Hot Air: Where the Skies Meet the Street
Bee Nguyen’s arms are marked by tattoos of rosaries and pistols, making him an unlikely purveyor of clothes inspired by the well-heeled millionaire’s sport of hot-air ballooning.
But Nguyen, a 33-year-old graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, said his fashion line, Hot Air, based in Los Angeles, did not take inspiration from playboy balloonists and their fans. Instead, he and co-designer Chike Ozah found inspiration from where the expensive sport hits the street.
Ozah is a hip-hop video director who crafted videos for Grammy-winning artist Kanye West. Ozah was not that inspired by billionaire businessman Richard Branson’s 1991 trans-Pacific balloon flight. Instead, he was captivated by the geometric-shaped graphics that sometimes make balloons look like pieces of post-modern art.
In March, Ozah pitched Nguyen on creating a fashion line inspired by balloon graphics. Nguyen, who also is a partner in Los Angeles–based music label and fashion company Sound In Color, embraced the idea and decided to move quickly with it. By August 2007, Nguyen was selling the line at the streetwear section of the MAGIC Marketplace in Las Vegas. Nguyen said Pasadena, Calif.–based streetwear store Greyone and iconic Paris boutique Collette both placed test orders for the line. Costa Mesa, Calif.–based skate and fashion boutique The Closet also sells Hot Air.
Hot Air’s debut line features slim-cut T-shirts, track jackets and a French terry pullover. The T-shirts retail from $55 to $60. Each shirt features a balloon icon. The line will debut its cut and sew line at the Capsule trade show in New York Jan. 22–23.
Nguyen said he hopes Hot Air will become the sportswear for the ballooning set, similar to Nautica’s aspiration to provide clothing for the people who sail yachts. For more information, contact Isaiah Sanchez at (213) 620-9745 or isaiah@hotairbrand.com, Bee Nguyen at info@hotairbrand.com, or visit www.hotairbrand.com. —Andrew Asch
