Jacob Seedman is the name behind Shalom Culture Peace Project or SCPP. The California based designer is using his boutique clothing line to promote a message of peace that transcends religion. Jacob is taking his message of Peace and fundamental human needs (success, tranquility, comfort, safety, integrity, and well being) to the consumers via some visually appealing shirts, jackets and other apparel.
CraveOnline: Do you feel that your customers look for or understand the message of your products?
Jacob Seedman: Yes, I feel that people look a little bit deeper. I definitely have a following of people who know what I am doing.
CraveOnline: What was the most difficult part of starting this company?
Jacob Seedman: Finding the right audience, the marketplace to do my sales. When I started (in 1999) I was back in Monterey, things were [very] different. There were no real Street Wear boutiques. You know, you have surf and skate shops. I had relationships in the industry because I grew up in that area plus I was a skateboarder since I was 8 years old. So I was able to go to ten accounts based on those relationships and my clothing line (that was based on skateboarding) at the time.
CraveOnline: When did you make the transition from skate wear to street wear?
Jacob Seedman: I had legal issues for four years so I kind of had to shut down while everything got [resolved]. In 2004 I came back in to the business. Not that I was ever out of the business. I was working at Hurly and doing things. When I came back in to find a target market, I wasn't focusing so much on skateboarding.
CraveOnline: How did you get into starting your custom hat line?
Jacob Seedman: I had been looking for hat manufacturer to make my own and I found a place that could facilitate that. I was wanting to design hats other than what was already out there.
CraveOnline: Do you think some street wear/urban boutiques try to be too exclusive?
Jacob Seedman: Yes. I think exclusivity thing starts to get ridiculous. Why are kids really buying your product? Are they buying it because there are only a hundred made and they want to be cool? I think it gets really played out.
CraveOnline: Where is that line, where you want it to get out to the public but you don't want to over saturate the market with it and dilute your product?
Jacob Seedman: I am at the point where I basically make as many units of a design as I think will sell through my distribution channels. Most of my designs, I am making three hundred units, which is pretty small. But then I got designs where I am making a thousand units and stepping up the numbers. It comes down to how many units I think are going to sell and how many dollars I have to put towards those units.
CraveOnline: What is the primary medium for your artwork?
Jacob Seedman: I have been an artist since I was a little kid. I was drawing at four. When I started I didn't even really know how to use a computer and now I use Illustrator and Photoshop every day.
CraveOnline: What's next for the line?
Jacob Seedman: I just started doing cut and sew, like jackets and custom hoodies with custom zipper pulls. More cut and sew stuff instead of just t-shirts. Trying to expand the line as more of a clothing company as opposed to a t-shirt line.
CraveOnline: What has been your biggest accomplishment with Shalom?
Jacob Seedman: To reach one person with the message. When I started Shalom, my vision was to touch peoples lives with a message of peace, hope, prosperity and all those things that Shalom represents. That was the goal and its happened. That's the biggest accomplishment for me as far as a deeper meaning. As far a material accomplishment, I just did a collaboration with The Hundreds. I have a really good deal with Digital Gravel that does my fulfillment for me. They help me out a lot, [they're] really good people. I feel accomplished in the fact that I'm in stores that I respect and I have great relationships with.
Click here to check out the Shalom Cultural Peace Project.
Photographs by: Amanda Lopez
