Remember Warren Smith? AKA Spider Doodie? AKA goofyfoot surfer, artist, writer, skater, stylish fucker from the Gulf Coast of Florida who came out west and got his ringed hands into a ton of creative brands as soon as he arrived here with maroon hair and a wild forehand air reverse? Since his arrival in California Warren hasn’t put his pen down. His creative touch was on brands like Insight, Former, Globe and now he’s got his own brand with fellow artist and talent Grady Archbold. It is called Welcome Rivers.

I’m in love with this for a few reasons: This represents what I am begging to become a renaissance of small, conceptual, creative and quality (surf) brands who make products better than the big corporate dogs who’ve clearly lost touch and their minds along with control of what they’re making. Those big brands no longer mean what they used to mean and it’s time we all transition and fire up some new brands. Together.

Welcome Rivers make higher-end fashion cuts with just a splash of beach. Grady and Warren always make sure it can swim just well enough, but more importantly that you could walk in dripping wet to any high fashion LA or NY scene just as comfortably as you could walk into a Sex Prisoner show in a dungeon. All that being said, thanks to them being legit surfers and skaters (and skimmers!), they also know how to make gear that jumps on a moped in Bali or piles into the back of a sweaty smoky van just as comfortably — which makes this an easy brand to root for. Fill the closet completely or pair this stuff with your vintage gear (and Inherent bummer hoodie) and you’ll be supporting guys who do this because they seriously love making rad clothes and not to fill a box or a customer dictated initiative for more khaki cargo shorts because that’s what Arizona moms want. Welcome Rivers is a good look for all of us.

I can’t emphasize this enough:

Support small brands! I recommend your 2020 clothing and surf kits include brands like Welcome Rivers, Octopus is Real, Dane, Craig and Austin’s Former, Evan Mock’s Sorry in Advance, Inherent Bummer (had to), Ford Archbold’s new take on vintage called Spun Spirit or the surf shop down the street from you. Buy a shirt from your local shaper while your’e at it. Brands started by people who do it because they can’t help it, they just love this stuff so damn much.

Click over and buy something from Welcome Rivers today and keep you eye on all the brands above, it’s time this whole damn culture gets redecorated. Welcome Rivers is a great place to start.—Travis