good bye

Rest in peace to Union, NYC. Not “one” of the most important stores in our culture. THE MOST important. How many brands would be here if it were not for Union? (Maybe all of them.) Union was the second order I ever received when I started Staple in 1997. Back then Veto and MaryAnn were running the show. But long before that, when I was a young buck in New Jersey, I was taking weekly voyages to Union. NFC, Project Dragon, Ken Sport mixtapes, Pervert, Rock Hard, Conart…man, those were the days. I was like a wide-eyed kid in a candy store.
A few years later, I was among a select few that were part of a newer generation of brands that Union chose to represent. I started to learn the ropes. My other classmates were Doubledown, Milkcrate, 10Deep, BMBasement, Social Studies, Modern Amusement, Charizmatik and more. It’s amazing when you see where all these brands and individuals are today. The constant is that Union was always there—a foster home for ragtag creative minds that couldn’t find a place in the world. In 2009, we have Karmaloop, Urban Outfitters, Complex Magazine and I’ll say it, Reed Space. You no longer have to walk the streets, feel the streets or listen to the streets to appreciate what is known as “street culture”. In 30 seconds and 4 clicks, you can own an entire wardrobe of streetwear. In 2 minutes, you can download a mix CD that the DJ finished 1 hour ago. And in a mere flips of a magazine, you can see every limited edition sneaker the footwear companies are “leaking”. All from the comfort of your Lazy Boy. I’m not saying today’s world is better or worse. But what I am saying is that today’s world owes everything and then some to a 400 sq ft space on Spring and West Broadway called Union.
-jeff staple(founder of reed space and king of pigeon)