MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA 1991

It was the year of the 1st war against Iraq and Rodney King was beaten up by some LA Cops. The Soviet Union collapsed and Bill Clinton put his hand up to run for the American Presidency.

Bryan Adams spent forever and a day at the top of the charts with (Everything I do) I do it for you and Michael Jackson was signed to Sony for $1Billion. So thank F#%K for a little band from Seattle called Nirvana who released a little album called Nevermind and gave birth to grunge.

And not only was it a palindrome year (look it up!), it was the year a couple of skaters and a graphic design wunderkind gave birth to Mooks. Remember, this was a time before everyone with a computer had their own t-shirt label. This was something new, original, endearing and enduring.

Starting with a line of t-shirts designs that mixed a tongue-in-cheek twist of pop art, Japanese comix, American College sports and graphic design, Mooks soon grew into a fully-fledged fashion label that needed its own store.

In 1992, the first Mooks store landed smack in the middle of Melbourne’s boutique shopping strip (before it was over-run by chain stores and souped-up petrol heads), Chapel Street. The music was loud, the staff didn’t give a s^*t and people were lining up out the door for Mooks now legendary t-shirts.

It was how it should be. People creating for like minded people and pretty soon Mooks was defining what streetwear was and is in Australia.

Bring it to now and the Mooks family has grown and evolved. You can find Mooks across the Globe. But the driving force is the same and each season bring a new layer to the Mooks strata. New, fresh, original…call it what you like. When we lose the ability to surprise is when we give it up and that’s not happening in a long, long time.

WHAT THE F**K IS A MOOK?

This question is posed in the classic 1973 Martin Scorsese film, “Mean Streets” and once featured on a now infamous Mooks t-shirt graphic. Mook is old New York slang for a hipster, a hustler, a wiseguy or even a fool.

Our Horned lightbulb logo can have many meanings. It’s meant to represent devilish wit, but however you want to see it is fine with us.