rebel8

Founded in 2003, REBEL8 is a San Francisco based clothing company deeply rooted in the skateboard, graffiti, and tattoo cultures.
The REBEL8 brand is one of the last authentic streetwear brands left that incorporate original artistic works within their pieces. Most graphics within the REBEL8 product line are hand illustrated, with no computer generated enhancements or manipulations. The man behind this original art work at REBEL8 is the legendary tattoo and graffiti artist Mike Giant.

HISTORY

Joshy D. and Mike Giant met in the late 1990’s in San Francisco’s then bustling graffiti scene. Josh ran the popular graffiti website, HiFiArt, and Mike was one of the city’s most notorious writers. Years later, and having had some experience with a previous clothing venture, Josh approached Mike about creating a handful of t-shirt graphics. Mike agreed, and with $500 a small batch of shirts was made. Josh sold those shirts out of a messenger bag around the city, and REBEL8 was born.
Today, Joshy D. runs the business and Mike Giant sees to the art as REBEL8 finds itself growing in many creative directions at once. Now an internationally recognizable brand, REBEL8 is still committed to the communities from which it comes, and strives to reinforce its unique lifestyle with every product.

JOSHY D.

I started REBEL8 in ‘03 with $500. I’m serious. No investors ever. Not a rich kid. You can do anything you put your mind to! Never defeat yourself!

Born and raised in San Francisco, CA, Joshy D. grew up surrounded by creativity. Both his parents were artists residing in the city, and as he took the bus to and from school everyday, the graffiti splattered walls eventually caught his attention. After writing for a brief period in high school, Joshy D. launched HiFiArt in 1998, a website that eventually became the cornerstone of the San Francisco graffiti and art community.
HiFiArt embodied a fusion between street art and the digital world like San Francisco had never seen before. It became known as the first and only online gallery devoted entirely to San Francisco graffiti. True to his self described “restless” nature, Joshy D. founded clothing company Teamwolf shortly afterward, which he ran alongside graffiti artist Grey.
Following a four-month stint in Atlanta in late 2001, Joshy D. found himself back in San Francisco, newly inspired and motivated. He enrolled at the Academy of Art where he began studying advertising. A year and a half in, REBEL8 was born.
Between juggling odd end jobs to pay the bills, generating creativity for the brand and maintaining classes at AA, Joshy D. was spread thin. In 2003, to the dismay of family and friends, he dropped out of school to focus on the brand full time. By then, long time friend and graffiti artist Mike Giant had also jumped on board as a creative partner.
These days, Joshy D. is still proving folks wrong with the success and growth of REBEL8. He continues to drive both creative and business decisions alike, all the while maintaining his authenticity and dedication to the city from which he hails.

MIKE GIANT

Born Hamlin, NY. Reared in the flatlands of New Mexico. Healthy appreciation for heavy metal, hip-hop, skateboarding, and BMX bikes. Stellar academic performance leads to a full-ride for college.
University of New Mexico for 3.5 years, where he majors in architecture and cultivates the precise line work that will become his signature. Nights are spent at the college radio station, immersed in hip-hop. Mentoring with Doc and Agree (ATK): shedding Mike and becoming Giant. Leaves one semester ahead of a degree to take a job creating graphics full-time for Think Skateboards in San Francisco.
Ten years in San Francisco. Bombs his way to the top of the graffiti pile, repping for BA crew. Launches a little tagger ’zine, Huffer, that later becomes his first business, The Skullz Press. Learns to tattoo. Healthy appreciation for track bikes, marijuana, mindfulness, and not having a desk job. First solo show at The Link Gallery in San Jose, CA. First monograph, Manifestations, published by Gingko Press.
Post San Francisco: Returns to New Mexico. Launches REBEL8 with friend, Joshy D. Internationally notorious for surgeon-steady drawings of cute tattooed girls, skulls, and Victorian lace – sometimes all at once. Work is exhibited throughout the world with shows in New York, Paris, Tokyo, Barcelona, London, and Melbourne. Retires from tattooing, focusing full-time on fine art, travel, and REBEL8. Second monograph, Muerte, is published by Drago Press on occasion of his exhibition, Black Ink, at the Galerie Magda Danysz in Paris. 08: relocates to a houseboat in Amsterdam. 09: back in Frisco.
Most days: rides his bicycle, makes art, listens to the trees, and keeps on.