Gotcha

mson shook up the industry by not only pushing the limits of design but simultaneously aligning Gotcha with fearless passionate creatives, radical surfers, and revolutionary anti-heroes of all kinds. The result was a punk rock approach that borrowed aesthetics from rip and tear ‘zine culture, the vibrant, loud neon look of Southern California Valley Girls and big-haired metalheads that blended well with anyone brave enough to make their own declaration of independence through the clothes they chose to wear. Tomson birthed a far-reaching, “risk-taking idea factory,” as Kevin O’Sullivan writes in ‘Going Big,’ the seminal two hundred plus page bible on the glory days of Gotcha. Today, Gotcha is still a symbol that embodies that anarchic spirit at a time when coloring outside the lines is an affirmation that people should take notice of. The brand did not follow but led trends that are seen down the sleeves of some of the most respected streetwear brands today. As Gotcha is reimagined, for now, it still follows a similar global uniform message, a pattern of progression that honors the surfers, designers, photographers, artists, and peripheral communities that surround them—individuals who still know Gotcha makes a statement for the bold, brave, and unmistakably independent. As Tomson would say, “To hell with the consequences.” This is the Gotcha of today the way it was intended to evolve.