Homegrown: The Weekend Society

There’s a new society emerging on the LA scene – an enticing club that makes every Friday feel like Christmas Eve. Introducing The Weekend Society, an LA-based line of graphic clothing that manifests the philosophy of weekend wanderlust on more than just their cotton tee’s. The brand is the official ambassador of the weekend warrior. Whether your days off involve exotic trips to faraway adventures, or the comfort of a good book and a home-cooked meal, The Weekend Society is all about that R&R, tailored with SoCal style. Meet the rad guys behind the brand, Jason Joyce and Andres Andrieu, fall in love and get on board!

CULT: How did you guys meet?

Jason: Andres and I met about two and a half years ago at Loyola Marymount University working together in the Associated Students (student government) office to put on large-scale events for the student body. Andres headed up the Communications department and was in charge of all advertising and promotion and I worked on the event planning/production side of things.

Andres: Jason and I always got along and I knew he was someone I could depend on, those kinds of friendships are important to establish. Not everyone can do what they say they will do.

CULT: How was your idea to start the Weekend Society born?

Jason: In developing the above credo, and in the bigger picture, trying to define our brand, we were looking for something that embraced the adventurous spirit of those who find and pursue activities that bring them enjoyment, purpose and spark up that youthful spirit in them, no matter how young or old they may be.

Andres: Before Weekend Society was born I had seen myself designing cars. That was it. After taking a night class through Art Center taught at Honda I realized that I didn’t want to spend my life designing cars that would ultimately not be made, only to have whatever scraps of my design end up sitting in a driveway and eventually in a landfill. A few students at my university had approached me asking where they could buy some shirts I had made for the orientation program. It wasn’t until several other people started asking me that I realized this would be the best way to use my artistic talent. The beauty of shirts and apparel in general is that what you make is what you make. There is no higher power overseeing your creativity. That’s really important for me. Also, unlike cars, apparel is able to reach a broader market with the potential to spread positive messages.

CULT: What is your mission behind the brand?

We are devoted to the wanderers, the wild ones, and those who believe there is still a bit of mystery in the world. We aim to remind people that the weekend is a state of mind and appreciating the simple things doesn’t just have to start at the end of the week. As a collective, we support all those who have made it their mission to Never Grow Boring.

CULT: What is your favorite Weekend Society piece so far?

Jason: Each piece definitely has its unique story and sentiment tied to the time and space we developed it in, but I think two stand out above the rest. The first is our Rootless Tank. That was our first text-driven piece, and being from a creative writing background, it was exciting for me to see this particular integration of words and design on the fabric. The second piece is the Del Mar Summer Shorts we just released. This is our first piece that we constructed completely from scratch- choosing the material to print on, the cut and fit, the design layout and all the other intricate elements of crafting local, hand-made pieces. I feel this sets the stage for where we are going next and opens the door to pushing our creative outputs much further.

Andres: It’s hard to say which design is my favorite. As an artist I rarely like anything I make the more I look at it. I’m never pleased and think that it can always be better. However, that being said, my favorite piece is the Republic tank and the Black WS shirt. The Republic design sort of just came to me when I realized it hadn’t been done before and captured the adventurous spirit of the United States in a simple way. The Black WS is my favorite because it features our Weekend Society logo. The process behind the logo took almost an entire month but it’s one design that I never get sick of looking at.

CULT: Describe the person who embodies the Weekend Society spirit.

Andres: To embody the Weekend Society spirit all one has to do is try something new, something they enjoy, and to do it to the best of their ability. The beauty of the Society is that anyone can join; the weekend belongs to all of us. My grandmother enjoys playing the piano, my sister likes baking on the weekends, one of Jason’s friends is an aspiring rodeo star. As long as you remember that these activities are always available to you and to take joy in them then you’re living the spirit of Weekend Society.

Jason: This idea of embracing new adventures and learning new activities from others already doing them is one of the concepts fueling the next stage of our brand’s development. What exactly that means…? Guess you’ll have to hold on for the ride and see.

CULT: Where are some of your favorite local haunts and places to visit in LA?

Andres: I regularly go to In-N-Out and order a grilled cheese. But when I’m not eating I’ll usually spend time in Santa Monica on Main Street with friends. The West Side offers so many different attractions. It’s never easy choosing just one.

Jason: Whether it’s boutique shopping in Silverlake, dining downtown, catching a concert in Hollywood, watching a flick in Rolling Hills or wandering the suburb area where I live near Marina Del Rey, each area in LA has its own unique ambiance/atmosphere. I really like being able to step between those worlds in just a short time’s drive.

CULT: What do you know now, that you wish you knew when starting a business?

Andres: I feel like I’m still learning everything as I go on this ride with Jason. I think the best advice I can give is to go into business without any expectations. Do what you love and do it well. The rest will follow.

Jason: When we started we had the basics down and knew we would build from them. Every day we learn something new, usually little somethings, but something all the same, about our company and how we can better do business. Especially in the case of our brand, the best way to learn is by doing, and though that method can sometimes be a bit cumbersome, it has suited us well thus far.

CULT: Where do you find inspiration?

Both of us come from creative backgrounds- music, writing, graphic design, drawing- those elements have laid the foundation for where we are now. Within each of our creative processes though, we pull inspiration from anything and everything. That’s generally a standard answer, but when we’re in the creative zone, we’re collecting pieces of ideas from anywhere we can grab them- whether it be other inspiring imagery, or seeing chalkboard art while waiting in line for a burrito- and puzzle-piecing them into something unique, that is an extension of our creative tastes.

CULT: How did you decide on the name?

Translating our big ideas into the mission and tagline of the brand came pretty quick and easy during our first brainstorming sessions, but then when we had to find one or two words that articulated that same sentiment we had squeezed into multiple sentences, we spent much more time trying to find something that fit just right. We knew how essential it was to brand our company correctly, because it would inform all we did from there on, so we never planned to just settle on a name.

We created lists upon lists of names and every combination of words we rolled around just didn’t feel right. We knew we wanted our clothing to represent a large demographic, a collective of people, and that’s when Andres brought up the idea of the word “Society”. From there we started looking at what larger elements could tie a diverse group of people together; which led us to searching for something- a concept, event or connotation- that was inherently associated with being wild and free, and could ring true across all demographics. And however one defines it, the weekend symbolizes a time and space that encompasses all these ideas.