adidas Originals USA Product Manager Greg Dennis. Photo Credit: adidas Originals

When it comes to culture, shoes and just having common sense about life, Greg Dennis is your guy. Philadelphia’s finest and fashionably conscious, Greg is well versed in advertising, dealing with consumers daily. His interest in all of this became apparent in the 90s when Mecca USA was advertising in The Source Magazine and he hasn’t looked back.

“Mecca’s aesthetic was very aspirational and innovative,” Greg Dennis tells RESPECT Magazine. “Also, it was black-owned. This provided me with hope and gave me the inspiration to pursue a career in this industry.”

In between running the show out at Adidas headquarters in Portland, Oregon, Dennis sat down with RESPECT Magazine about a variety of topics, including how he got started in the business, how his education played a part in his development and entrepreneurship.

Here’s THE SCOOP:

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What was fly fashion and sneaker-wise in Philadelphia when you were growing up?

Greg Dennis: Fly fashion growing up in Philly was: Polo, Nautica, Coogi, Rocawear and Dickies. Each brand served a different purpose; for example Dickies were popular amongst the corner boys and it represented function. The material was super durable, wrinkle resistant and had the appropriate amount of pockets.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What was your point of entry professionally for you?

Greg Dennis: My point of entry into the industry was interning for Alan Ket and Dre Hayes at Azzure Denim when I was in college. The internship provided me with the opportunity to maximizing my book knowledge in the business world. This opportunity gave me more confidence to enter the industry post college.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: How has the industry evolved from when you started to now?

Greg Dennis: The industry has definitely evolved; when I was coming up there were many independent brands and retail shops. Now there are less players on the brand and retail side. We need small businesses and entrepreneurs to develop new markets and ideas.  

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson:What advice would you give someone looking to do what you do now?

Greg Dennis: For anyone looking to enter into this industry; I highly recommend gaining retail experience. Understanding retail is a great foundation for knowing what motivates consumers to make a purchase and help nurture your eye for product. At the core of my job I am a merchant and enhancing the consumer experience is the end goal.

adidas Originals’ Greg Dennis. Photo Credit: adidas

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What is next the next ‘thing’ that folks should be paying attention to?

Greg Dennis: I believe the future is automation. This will have an impact on transportation, manufacturing and retail. The potential and upside is enormous. Imagine visiting a store that has automation manufacturing capabilities and can build custom product based on your needs. Tech can eventually eliminate waste and reduce our environmental footprint.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Does someone of your caliber create a personal brand while still working for a company? How do you balance the two?

Greg Dennis: I know a few people that started successful businesses while being employed full-time. It’s definitely manageable and I recommend going into a business that is not a conflict of interest to your 9 to 5. Having multiple revenue streams a smart play.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Favorite three sneakers of all time are?

Greg Dennis: When it comes to footwear my three favorite shoes of all time are; EQT 93 Racers, OG Gucci Ace’s and Polo Ranger boots. All of the major players in my neighborhood when I was growing up had these shoes. Decades later these shoes are still relevant.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Where did you go to college and did college prepare you for what you are doing now?

Greg Dennis: I attended Philadelphia University for Apparel Management. PHILAU is the oldest fashion school in North America. This education provided me with the tools to navigate this industry. Without this foundation working in this industry would be huge learning curve.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson:  If you weren’t in the industry now you’d be doing what?Greg Dennis: If I was not in the fashion industry I would be exploring my 2nd passion in the music industry. Music and fashion go hand and hand. This year in music is very exciting from Meek to Jay Z. I’m happy for the direction of the industry.

Suggested Articles:

The Next Big Showcase’s Cliff Po & DJ Tarzan Making Dreams Reality in NYC & NJ

Scoop B Radio: Turner Sports’ Steve Smith Talks Career & More

The post Scoop B Selects: Talking Culture With adidas Originals USA Product Manager Greg Dennis appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Japanese brand, A Bathing Ape or BAPE & the sky rocketing brand, Adidas Original shook the world with their upcoming NMD shoe. Today, we are able to get a look at their new capsule collection for the Fall/Winter season.

Not only does it include the BAPe x Adidas NMD’s, it also include apparel.  The popular brands put together a mixture of the two in the apparel. BAPE will have their legendary camouflage print cover the Firebird Bird Jacket, with Adidas infamous logo and 3 stripes on the sleeves. Also, there will be the ID96 down jacket that will include the signature BAPE full-zip-up.

The shoe features two color-ways, with the NMD_R1 silhouette, but not the usual prime-knit texture. The two shoes will both have Bape’s signature camouflage, one pair green and the other, black. The green camo will have colored NMD tabs, while the black camo will have black tabs. Both shoes will have the white three-stripes detailing and white Boost soles.

This is certainly another great look for both brands. They already had the web-world going crazy for the shoe collab and now there’s some fresh gear to go with it.

The BAPE x Adidas Originals collection will release globally November 26th at select Adidas Orginal retailers. This goes for both online and in store .

Suggested Articles:

Adidas Most Anticipated NMD’s Are Dropping Soon

Play Cloths Continue Their Campaign, Release New Holiday Collection

The post The BAPE x Adidas Originals Unveil Full Collection appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The post Adidas Originals “Paisley” Capsule Collection appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.