SpiritHoods X FOLK — Banff Nat'l Park series

When we decided to conquer the Great White North and explore Banff National Park we realized we might not be completely equipped for our adventure. Knowing this, we decided to partner with brands that we love to capture the beauty of their products in the beauty of the Canadian landscape. One of the brands we immediately fell for was SpiritHoods, owned and operated out of Los Angeles, they produce amazing faux fur coats and hoods with spirit animal inspiration. We sat down with owners Markey and Latif to talk about how they came up with SpiritHoods, read their interview and see our shots with them below.
 

• How did you get started creating SH?
 
Over a bottle of tequila. The way all good things start.
 
• Did you know you would start your own brand, if not what spurred it?
 

We've always been surrounded by creativity, and branding a company had always interested both of us. hen the opportunity came along it seemed like life was handing us something we were meant to be doing. So the answer is yes, but life met us halfway.
 
It's still pretty hilarious to have old friends ask you what you do and to respond with, "I make furry animal hats".

 
• How do you get ideas for new products & photo shoots?
 
We love to travel and draw a lot inspiration from the cultures of the world, past and present. You can find inspiration everywhere, in the littlest details.  There are so many creative people showcasing their art and it’s always exciting to see how one idea leads into the next.
 

• What are your inspirations?

The natural world and the animal kingdom they are the heroes here. They are where we pull all our inspiration from. When I grow up I want to be a Lion and my brother would like to be a wolf.
 
• How do your hobbies influence what you make?
 
My brother and I have both been playing music together since we were young. This affinity for music has had a big impact on us, and musicians and festival culture were the early adopters for SpiritHoods. Ultimately our hobbies are centered around getting back to our roots and you can see that message in the brand.
 

 
• What has been your biggest challenge?  
 
Partnership...It's like a marriage, you have to work at it constantly and it takes communication and compromising to find your stride. We always say that if you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place.
 
 

• What's been your best advice you've been given?
 
earn to communicate and speak to people in a way they can understand. Everybody defines even the simplest words based on they're history and relationship with that particular word and it may have a different meaning to you than it does someone else.

Also, we’d both be remiss if we didn’t mention one of our favorite books here, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. The advice we both received from the book is pure gold!

 

• What's your favorite thing about sharing your art with others?
 
The sense of community and the inspiring stories created through this product are something we never could have expected and that amazes us still to this day.