HOOD CLOTHING INC - ESTABLISHED 2011
Rene Gagnon conceived the brand in 2008 when the 80's graffiti writer turned street artist created a series of paste ups and over 100 paintings that were featured in a solo art exhibit entitled, HOOD. The show title derived from the art creation process, during which Gagnon began to digitally brand what the subjects were wearing with an aptly named clothing line he called, HOOD. The HOOD brand was purely fictitious in 2008, although it appeared to be real. Gagnons' original concept was to feature girls in portrait format wearing hooded sweatshirts. He was attempting to visually articulate an experience he had while walking in a dark alleyway near his studio late at night.
"I saw two hooded figures approaching me while walking to my truck late at night and my guard went up. The figures approached me and removed their hoods. I saw that it was two very innocent looking girls. I thought it was fascinating how I reacted with fear because I couldn't see their faces. So, I wanted to play with the concept of how we react to people when we can't see their face."
In 2011, the HOOD company came to fruition. Gagnon with his daughter, HOOD Vice President Samantha Gagnon, and a team of devoted like minded risk takers developed the brand to where it sits today.
