Charles "Chi" Hom

There is no fashion without street culture.

Some of the most iconic looks—from the bodega to the Met Gala—were born on a skateboard, inside a beat-up sketchbook, or from a group of friends who just didn’t give a fuck what the outside world thought of them.

No one knows this better than designer Charles “Chi” Hom.

A San Diego native, Chi grew up in a mecca of action sports culture. Some of his most formative memories and closest friendships were created on a skateboard, and the community that surrounded it became like a second family to him. But whether he was on or off the board, one thing remained constant: a lifelong love of art.

Even before he ever set foot on a skateboard, Chi had an innate drive to create—a drive that would eventually propel him into an education at the The Art Institutes.

An education in art and design paired with a deep love and understanding of street culture made young Chi a force to be reckoned with. He soon found himself on the fast track from unpaid intern to designer at the hugely influential Osiris shoes brand. While this was a big move for an aspiring designer, it was also the beginning of his disillusionment with the money-hungry world of Big Action Sports.

Did we mention that he was an unpaid intern?