Hi Spencer, thank you so much for taking some time from you busy schedule to answer some of my questions! I heard KILLSPENCER started up as a personal project, how did you come up with this brand?
I needed a simple backpack that was extremely well made, something that protected my laptop, and had waterproof materials and zippers. Everything on the market was either too fitness skewed or too loud. I wanted something technical but modest. So I purchased an industrial sewing machine and made it myself. Around the same time I was at the American Military Museum and I saw a "Military Truck Tarp" and the idea for the REPURPOSED COLLECTION was born. That was the first time I wanted to create a brand- I knew I had an original concept that was high performance, tactical, waterproof and virtually indestructible. Also the way the material looked was so unique.
I am always in search for water proof cases so KILLSPENCE is definitely the brand that will suit my taste! Currently there are 3 collections in your brand (Repurposed, Historical Reverse, Utility) , would you mind to tell us the difference among each collection?
The three collections are made with 3 different types of materials. The Repurposed Collection is made with "Repurposed Used in Combat Military Truck Tarp." I get this material from the American Society of Military History. Its literally battle scarred trucktarp that gets industrially washed and cut up into durable bags. The Historical Reserve Collection is made out of vintage 1950's Korean War Era Olive Drab coated cotton canvas and 1960's Vietnam Era Tan Coated Cotton Canvas. These materials were high performance materials used for those wars and I have found them preserved in roll form from different military contacts I've established through the American Military Museum. The Utility Collection is made with a new 22oz "Original Wax" Black Filter Twill. This material is so amazing. Its made in New Jersey on family built machinery and is a material that has been used since the late 1800's. Its waterproof and feels like something special. The thing that all the collections have in common is the use of patented cobra buckles, riri aquazip waterproof zippers, and military spec webbings and metal parts.
Out of all the materials, my best favorite will be the "Original Wax" because it looks very unique and waterproof! So I really want to know this, where did you get your inspirations when creating the collections?
The inspiration for the collections came almost entirely from the American Society of Military History and the American Military Museum located in Rosemead Ca. This is a landmark for working historical military vehicles, and is a place I visited many times with one of my favorite teachers the late, Norman Schureman. He would take classes of product design students to museums all around LA and he would teach us about all the artifacts. This was my favorite museum to go to and sketch vehicles, learn about the history and function of vehicles used for war.
I use it as a streamlined carrying case for the essentials. I needed to carry my iphone, moleskine journal, my hi-tec-c Pilot Pen and business cards. I didnt want to carry them in my pocket, so the case was designed out of function. The thing thats great about the case is that a lot of people have protective snap cases or the Apple iPad Case but both of those dont fit into most cases. The KILLSPENCER iPad Case is designed to accomidate an Incase snap case or Apple iPad case.
That case is fantastic and now there is one more reason for me to purchase a iPad! At this moment, I am totally in love with the collaboration film on your site. How did you and Jared create this project? Was there any difficulty when shooting it?
I met Jared like 5 years ago where we both went to college, Art Center College of Design. He was a few terms ahead of me and he is just one of those rare talents that everything he touches is amazing. His illustrations are so raw, technical but loose, and his perspective is something that I am inspired by. He played me some of the music he was making under the name "Country" and one track in particular, Utah Blaine was a perfect track to use as the mood for the piece. So we got together and brainstormed on what would be a fun project. I think the goal was to try and do something different, take some risks. At one point we were like, fuck it lets get a live Hyena. We looked at each other and knew that would be a trip. So I got on the phone and started calling different zoo's asking if we could borrow their Hyena and take it to the beach for the day. Eventually we found a Hyena and a Black Panther and went for it. The Hyena was so difficult to work with and wound up using the Black Panther which was a lot less aggressive and used to working with a bunch of people in the desert.
Oh wow, at first I thought the black panther was fake, now this video is just more amazing! Last but not least, if you could collaborate with a fashion brand in the future, which brand would you most likely want to work with? What kind of products would you love to produce?
I'd love to work with Nom De Guerre. I think their perspective resonates with my whole lifestyle. From an artistic point of view they nail it and their consistency and quality is something I look forward to every season. I would love to create an entire uniform of sorts for a specific type of travel, probably something function based.
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Now it is time for some trivia questions!Green or Black?
Black. There's nothing more elusive than black on black.
Los Angeles or New York?
The New York scene with the Los Angeles weather.
Beach or Snow Mountain?
Beach.
Pen or Pencil?
Pen- Pilot Hi-Tec-C. (0.5) There's nothing better.
Vintage or Brand New Clothing?
Brand new made with vintage or found fabrics.
Sneakers or Dressed Shoes?
Dress shoes without a heal.
Christmas or Halloween?
Christmas.
Coffee or Tea?
Water.
Batman or Spiderman?
Batman.
Dog or Cat?
Weimaraner
Thank you so much to Spencer Nikosey for answering my questions and I hope you have a better knowledge about KILLSPENCER now. I am looking forward to see what new project he has for us in the future and hopefully I can visit his shop in Los Angeles soon! Spencer, I wish you all the best in this coming year!
All photos are courtesy of KILLSPENCER and if you want to see more products, please visit the official website.
It must be hard for men to find bags that are masculine without being too athletic-inspired. These do the trick nicely. Very sexy bags!
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