I got Rhythm…

In 2003, a new surf wear brand entered the fold with a vision to offer something unique and interesting to a stale retail market. It all began with two friends, Neal Purchase Jr and Jamahl Grey, each drawing on their art / music and lifestyle influences to create products for a more open minded and fashion forward customer.

Nine years down the track, and Rhythm is a brand directed at giving customers something unique. With their catch cry, “The Sound of Change” Rhythm continues to offer something new to the innovator.

We caught up with Rhythm General Manager, Josh Barrett before their debut at Streetlab to get the low down on their design inspirations, staying true to their brand image, and the real story behind the name.

Where do you source your inspiration? And how do they drive you and influence your design?

Our influences come from almost everywhere and anywhere but we always have a formula that ties it all back together to ensure that we keep true to the Rhythm feel of the brand. Music is always a huge influence when designing and we are also a pretty fun bunch of people, so I really think you see that playful side of Rhythm represented throughout our collections.

How do you transfer these inspirations into design? Talk us through your design process from drawing board to in-store/online?

As noted before, we have a formula to make sure that everything stays true to our brand image. We all live the lifestyle that we are creating and we believe in our brand, so ultimately its all about making sure that everything, from concept to coat hanger as well as our marketing, all relate back to who we are as a brand. Image is key.

Can you tell us the story behind the name?

(Neal Purchase Jnr – Rhythm co-founder) “I just thought the name Rhythm was pretty cool cause it had a lot of relevance with things I was and still am interested in, like music, surfing and art etc”

You are about to showcase the brand at Streetlab in August, why did you choose this event and what do you hope to gain?

We believe that our current ranges are very suited to the NSW market and we see this as the perfect opportunity to grow our business in NSW as well as nationally. Rhythm can sometimes be pigeon holed as a surf-based company and this will be a great platform to showcase our brand and put some of these rumours to bed.

What’s in store for the future – where do you see the brand heading?

We plan to keep strengthening our brand without ever losing touch with our roots and company values. There is definitely a huge opportunity for Rhythm to make inroads into the fashion market.