Jake Wilson founded streetwear brand Sweats (formerly Sweats Collective) from The Gold Coast, Australia, in 2020. In the six years since, the brand has become a cult staple, and, with its boxy, structured cuts, it has become synonymous with the oversized tracksuit bottom trend. (The brand's Gray Cozy Straight Leg Sweats have even been worn by Central Cee.)
Last week, Sweats hosted a pop-up in London (where, for a brand based a 24 hour+ flight away, it has an outsized cultural presence), to mark the drop of the Sweats summer collection. Amid rails of high-quality comfy fits, branded water bottles and disposable cameras, we interviewed Jake about where he sources his creativity, his approach to business, the Aussie streetwear scene, and why, if he could collaborate with a brand on any shoe, it would be New Balance on the New Balance 740s.
The Sweats summer collection is out now, you can cop here.
The Sole Supplier: So, why did you start Sweats?
Jake: I would say it was sort of birthed from something that I myself needed in my wardrobe. I think at the time there were heavy graphic tees in the market and there was nothing to sort of complement that, if that makes sense. So I feel like I saw a bit of a gap there. I already had sort of an eye for design and, for example, I would stretch the sleeves on my tees or I would cut them shorter or just to match the shape that I wanted, so I was kind of like “how can I create this and build the vision on it” and I just saw a good gap for like elevated, curated essential wear. I think when you go and buy a new piece it's like, what can you backfill that with as well, so like I was thinking I could build a brand that has a collection within itself but then it also complements other things in your wardrobe, too. So it's kind of like go-to pieces.
TSS: What is one tip on how you stay creative?
Jake: That's a good question. It's something that I feel like I balance with quite a lot or I have moments, so I would say from experience it's about creating space for yourself to be able to have ideas come through. I think a lot of us can get swept away with just the busyness of the day-to-day, obviously so many things that need to be done but if you can structure – either if it's in your day or like once in your day, once in your week, once in your month – if you can kind of structure it like that, for me it could just be like a morning walk or a run or where I can just be completely present, listen to some music. I always listen to meditation music and I'll just try and go into deep thought, or I'll watch something that sort of inspires me and kind of off the back of that energy try and put it into something as well. I mean it's a long-winded answer, but I think the biggest thing is creating space for your mind to have new ideas; there's so much clutter you're consuming so much, give yourself an opportunity to take a moment.
The biggest thing is creating space for your mind to have new ideas.
I always go back to ‘the business is a reflection of you’.
TSS: What is the best business advice you've ever received?
Jake: I don't know where I heard it, but I think I always go back to “the business is a reflection of you”. And I think throughout even my business journey, which is going on five and a bit years now, I think, as long as you get your own mind right, and you get yourself right, and you stay true to the vision, everything comes off the back of that flow, so I think a lot of the times things are going wrong in the business it’s because you might be in a frustrated state or you might be kind of overwhelmed in the moment or all these different things. I think if you can just always come back to yourself and have that mindfulness again, to approach your decision making better, to kind of show up in your day more positive and free-flowing and then things will kind of happen organically off the back of that.
Another recent thing that I've learned is kind of walking the middle path, and for me that is, in business and clothing, they have these peak drops. It’s like “yeah, we sold out of this, we had a massive drop and it's dead for a little bit,” and I feel like your emotions can just be up and down and up and down, and obviously with a business you're always testing things like, “does this work, does this work?” Some things don't, some things do, and I think if you're attached to that up and down it can be honestly a rollercoaster and it's exhausting. So, I tried to maintain just a steady middle path between them, where I can enjoy it if something does well, but I'm not attached to that always being what needs to happen. Same as if there's a pit for a moment and things feel like they're not going right, I'm not attached to it because I know that everything's moving – it's going to change over time.
TSS: It’s a constant work in progress. What's the best item that you've ever made?
Jake: It's such a generic answer, but I'm gonna have to go with the Cozy Straight Leg Sweats. It's like the backbone of the business and I think it's just that proven concept that everyone loves. Like you said, you've had it for years. For me it's so cool to just think like every brand has dropped great sweatpants, right? And the way that we’ve been able to design the shape and like the elements on it has been a point of difference that people loved and resonated with, that it’s been able to kind of drive our brand so far forward. I gotta go with that, [but] let me do something new. I would say the Signature Jersey that we have coming out just because I'm such a jersey nerd and I've collected so many jerseys over the years and I always wanted to do our own one in a collection so I'm finally there.
TSS: It's one of those ones you just see dotted all over the city. I mean, even with the sweatpants, cuffed uncuffed, it's something you see everyone in.
Jake: That's what I love about London, too. Everyone's outside, everyone's actually dressed and wearing things, and so I find – when myself and the team are walking around – everyone's actually wearing our pieces. It's super motivating.
When myself and the team are walking around – everyone's actually wearing our pieces. It's super motivating.
We need a few events, we need a few talk nights, we need a few things to just give the youth there a sort of a new path to follow.
TSS: Does Australian streetwear get the recognition that it deserves?
I want to say it does because we do have a lot of love and support from the UK and Europe and the USA and I think a lot of these up-and-coming brands that are relatively new have been able to grow so quick because of the love of these communities, and so I want to say like while we do get a lot of support, which honestly I'm grateful as for, I think the overall like streetwear scene just needs a bit more energy behind it. I think it needs a few key players to push it forward. We need a few events, we need a few talk nights, we need a few things to just give the youth there a sort of a new path to follow. I think in Australia there's sort of a “you go and do a trade, or you go and do these sort of typical jobs”, I think the creative scene isn't something that is readily available to you and not something that many people do, so I think if we're able to kind of showcase that, more people will get behind it. Because no doubt, if there is an event, a lot of people show out to it. It's just access and putting energy into it.
TSS: You see certain pioneers and stuff come out from Australia at the minute, it's just a massive focus on what you guys are bringing out to the rest of the world. I'd argue more so than say what we see come out of London. It's more like in front of me, on the radar.
Jake: I want to give a massive shout out to Australian brands. I'm just so proud to see everyone getting after it because we are honestly on the other side of the earth. And it's tough to get stuff sent to you, ship it worldwide, and to see some of us really push though. It’s insane.
I want to say for a trainer [collab] it’d be the New Balance 740.
TSS: If you had your own sneaker collab, what would it be?
Jake: I'm always a classic sort of sneaker guy, I think. I want to say for a trainer it’d be the New Balance 740. I've been wearing those quite a lot. And then you can't go wrong with an Air Force 1.
TSS: What is one thing that you are most grateful for today?
Jake: Oh my God, how long do we have? No, honestly, to just be here with my team in a city that's shown so much support and love over the years, and to be able to present the brand. It honestly lives in my mind 24/7 and to see it out in reality for all of us to share and experience, I think it's just a real feeling. So I'm full of gratitude today.
