January 01, 2023

ABOUT | THE STORY SO FAR

We talked about it for the longest time. To the point we became the Car Park Procrastinators along our regular breaks.

We had hung out in some great places and collected a lot of interesting perspectives, having lived around the world from the west coast of the USA to Wales to Saudi, Bavaria to the Illawarra via Cornwall. What we agreed on was the this little coastline of Australia had the best elements of our favourite places in the world, yet all just in one place.

We wanted to celebrate that. But we didn't want folks to get hung up on their stokes. The idea was about place and all of us within it. Not just the adrenaline tribes and performance elitism. Not just about sport or what you rode. Not about a single beach town or chapter. We wanted the brand to be a blank canvas for subcultures as well as a place to celebrate the countercultures. We may be rider owned and operated but a community is bigger than that.

So we named our idea after the 140km highway that snakes through the neighbourhoods south of Sydney metro. This route twists around the 100+ breaks that makes up a strip of coastline that sits beneath the 300m cliffs, which separates this sub-tropical world's edge paradise from the Australian tablelands above.

The right vibe was unexpectedly stumbled upon on a visit to an Illawarra moto museum, exhibiting artifacts from the early 20th century to the modern day.

The last century graphics of long-forgotten family businesses and the hybrid oddities they designed to withstand the climate, using spare parts coming from Europe and their own creativity, informed the brand mood boards.

All the creative has its roots in the pioneers of yesteryear, with rediscovered insignia, hand drawn marks, chimera fonts from the culture clash of the European diaspora and unexpected lines. This has been layered upon with refound surf magazines from the 1970s sold at local garage sales, old boards from unknown first-generation home shapers, dilapidated industrial signage and the last remnants of ghost advertising still clinging to weatherboards and brick walls. Everything we do is forged from this place.

Grand Pacific (Customs) was finally established in 2020, as collective of like-minded souls and creatives within the community we serve. Surfers, riders and sliders ourselves, we live and breathe what we love and wear where we're at.

Followers of Grand Pacific are many and come with their own set of desires. From local skaters looking to represent with an alternative to overseas brands, streetstylers looking for something more ethical, petrol heads wanting to build a whole collection for seasonal layering, visitors to the region looking for trophy wear mementos and overseas fans looking to collect something unusual from somewhere they dream of experiencing for themselves one day. Just as well all did as kids with Santa Cruz, Stussy et al

The appeal of a brand inspired by, designed around and hand finished within its home rather than in a unforgiving factory in another country run by the faceless and at the mercy of their shareholders, seals the deal that Grand Pacific is a legacy brand by the people for the people.

We hope you feel our vibe and want to read more about how you can join in through the index below.