Homeboy

Here’s a surprising streetwear history fact: One of skateboarding’s first and most influential urban apparel brands, Homeboy, was not born in the rugged streets of New York City but the European banking capital of Frankfurt, Germany.

The brainchild of surfer and boardsports apparel pioneer Jürgen Wolf, Homeboy barged onto the skateboarding scene in 1988 ready to shake things up by producing “Loud Couture”. Backed by a high-profile skateboard team, the brand created a new category in board sports retail with its extensive collection of street-themed soft goods inspired by hip-hop, graffiti and action sports culture.

At the time, skateboard clothing was mostly an afterthought in an industry dominated by hardgoods manufacturers making wheels, trucks, and boards. But Homeboy blazed its own trail as a pure-play clothing brand and became one of the early pioneers of streetwear.