Within a few short years, Bow & Arrow has managed to take on the fashion industry by storm, from the underground to the mainstream. Much of the acclaim rests with a single design that has found relevance on nearly every relevance imaginable. Their “DJ” Bruce Lee design was created to bring the martial arts icon into the 21st century “in a fresh and dynamic way.” Celebrities such as Will Smith, Nick Cannon, and Justin Bieber were the first to wear the line and then Kevin Hart, Nelly, B.O.B, Nas, Ne-Yo, Stephan Curry, Sugar Ray Leonard, Rhonda Rousey, Snoop Dogg, and many others have been seen wearing Bow & Arrow. AllHipHop talked to Peter Lee, who heads up the Los Angeles-based label.
What do you attribute the success of the line?
Creative ideas and designs with subtle embellishment. For example, we put gold foil on Bruce Lee’s sunglasses and chain..
Why Bruce look mixed with Hip-Hop? Why do you feel that is the most popular design?
I really wanted to create a design to relate Bruce Lee to the new generation of kids and thought the best way to make Bruce Lee relevant again today was to relate him to music and/or sports. Our second Bruce Lee design was of him skateboarding..
Why do you think celebs specifically love the shirt so much? I mean, it was in Avengers: Age of Ultron!
I think there still are a huge Bruce Lee followings all over the world. He is still one of the top three global icons in the world, along with Elvis and Ali. Any male between the ages of 27-50 who watched Bruce Lee’s movies growing up could not help but to be fans.
What is next for the line/brand?
We are constantly working on new designs but our focus lately has been doing productions, our Bruce Lee shirts. I am in discussion with John Wayne estate for the apparel licensing for the “Duke”. I am also in communication with Issac Hayes III about doing some designs for his dad, Issac Hayes. We will continue to do graphic apparels but we will be doing more licensed apparel in the future… I would like to bring back some more celebrities to be relevant with the new generation.
I noticed you are in a variety of places like Urban Outfitters. What demo has gravitated to the line the most? And why?
To be honest, our Bruce Lee shirts appeal to a wide range of demographics. The younger generation likes it because of the cool factor as well as the fit. The older generation likes it because of the fact that it is Bruce Lee and the fine material we use to make our shirts. As a matter of fact we have many customers who order the Bruce Lee shirts for the whole family including the wife and kids.
Thank you!
