- Hustlin Excellence Since 1981-

Justin Hustlin flips the meaning to “hustlin” around to make it into the kind of philosophy of living you’d like to see reflected on the faces of each teen and youngster, no matter from which neighbourhood.

Sweet-tooth Shacky and Dirty Dre, the creative duo behind Justin Hustlin, knew, since very early in their lives, that impossible was and is… nothing.

It took them hard work and perseverance, but they were determined to prove that you can be the very best that you can be, that you can achieve anything and make your dreams into a reality if you just put your mind to it and make an effort.

Creative, fresh and original, the brand is focused in spreading this can-do philosophy and attitude amongst their public, and with their fun and crisp 2D world they also make the delights of those who are passed their twenties.

It embodies what all brands should focus on: Worth-spreading messages, quality to detail, limited editions, creativity and a zest for life.

Because behind the fun they have “cooking” treats consisting of "dough" and decorated with shinny jewellery for their collections and their graphic characters, their aim is not to focus on materialism as a finality or a way of living. It is in fact their use of the “rich/food" symbolism that downplays the material and renders it no longer crucial, serious, just another decorative motive that looks “cool” in extremely comfy clothes.

The pursuit of dreams, goals and aspirations, the strength of character to never give up, the appreciation for art, and the appreciation for what we have,  is what they aim to inspire in the souls of the kids that wander aimlessly our urban environments and what the fun “filthy rich” bakery of Justin Hustlin wants to transmit.

Justin Hustlin’s graphic art is distinctive, sharp, sweet and unforgettable and today we have Shack and Dre to tell us a bit more about their story and the story of the dimension where their renowned head chef “Doughboy” is most certainly ‘Guaranteed to make your Doe rise’ and where you will always have a “Disposable Income”.

Thank you guys for responding to our interview today, this team appreciates it.

MDM: Shack, please tell us a little about yourself: where you grew up, who were your idols, what were your favourite creative activities...

SHACK: Well I grew up and went to school in Clapham. I was always into everything creative, like drawing pictures, making things, music even helping my mum with the gardening. I made something everyday to the point where my mum didn't have the space to store all my shit "ach hem" I mean lovely pieces of artwork. I knew from a young age I wanted to work in a field where I could use my creativity, ultimately I knew I wanted to work for myself.

I was very fortunate growing up as my Dad was part of the group Soul II Soul so growing up around the music in that era it really heightened my creativity and made me really want to get into music from a young age. The people I was around at that stage were my idols.

MDM: How did you meet Dre?

SHACK: I met Dre in Clapham Manor nursery and said "hey you're a pretty cool dude, let's roll" ha ha- I doubt that was at all said in them days but we did meet in nursery. From there we went on to be friends throughout primary school, secondary school, college etc. We've always been really close friends, we're even the same star sign. He's my brother from another mother.

MDM: What are your roles, yours and Dres's, in Justin Hustlin, and where can people immerse in its 2D world?

SHACK: As far as Justin Hustlin goes, responsibility is split pretty much down the line. Dre tends to do alot more of the visuals though while I handle the logistics but we both do everything if need be.

To be fully immersed in the Justin Hustlin world you have to come to 'Hustlins Bakery' thats where all the magic happens!

MDM: You know you are becoming the best that you can become when...

SHACK:When people start to treat you, the way you would treat someone you admire or respect for their achievements.

MDM: Dre, what is your personal story?

DRE: Well, from an early age I was always into anything and everything creative. Ii never knew what I would end up doing in terms of a career etc., but I knew for sure it would definitely be in the creative industry / art based and would hopefully bring in lots of doe. Why not? lol …When we were kids Shack and I tried out various money making adventures, two 15 year olds trying to get their hustle on whilst always keeping one eye in the back of Exchange & Mart looking at different business ideas or simply chatting about how we were going to make our first squillion.. The only problem was neither of us wanted a day job or work for anyone other than ourselves. Thus the story begins..

MDM: At what moment do the two of you decide to pursue this dream that ends up becoming a brand that sells their limited editions like...well...like donuts?

DRE: We didn’t actually plan to create the brand, it was one of those things that just happen naturally. One day we were sitting down in our design studio discussing things as we've always done and thought 'wouldn't it be cool if we did this...and did that etc' and it all just seemed to rocket on from there. The first t-shirts we printed didn’t even have proper inside labels, we were just trying them out as an idea but they all sold out straight away. It was at that point we knew Justin Hustlin was something that would work well commercially and not just in our heads so it was at that point we set about creating our own unique 2D world.

MDM: What would you say to those who struggle, on a daily basis, to believe in themselves?

DRE: Bluntly put, I’d say ' f*ck it '.What I mean by that is just go for it.. forget everything in your head that is telling you otherwise and just go with what feels natural and right to you. If I ever find myself dwelling too much on what’s going on inside my head I just try to remind myself that they are only thoughts (which yes are useful at times) but do have a slight tendency of getting in the way. So 'f*ck it' and just get on with life before it passes you by.

MDM: What new surprises are currently just out of the oven?

DRE: Well, we’re just adding a few final touches to our Autumn/Winter selections so keep a look out for those dropping soon online.

Also we’ve been working a lot on our latest project the ‘Bakery Boys’;  I won’t say too much about that because we’re keeping it under wraps for now, but stay tuned for more info. You can stay up to date with everything as it develops by following us on Twitter on via Facebook.

MDM: Your world looks... delicious. All the very best from the MDM Wonderlance, guys, although we know luck has nothing to do with your achievements.