Gee, Co-Owner of PATTA

The Patta shop has been a shining star out of the Netherlands since 2004. With some of the industries most consistent (and sought after) footwear projects and now a premium street wear brand - Patta has done nothing but grow. Now with distribution of their new brand into the US, we catch up with Gee - co owner of Patta - to give us a look behind the brand.

1. Q
2. A

• Introduce yourself - who are your partners in Patta / Precinct 5.
• Wassup…my name is Guillaume, lots of people call me Gee though. I am partner co-owner of what people know as the Patta store, a lifestyle, a loose group of individuals all over the world. We're based in Amsterdam but you can find us anywhere close to you if the vibe and the music is good, that is. My partner in Patta is Edson aka Elsahbi aka the Dj and my man Milanello reppin Milan and Italy. We never do it alone though we got a tight crew working on all our stuff.

• Patta has established itself to be a leader in the world market for footwear. Your projects are sought after beyond the borders of Amsterdam. What was your initial goal with Patta?
• Patta when it started was just a means to an end when we started out. We didn't really know what we were doing we just wanted it…so we naturally made a lot of mistakes (still do….) but you live and you learn I guess…our main thing was that we wanted to be more then a store we wanted to be somewhat of a platform which we could use as an extension to work with friends on a global level and put out a little look into our "chamber"

• Precinct 5 is an amazing concept based out of an old police station. What is the distinction between the P5 and Patta businesses? Is it 2 different customers?
• P5 was a great idea and there's a big difference between the 2 and a same time there is a lot of similarities, however I think we jumped in that chapter too early (as I said we still make mistakes). I think it has been a good learning curve though and P5 will always be a part of us. It's all about Patta now though…so your probably the first to hear this but yet again we gonna go through some changes…we gon keep that going until we got it right. Unless the people don't need no more of that Patta that is…..

• You have expanded your brand to include apparel but you made sure your quality and cut was above par out the gate. Speak on the process.
• Again it was a process of falling and getting up but we were sure to make sure we took our time. We keep a close eye out on details and getting the fit right…Also we try to stay close to what we feel is our aesthetic. Its pretty plain ass streetwear but it should fit good and look good on everyone…we work on that with the very talented Vincent van de Waal. Blood sweat and tears we put into it but when I see peers and random people wearing that stuff or liking it. That brings a lot of satisfaction.

• You are known for your amazing footwear projects. Talk on the importance of brand partnerships.
• Starting point is always our interest in a specific product. From that you build a relationship and with that relationship you build a foundation in which a specific company trusts you to work on their product. Whatever we do ain't no rocket science, however consistency ,aesthetic,attitude are things that take time and grow with time. I think it's important for brands to look into the qualities above to see if a partnership is fruitful and worth it…and if this is ? It has to go both ways ….