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"If we'd tried to launch in New York, we'd have gotten shot," Mendeluk says. "The West Coast is more open."
"We were never trying to compete with the fashionistas or high fashion," Haber says. "Our target is not super style-y but outdoorsy, adventurous. People who are into alternative sports. Animal lovers."
For those who need an extra little push, there's a humanitarian aspect to the hoods. When someone buys a hood, a portion of the proceeds goes to save wolves or cheetahs or jaguars or whatever.
To date, there are some 30,000 hoods in the wild. The original gray wolf with black lining is still the most popular. Hikers wear them on climbs up Mount Kilimanjaro. Hipsters wear them to clubs. Cancer patients wear them when their hair falls out from chemotherapy. "We're not saying it's gonna cure cancer," Marotta says.
"But it could," Mendeluk finishes.
The Spirit Hood is no longer some freakish accessory that gets you beaten up at bars. It is a whole commercial enterprise of freakish accessories. Marotta no longer minds so much when people ask him what he does and he has to answer, "I make furry hoods and sell them."
The hoods now come in some 30 styles, including a tiger with custom-printed fur. The hoods are carried at Fred Segal; Disney is collaborating on Kermit, Miss Piggy and Gonzo Spirit Hoods for the upcoming Muppets movie. They were approached by Urban Outfitters and Hot Topic; the latter eventually knocked off the hoods.
The boys have a large, industrial-chic loft office downtown with cute, sexy intern girls skulking around in tight pants and short skirts and furry panda and cat hoods.
The success of the hoods occasionally gives the boys pause. "It is weird," Haber says. "I've spent my whole life trying to find somewhere to put my money without blowing it out my ass."
"I mean, I came here to pursue acting," Mendeluk says, scratching his head. "What the hell?"
12 comments
You can use BEASTLY at checkout at www.spirithoods.com for 15% off your entire purchase. Join The Tribe and Set Your Inner Animal Free.
Use can use BEASTLY at checkout at www.spirithoods.com for 15% off checkout. Join The Tribe
This makes me ill, world poverty, starvation, violence. And people are out their worried about a group of spiritual activists wearing animal hoods to raise awareness about endangered species as well as show their spirituality. Is this against some tabloid rule? If so, take off your silly lower case T's with that sad man hanging from it. Hurts doesn't it. live your own life in YOUR ridicules clothes. It is a fact that some people abuse the spirit hoods, using them simply for a fashion statement, but we do not. some people abuse alcohol, some do not. that doesn't make all people who drink insane does it? We are happy people, I'm am very sorry to see you are not happy with your life. maybe you should find your animal spirit. :]
you can use BEASTLY at checkout for 15% off your entire purchase at www.spirithoods.com join the tribe
Use BEASTLY at checkout for 15% off your purchase at www.spirithoods.com Join The Tribe
People have been wearing these for ages - I make these furry hoods and just received a threatening letter from spirit-hood LLC claiming they have the name trademarked and copyrighted. Silliness! . And anyone who sees theirs and sees mine remark on the superior quality of mine. All the power to them, but when they start sending bullying emails to someone making these by hand in their kitchen, well, they need to wake up.
The Burner community has been wearing faux-fur around town for years. No disrespect to the Spirit Hood people, but a quick trip to the fashion district and the most rudimentary sewing skills will get you something completely original in a matter of hours. No animal-channeling required.
FRICKIN AWESOME . WE LOVE SPIRIT HOODS. WE ARE PROUD TO BE PART OF "THE TRIBE" Not only an awesome fashion piece but especially you do something good for the wild life.No one can knock off who you and your team are. You guys are part of this phenomena , caring fun- loving individuals.Congratulations you all deserve all success.
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