS:
Founded by Ben and Bobby Hundreds in 2003, and inspired by California culture. The global brand is a 2-part lifestyle project that houses both a clothing line and online/print magazine. Both ends of The Hundreds are a reflection of our youth and interests growing up in a community rich with diverse subculture. The clothing is drawn from classic L.A. lifestyle, stylized workwear, as well as re-appropriated ’80s surf and ’90s skateboarding fashions. These products have been conceptualized, designed, prepared and produced with the utmost forethought and deliberation. We hope you appreciate them as much as we enjoyed making them. www.thehundreds.com
