Thursday Threads: Rockin’ Bones

Rockin’ Bones
Interview by: Lauren
Picture above from their website!
Rockin’ Bones Website

Robert and Kendra, the owners of Rockin’ Bones, were kind enough to give us a background look on their company. Please read. Leave your thoughts. They have some wonderful clothes!

1. How did Rockin Bones transition from a zine to a clothing/video company?

ROBERT: We have a really complicated background so I’ll try to just explain the broad strokes ha ha. It’s kind of why we do not have a legitimate bio on the web site. Rockin’ Bones Entertainment came to exist from the merge of 2 companies: Rockin’ Bones Video/Rockinbones.net (which I started in 2002) and Peek-A-Boo Couture (which my wife Kendra started in 2003). As far as the written zine element, we used to do interviews, CD reviews, film reviews, concert features, and what not 2002-2004 at Rockinbones.net.

2. What kind of video production do you all do? Who have you worked with thus far?

ROBERT: Right now, we pretty much just do publicity interviews, concert videos, and some low budget promotional videos for our favorite bands and bands that publicists refer us to. I did contract work (commercials, music videos, documentaries, etc) for years and that wasn’t too much fun after a while. Today, it is more of a cross-promotional project for Rockin’ Bones and a hobby of mine too. It’s funny how doing it for free with artists you prefer is actually more enjoyable than being paid by (for the most part) artists you’re not too into. You can view the videos at our site and we also compile them onto limited edition DVDs that we give free to our clothing customers from time to time. Rockin’ Bones has worked with over 100 bands including Ministry, Horrorpops, Reverend Horton Heat, Lords Of Acid, TSOL, and The Fixx.

3. Your wife, Kendra, and you are the designers for the company. What’s the process like for each item?

KENDRA: Recently, we have been designing based upon what would look best with our models because we have a new pool of models that are really in sync with our vision. So, we kind of do things backwards: we first look at the model and then design the clothing.

ROBERT: As far as major roles, Kendra designs the cut of the outfits and I am in charge of designing/implementing screen prints. After we have our ideas for cut and imagery, we work together to discuss which colors/fabrics will look best and merge our ideas to form a new garment style.

4. For those wishing to purchase something, what system do you use for the size measurement? (ex. a large size would range from what numbers?)

KENDRA: Our sizes are Juniors department for women and standard US mens t shirt sizes for the mens tees. We have a size chart with measurements in inches listed in each item details page for the customer’s convenience. We also customize sizes by request in case someone does not fit into the chart perfectly. We also have an in to cm conversion tool on our conversions page to make shopping easier for international customers.

5. Do you find inspiration for your clothing in anything specific?

ROBERT: I get a lot of my screen print ideas from 80s stuff: old punk/new wave/metal flyers, horror/b-movie films, and advertisements. When I have any sort of input for the cut, it’s something that I catch from wardrobe of old movies or album covers.

KENDRA: Usually, I get my ideas when I’m shopping for myself. I’ll need new clothes and I can’t find what I’m looking for anywhere so I just have to make myself something. For example, I could never find athletic clothes that were cute.They’re always plain and generic looking so I thought of introducing hot pants covered in prints. I really just wanted some for myself when I’m working out so I thought I might as well make a profit too since I have to make some for my wardrobe anyways. That’s basically how it goes with most of our styles that I design.I want something for myself to wear so I design it and then add it as a style. That’s why our new designs often come in random spurts.if I need new clothes I’ll be more inclined to come up with new ideas 😉

6. What are you listening to these days that you would recommend?

ROBERT: We run the company our of a home office. When we’re not playing movies in the background, we play a lot of music. Our work playlist for today had this stuff on it: Cheap Trick, Dead Bolt, The Cramps, Alice Cooper’s “Love It To Death,” Jim Carroll Band, The Plugz, The Rave-Ups, The Texreys, Thunderchiefs, The Mansfields, The Hormonas, The Urgencies, The Cult, The Damned, Spiders From Mars era Bowie, Twisted Sister, Gary Numan, Hanoi Rocks, Rikk Agnew, Kiss, Lords Of The New Church, Magazine, Ministry’s pop era, Modern Lovers, Marshall Crenshaw, MC5, New Order, Oingo Boingo, Johnny Thunders, Poison’s “Look What The Cat Dragged In,” Ratt’s “Out Of The Cellar,” Public Image Limited, The Real Kids, Roky Erickson, The Sonics, Thin Lizzy, UK Subs, David Lee Roth era Van Halen, The Ventures, XTC

7. Anything you’d like to add?

Thanks to everyone for their support!