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Alex Olson is the pro-skateboarder son of ’70s icon Steve, re-gendering the parameters of the most machismo subculture Text by MARK JACOBS Photography by TERRY RICHARDSON “Tom of Finland is awesome.” The professional skateboarder Alex Olson particular interest to the skate community not out for years. Instagram has been a favourable grew up in and around Los Angeles with his only because of his unconventional sensibility, but outlet for his busy brain, acting as a sort of father Steve Olson, an iconic pro skater from the because he is skateboarding’s original legacy, its brand book that includes voguing; skateboarding; Dogtown days of the 1970s. Olson’s upbringing first and only second-generation pro. He has been skateboarding and voguing; disco reference; a was characterised by the curiosity and enduring characterised as a ‘golden child’ and a ‘handsome spot-on edit of archival fashion runway footage youthfulness of his senior, an artist and man- skateboarding socialite.’ But Olson is up to set to a chopped and screwed remix of Lady about-town. “It was more like a very close something bigger that is yet to be determined. Gaga’s Alejandro; graphic art for his Know-Wave friendship than anything,” he says, recalling family Over the last year, Olson left his longtime radio sets designed to look like fashion magazine outings to see the Jean-Michel Basquiat biopic riding team at Girl to join 3D Skateboards, covers (with a six-eyed Claudia Schiffer, for Basquiat, and a Vanessa Beecroft performance a new venture from his friend and fellow Girl example); and photos of the model Catherine at the Gagosian Gallery, complete with rows of expatriate Brian Anderson, which he abruptly McNeil and the skater Dylan Rieder wearing the artist’s nude female models. Family friends exited before its launch. He then announced an Olson’s ‘Lover’ pocket tee. William Strobeck, a included Jimmy Ganzer, founder of the ‘80s surf unnamed, work-in-progress brand of his own filmmaker known for skate videos who directed and skate brand Jimmy’Z; Glen E. Friedman, the and teased it for months with a phone number Olson, Chloë Sevigny, Natasha Lyonne and Gang pioneering hip-hop, punk and skate photographer; that connected to a cryptic recording by an Gang Dance frontwoman Lizzie Bougatsos in and Bob Recine, the visionary fashion hairstylist, automated female voice that said, “Hi. You've the 2012 short My Lovely Mess, is a frequent whom Olson called Willy Wonka due to his reached Bianca Chandon. Leave a message.” collaborator. Their shared references include Tom resemblance to the actor Gene Wilder. Chandon is pronounced like the champagne. of Finland. Olson discovered New York City as a Thrasher magazine referred to it as ‘Alex Olson’s “Tom of Finland is awesome,” confirms teenager, first with his father and then as the guest new mysterious company.’ Olson, who once went shirtless in a black leather of skateboarder Jason Dill. He was predisposed to “I knew for sure that no one would have jacket and black leather cap for Strobeck. “It’s its millennial downtown scene, an ascendant mix Bianca for a name,” Olson says, on a break from like, 'give me the leather daddy hat, let’s fuck of art, style and street epitomised by the Barbara digitising vinyl at the dining room table of the around.' Because that shit’s kind of taboo but Kruger-inspired Supreme box logo that has since correctly distressed mid-century modern house kind of funny because it’s overtly over the top moved in with Prada at Manhattan’s new Dover in Laurel Canyon that has been his Los Angeles which makes it interesting. No one fucks with Street Market. In time, he would be celebrated address for the past year. The shoulder-length this.” Strobeck also directed a 14-second video of by the culture industry: laughing with Chloë hair that Mario Sorrenti photographed for Vogue Olson voguing to David Bowie and Pat Metheny Sevigny for Terry Richardson in Purple Fashion Hommes International has been cut since Olson Group’s This is Not America. “That’s just some Magazine; appearing as the featured male model dyed it red for an impressive Axl Rose Halloween Paris is Burning shit,” Olson says excitedly. In in the Spring/Summer 2011 Rodarte for Opening costume. (It is worth seeking out the morning- the clip, he wears a Supreme logo tee and a set Ceremony look book; and making mention as after photo he posted on Instagram.) He wears a of ‘galaxy nail’ self-adhesive fingernail appliqués one of the original clients of the Collaborative Supreme T-shirt that reads ‘2005 World Famous that look like outer space. Olson wants to design Agency, a company that brokers commercial Champions’ that reminds him of Malcolm Bianca Chandon brand nails. “And sell them to deals for pedigreed socials like Gia Coppola and McLaren. He is welcoming and funny and excited men and not women,” he explains. “But it’s got to Annabelle Dexter-Jones. He has shown his own to talk about his ideas. It seems too good to be be stickers, you can't do paint. That’s the divider photography, inspired by the skater and Beautiful true when he reveals that Bianca Chandon is the right there. If you do paint it’s too…” Too what? Losers artist Ed Templeton; currently DJs a fancy lady name for his new skatewear enterprise, “Too feminine. Because it’s stickers, it takes less disco series on Ohwow’s Know-Wave internet particularly as he once tricked his social media time. It’s not so thought out.” radio; and collaborated with his father on a live following into believing that he received Chanel His label’s primary inspiration is the book ‘wallride skateboard painting’ during the 2011 and Céline team edition luxury [grip tape] Fire Island Pines: Polaroids 1975-1983 by the Alex Olson wears yellow Venice Biennale. griptape. “I always liked Bianca. It always sounded photographer Tom Bianchi, which was a gift from ‘Legendary’ T-shirt by BIANCA Meanwhile, he was riding to the top of his exotic,” Olson explains, citing Bianca Jagger, Brian Anderson. It idealises pre-AIDS life on Fire CHANDON. Scarf models own. sport with unassailable talent and unaffected style. Studio 54 and a girl he liked named Bianca. Island, a fashionable beach destination outside Dark denim jeans and green Skateboarder Patrick O’Dell once said, “He looks Chandon is his middle name. “I’ve always wanted New York City. Among the brand’s first offerings platted leather belt like he was just made to skate.” Olson racked to use it. It’s French. It’s elegant. It sounds high was a tee printed with ‘Fire Island.’ by SUPREME. up sponsors that have included Supreme, whose fashion,” he says. “It sounds like everything that I Bianca Chandon—or whatever it will be Los Angeles outpost was a home-base during his like. It’s perfect.” He enjoys the gender inversion called, as it is currently identified by the phone Previous: Beige wool jumper, formative years, Girl Skateboards, the heavyweight of selling a brand with a stylish woman’s name to number 917-692-2706 and a three-legged blue cotton Oxford shirt, company co-founded by Spike Jonze, Nike SB, male skateboarders. triskelion logo—is a business, an art project, an brown cotton twill work pant Vans, Quiksilver, Spitfire and Independent Truck Olson has a keen sense of divergent beauty investigation into the opportunities available by SUPREME. Submariner Company. His comings and goings have been of and contrary aesthetics that has been playing to Olson after he eventually graduates from watch by ROLEX. MAN • ABOUT • TOWN 139 “I want to do stuff in skating, but not the way it’s approached these days. I want to change it. There’s something that needs to change.” pro riding, and a reaction to the skateboard nothing of skateboarding’s treatment of disco. “It that he says changed everything for him. He cites establishment. “It’s a part of me, obviously. It is comes full circle from my dad being super-open the Sandpiper, the Fire Island club credited with me. I want to do stuff in skating, but not the with me. Coming from an upbringing where he the first recorded beat-matched mix. And he talks way it’s approached these days,” Olson says. “I was so, 'Be yourself,' because he’s so himself, to about learning of the impossible reality of gay life want to change it. There’s something that needs the point where it’s too much,” Olson says. “It’s during the height of the AIDS crisis. “I was just to change.” like, okay, I get that. That’s what gay culture really so fucked up reading about it,” Olson says. “They He is outspoken about his admiration for represents in my head. Be who you are. I always say people are only now getting comfortable Palace Skateboards, the uncommonly high profile looked at these dudes like, 'Why can a gay guy talking about that time.” He mentions Dallas London skatewear company. “I like how free be so super-flamboyant?' And then it dawned on Buyers Club. it is,” he explains. “It’s just a clique of friends me later in life. I was like, 'No dude, they don't And yet, it makes sense that a retro-gay that skate and make stuff and people are into fucking care.' They've kept this secret for so long aesthetic would begin to appeal to a larger it and they have super-sick art direction. They and now they finally don't give a flying fuck.

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