Alpha Industries x Patta: The next chapter
A conversation with Vincent van de Waal

How do you think both Patta and Alpha Industries connect to hiphop – and what is it about that that brings both brands together?

Vincent: The connection to Hip Hop for Patta is a natural thing from day one. The most obvious explanation of many is that the two founders of Patta, Edson Sabajo and Guillaume Schmidt, met each other at Fat Beats. A record store specialized in Hip Hop music where they both worked. That laid the foundation and red thread of Hip Hop through our company. Alpha is a brand that pushes Military styles. Historically seen, these styles were always adopted and were kind of staples in Hip Hop style and fashion. So very logical that Alpha was a brand of choice by many Hip Hop lovers. Almost the whole catalogue can be related to Hip Hop style. Think of bombers, Lammy coats, M-65’s etc. it’s all seen in Hip Hop. With those likeminded backgrounds it’s no surprise Alpha and Patta feel good together and started to collaborate on various projects.

How did subculture (esp. sneaker and hiphop culture) influence Patta’s foundation and continues to do so up until now?

Vincent: If we go back to the start of this interview you read that the founders of Patta were knee deep in the Hip Hop scene before Patta existed. It’s only logical that the personal flavor and interest of both founders play a big role in the foundation and influence of the brand. Almost everybody working for Patta has a love or a connection to Hip Hop in some way. It became a way of approaching many things we do. And that will never stop.

What makes all of your store locations special to you – so special, you wanted to put them on a jacket?

Vincent: Our store locations are direct links with our communities in those cities, so the chapters kind of stand for those communities we value very much. We always built naturally by simply being the community. Putting the chapters on a jacket is recognising the importance and celebrating our territories.

What does community mean to you – and how does that connect you to Alpha?

Vincent: We are the community so it’s an everyday thing to contribute to and to learn from. We laugh, cry and build together. I think as a big corporate company Alpha needs to keep their ear on the streets and in the community. I think we play a role in that for brands. If the shared values are right, we can connect in a strong way. Like we do with Alpha.

How did Amsterdam and the city’s vibe drive Patta in the beginning – and how is Lagos doing that now?

Vincent: Amsterdam is our home base. The pace of the city, the creative community, the music and sports scene, it all contributed to the way Patta moved and the steps we took. The same counts for Lagos that has its own characteristics. It’s up to us to work with that and learn from it. It’s give and take. Never only take.Unbalanced relationships hardly ever work.

How did the connection to Lagos come about and what drew you to opening up a store there?

Vincent: Our first connection with Lagos was through the Homecoming festival organized by Grace Ladoja and Alex Sossah. They invited Gee and me to Lagos to contribute with a pop-up for a couple of days. It became a yearly thing. We fell in love with the energy and the people we met. That together with the fact it’s Africa’s biggest city and everybody speaks English made us think of a permanent shop there. Also, Edson and Guillaume being children of the diaspora made the story full circle.

The Alpha Industries x Patta MA-1 bomber will be available on December 20, 2024 on Patta.nl.