PM: What are your expectations of a collection, meaning what do you want your audience to take away from it?

MT: Really my expectation is for it to bring enjoyment and excitement whenever the person purchases it. I think that’s really the goal of a designer to have their work pushed out to the masses and accepted.

PM: In what direction do you see the sneaker game going?

MT: I think the biggest thing we will see is that it isn’t just the sneaker game anymore. It’s more like the lifestyle game now, it’s moving into many other categories. Smaller brands that have been around for a few years aren’t the mom & pop shops like they were when we got started. They have moved on and become long time players so now these companies are addressing the global market. So that’s what we hope to do with our new brand called Passport!

PM: So what exactly is Passport?

MT: Passport is a brand that me and my other partner, Digit (who is in charge of our female collection), put together to address the global consumer. Due to the internet there are a lot of people who are more alert to things that are going on all over the world so Passport to us is more of a global approach towards fashion. But I feel that I may be speaking on more of a male perspective so I’m going to pass it over to Digit so she can explain more of what we have for a female audience.

PM: That’s Cool, What’s up Digit!

Digit: Great! How are you?

PM: I’m doing well! So what do you feel Passport is all about?

D: We, on the women’s side, are very similar to what Mikhayel said. We really want to apply a global perspective to our clothing. We want to use a lot of influence from traveling around (and from the past) so that we can take it up a notch and making it classier.

PM: What are some of your favorite materials you like to use in your designs?

MT: I can take this one. I think it’s not really about what the most heavily used materials are but I think it’s our use of materials that really make our design special. I think that’s something we have definitely carried over from the past that we have incorporated in this brand. For example let’s say we make a silhouette of a shoe and create it with a solid color with patent leather, I think that would be great and possibly a classic but to make things dope you have to debate between the color, the shine, the height, etc. I mean we could easily do pastel colors in the spring and wool fabric in the winter but I think we want a blend of possibly both in the fall to be our brand signature.

PM: When can we expect to see the launch of your brand?

MT: We’re anticipating our first drop to be in May 2009.

PM: Dope! Well, that’s it on my side do you have anything you want to add?

MT: Nothing that I can think of at the moment except take a look at our site www.psprtgoods.com and have a great new year.

PM: Thanks!

Interview with Javier Laval

By Ackley Kidd

Persona Magazine: So where are you originally from?

Javier Laval: I grew up in the bay area and spent many summers in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

PM: What were some of your early influences that affect your design approach today?

JL: I really think it was more of a lack of influence. I think I thought about conceptually what I wanted to do because I didn’t see enough of it out there. Because mostly designers look to the past for influence to make items for the present and that’s especially true for street wear with its many references to old school hip hop etc. I really wanted to come from a standpoint of the future. I want to look forward for my design influence.

PM: How did you get your start designing?

JL: I got my start once I got a computer. A cousin of mine who was pretty nerdy but brilliant when it came to computers helped me learn how to use the art software on my computer when I was a kid. He showed me all the cool stuff you could do with Paint Shop Pro and how to use all those tools to design. Later on as an adult all those skills eventually turned into a career in marketing and the rest is history.

PM: What do you feel Android will add to the sneaker/clothing market?

JL: Android is essentially a reflection of self in a brand where conceptually it’s a brand which is a pre programmed robot made to act out all of our commands. I feel that us as humans are very much pre programmed. We have a program for bad habits and for viruses and things of that nature that basically make who we are as adults. As adults we sometimes don’t understand why we act in the ways we do and why we have certain emotions that may prevent us from moving forward individually. The message that I want Android to send is that if there are certain things in your life that’s not good for you and holding you back like smoking, drinking, etc. all of that is merely programming so if they’d like they can re-program themselves. That’s what Android is.

PM: What are some of your goals for 2009?

JL: Personally, I want to do more outreach and communication with my peer group, whether it’s on a business level or a personal level about how to re-program, how to disconnect from this media controlled society. I feel with the change in the Presidency I think a lot of people are seeing that nothing is impossible and that if you have an idea and you go hard at it you can make it happen. My next project is called Kid Millionaire and it’s a soft ware program that will teach kids how to make their dreams into a reality. I’m really excited about that.

PM: What Person or Thing do you feel best explains your brand?

JL: I guess the only thing that could best explain it is childbirth.

PM: Who is your favorite designer?

JL: That would be Zaha Hadid… she a dope architect! What she does always inspires me!

PM: What are some of your favorite material to use for your designs.

JL: Definitely patent leather because it’s clean. You can dress it up or dress it down and I’m looking into other fabrics for a secret project that I can’t talk about just yet.

PM: Where do you see the sneaker game going in 2009?

JL: Though we eventually plan on expanding Android towards more of a life style brand, where we can cover you from the bottom to the top with a variety of products, right now we started exclusively with sneakers. I feel like we will fill that void that’s between regular street wear kicks and some of the high end products that are on the market today.

PM: Well thanks for taking some time out to chop it up with us but before you go, answer one more question for me?

JL: Cool, go head.

PM: Who do you think was the best dressed cartoon character?

JL: Wow?! Well I guess I would have to say Mickey Mouse! He was always like clean, he had his little bow tie and his vest. Yeah it is most definitely Mickey Mouse!

For more information go to www.androidehomme.com

While I was browsing the web, I saw some fly kicks that are must haves. The first shoe is an ALIFE import sold in selected Barney Co-Op’s. The second, the Clae shoe, has sowly been making noise, and I have to say they seem like a fusion between a hush puppy, a wally, and a chukka. Last but not least, The Max Payne Damier LV boots. Flawless. I would rock these with some hard denim Levi’s Blacked out with a Cashmere sweater and a skin tight LV Skully..