Nicolas Muller of Arcus

Nicolas Muller was born in the spring of 1982 and grew up in a small Swiss town called Aarau. Having the Alps in front of him meant it was only a question of time before he started skiing and being that he was also a skateboarder meant it was only a question of time before skiing changed into snowboarding. Back then, the resort of Laax, Switzerland was famous for its great halfpipes, and shortly after Nicolas started riding them, he also became famous for his stylish straight airs.
Nicolas has also been gracing the front pages of probably every European snowboard mag, along with riding great at every single contest he enters. For the last four years, Muller’s parts in Absinthe Films’ videos have been amazing. Add a down to earth character and a very open approach to life, and you get one unique person and snowboardera nd the point of all this is?
Arcus, my own little streetwear label. Freddie Kalbermatten and I started it four years ago. It’s still very small and underground. Right now you only can get it in select shops in Europe, but we’ll be in Japan soon and hopefully in North America, too. So marketing-wise, I should say-watch out!

Juttla

We sponsor loads of people that you probably never hear about but Juttla is making big moves recently Mary Ann Hobbs has been plying his latest offering Sub Zero, here’s a little bit about him and some image of Juttla rocking Arcus he’s a name worth keeping an eye on always doing something different and original.


Producer Juttla first started out making music in the early nineties having a string of releases on various independent record labels. With a history of successful tracks under his belt, he began to fuse all the elements of his influences to create a unique hybrid of Eastern and Western sounds. With the release of his debut album Angels, Aliens & Assassins in 1998, Juttla soon began to get the respect he rightfully deserved blessing the covers of magazines, DJing all over Europe and South Africa, holding residencies at various club nights, receiving radio play in the UK and the US, as well as being commissioned to do a string of remixes for various labels. From breakbeat and chilled down tempo groovers, to leftfield hip-hop, cutting edge drum n bass and dubstep, Juttla has all angles covered.

Interview with Arcus founders

Here's a little interview with Nicolas Muller, Fredi Kalbermatten, Mauro Paolozzi Steh founders of streetwear clothing brand Arcus.

Can you introduce yourselves.
Nicolas Muller: I’m a pro snowboarder and I’ve been traveling the world since I was eighteen. My job and passions have educated me a bit differently than a regular school life but I wouldn’t change a thing if I could.

Fredi Kalbermatten: I’m a pro snowboarder too, and I’ve spent almost all my life up here connecting to the mountains, snow and nature.

Mauro Paolozzi: I’m a self-employed graphic designer, running my own thing for six years now. Before that I studied in Switzerland and in the Netherlands, where I finished my studies after a master degree in type design and typography.

How was Arcus born?
NM: Arcus was born at a time where we were seeking more individuality – we’re very different people with similar lifestyles. The brand was never based on a money-maker but is more about the creativity in detail.

FK: The main focus was to create an independent streetwear label out of Switzerland that we could represent across the whole world.

MP: Nicolas, Fredi and I had the same goal about eight years ago: to make the finest urban streetwear with a snowboard rooted background. They wanted to have their own streetwear thing and not ride for any old cheapo shizzle. I was silk-screening tees and sweaters on my own and thought starting a small, fine brand would be amazing. We’ve been rocking Arcus around the globe for eight years now, since 2000.

What is Arcus’ place in streetwear?
NM: It has its own story written by our crew’s influence. Whether it is on a board, in the snow or in graphic design we all live for creating some form of art, to feel like we made something special. It is a tough business but we have always managed to stay true to our principles.

FK: The brand was founded in 2000. Our main goal was to make nice and stylish clothes for people who like to keep it real and dress up dope.

MP: Arcus (bow in latin) is our playground, our friendship and our microcosm where everything concerning Arcus is happening. The strength in Arcus is the interdisciplinary thing we have going on at such a high level, with snowboarding and design. I mean it’s a brand rooted in snowboarding and design and not the other way around. The input is snowboarding, a bit of skateboarding, graphic design and photography. The output of all this is what Arcus is all about. I think the special thing about Arcus is the interdisciplinary collaboration between the three of us. That will always be different to most streetwear clothing labels out there and that’s what makes it really special and unique. I look at Arcus as our own unique micro-cosmos.

How is Arcus rooted in street, skate or snowboard culture?
NM: Arcus is an icon in snowboard culture and is slowly being recognised globally as an authentic streetwear label

FK: People are starting to recognise and dig our brand, especially in the U.S.

MP: I’d say Arcus is deeply rooted in snowboarding, addicted to skateboarding and well-connected to design.

What stage of development is the brand in at the moment?
MP: In eight years we went from a label with four t-shirts to a 150-article brand. Arcus started in Switzerland and is now available in core shops in the UK, Germany, Austria, Spain, Japan, U.S, Russia and South Korea.

What influences the designs?
NM: Positivity from around the globe.

MP: Everything that enters our microcosm and doesn’t leave too quickly. That’s what goes into making the finest super stylish, detailed urban street wear, down to earth with a cultural natural flavour! Mainly daily things, small things that might look uninteresting in the beginning (mini shred, Nicolas would say). But for sure, Arcus is pretty much a bright, graphic brand, always working on a specific theme, which is reflected in the styles, colours and details.

Any future plans you wanna share?
NM: I am involved in some products from Burton snowboards and right now
Mauro and I are designing the NiMü Arcus colorway for an ADIO shoe called Kingsley. It is being released early 2008.

MP: Teaching type design at the art academy. For Arcus, the main thing aim is keeping it fresh! Because fresh keeps it rockin’ and going on. For the future concept stores, more design output, like our own magazine and maybe a small record label, more like Arcus hobbies, would be great!

Arcus Arrives

After a long and arduous journey Arcus has finally cleared customs and winging it's way to us.

We were given the heads up about Arcus years ago from our old mates at Dope Clothing who were all keen snowboarders in fact one of them was the first ever British pro. At that time we checked out Arcus on the web and couldn't see what the fuss was about. Wizz into the future and we were contacted by their rep (a nice guy also a snowboarder)we told him we weren't that interested and that he'd be wasting his time but he was happy to fight his way up north to see us and show us the range and if we didn't like it no problem. Dave (the rep for Arcus) arrived we chatted over tea (very civilised up here)and we were blown away by the Arcus streetwear range and we think you will be to so give it a chance have a look (not all here yet)and if you buy you will not be disappointed by quality or detail both of which we cannot show on the internet.

Win An Arcus Leather Parka Value £250

Wanna look super fly in this super lush Arcus leather parka? Arcus have given us one leather Parka to give away to a lucky winner just because they love us oh yeah and the fact that we will be stocking Arcus for Spring 08. We only have one of these Arcus leather Parka and it's size large there is no alternative size or product these are super rare, retail value 250 of our glorious British Pounds. Just to let you know, the leather jacket has real bunny fur collar. It was a free range bunny that led a happy life in the Swiss mountains and its main use was to feed people and so not to waste anything they used its fur to make the collar of this jacket! On the environmental front, it is better as fake fur is made from oil, non renewable, whereas bunnies are! It is removable though.

Tags: Arcus, Nicolas Muller, Fredi Kalbermatten