Streetwear has become one of the most prominent styles in today’s fashion world—and the style is known for its collaborations. Streetly, an Indy-based streetwear brand, first started in the college dorm room of founder Justin Gordon, better known as Gordo. Nearly a decade later, Gordo and his creative family have produced more than just a brand but a whole community with Sanctuary by Streetly—pulling inspiration from music, graffiti art, skateboarding, and the Midwest.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Gordo to discuss his creative process and inspiration, the Streetly storefront, and what collaborations we might see from this brand in the future.
Destany Long: Walk me through your creative process. What comes first for you when designing? The idea, a color or pattern layout, the actual article of clothing?
Gordo: To be honest, I don’t have a particular process. Sometimes it can be a color palette or a particular print, but it could also be a nostalgic thing from my childhood or something new that I’ve experienced, or even a city I’ve been to. Typically, a lot of the stuff that I make has been tied to true events from my life.
I think it’s very important for every creative to experience every form of life because that’s where we pull lots of different inspirations from. As a human being, as a business owner, as a creative, how are you able to grow without getting outside of the box and going through uncomfortable situations? That’s where most of my ideas come from.
DL: How do you approach collaborations with Streetly? What’s your dream collaboration?
G: We approach our collaborations by creating genuine connections. A lot of the companies, creators, and organizations are good friends of ours. I want the partnership to feel real because each party will put their all into the project. And my dream collaboration is with SAUCONY. SAUCONY is one of my favorite sneaker brands.
DL: If you could only wear one article of clothing from your latest drop, what piece would you choose and why?
G: All of my fitted hats. I’m a big fitted guy so it would definitely have to be the New Era 59FIFTY. Fitted hats play a big part in my life.
Growing up in Gary, Indiana, we’re only thirty minutes from Chicago so everything we did WAS Chicago. For instance, people from Indianapolis never experienced having a major baseball team but we have. Watching the Cubs and White Sox play growing up, they wore 59FIFTY all the time. Fitted hats play a big part in our culture, whether it be sports, street life, or just everyday wear.
Even in streetwear today, they’re making a big push on 59FIFTY fitted caps. I’ve always been into fitted hats. Even when they were “out of style,” I was still wearing them.
DL: What’s a style or fashion era that you’d want to see make a comeback?
G: The Blog Era! If you don’t know what the Blog Era is, it’s when Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa started to come out. The Blog Era inspired me to get into streetwear. The two brands that inspired me the most would have to be the ICECREAM brand and Bobby Hundreds.
One thing Bobby taught me is that it’s okay to put your art on clothing because streetwear is a form of art. It makes me feel good that streetwear is globally accepted now. As far as ICECREAM, that was just my shit! I was a big consumer of the brand and it inspires a lot of my work.
DL: I wanted to discuss your actual storefront. How would you describe Sanctuary by Streetly? What can people expect when they walk into the shop?
G: I don’t like to refer to it as a shop, only because I look at Sanctuary as an art form. It’s a streetwear gallery. You can expect to see different brands with great pieces. We host different events that pertain to the creative community. I always make sure the place keeps that “gallery” feel.
The main focus of Sanctuary by Streetly is keeping the art at the forefront. Yes, we are a business, and we’re going to have to generate money. But bringing in that community is what’s most important to me.
DL: I agree! I think community is very important and as you stated, “Sanctuary is a business.” So what are some of the most valuable things you’ve learned as a business owner?
G: That’s a good question! I think you should always try to be ahead of the game. I think communication and being yourself is also important. There was a point when I was working with a business and we were doing a collaborative project. I saw myself being drawn out little by little so I decided to drop the project.
The start design and the end design was not me at all, and I wasn’t willing to compromise on that. It’s important to make sure that your voice is heard when collaborating. If not, it can turn out to be their idea with your name on it.
Another important thing I’ve learned is to stay consistent. Consistency is what helps you build that community. I made a promise to myself back in 2021 to stay consistent. Even if you’re not doing anything in the spotlight, be consistent in the background.
DL: What does the future of Streetly look like?
G: I have some projects in the works that I can’t say too much about. I want to push out more community-based events. I plan to have more product releases and more partnerships with different organizations. I just want to give back, really. It’s my time to say “thank you” to the cities that helped me get to where I’m at today.
Follow Gordo on Instagram to keep up with the latest drops: @sanctuary.by, @streetlyworld, and @streetlygordo.
Find Sanctuary by Streetly
https://www.streetly.us/
3328 E 10th Street, Suite D, Indpls
Open from 12 pm to 6 pm, Thursday through Saturday and 2pm-6pm on Sundays.
