Bernie Gross — creative director at Extra Butter — approaches retail marketing in the same vein that he would breakdancing. You respect your opponents, but it’s your job to compete, showcase your own style and take others under your wing so that they can keep propelling the culture in the right direction. The New York native has adopted this mentality throughout his career and has found purpose through various aspects of street culture, from design to blogging to retail strategy. “Instead of being the old head that complains about how streetwear and sneaker culture aren’t how they used to be, I view evolution as fuel to engage with the younger audience and educate them on how the past has inspired the present,” he told Hypebeast.
All sneaker purists have that one silhouette that they’ve established an identity with, and for Gross that model is the