SNKRDUNK Spotlight: have a good time

16th May 2023 EDT FEATURES

SNKRDUNK Spotlight: have a good time

Starting off as a small collective of graffiti artists, have a good time went from an obscure corner store to a global lifestyle icon.

If you’ve ever been to Tokyo or Seoul, chances are you would have seen a red rectangular frame logo on a t-shirt, bag, or on the back of a phone case. Within the frame reads “have a good time”, which carries both a literal and figurative meaning.

While its logo is simple in nature, it’s definitely memorable even if you’re not aware of what exactly you’re looking at. Indeed, it wants you to have a good time, and also inform you of their brand’s name.

have a good time is a fashion and street label that hails from Japan. You can find their products in boutiques all across the world, truly showcasing how far this one select shop from Japan can spread its wings.

But before the worldwide expansion and collaborations, the eponymous label actually carries a storied yet humble beginning, dating back to 2010.

History

have a good time was started by a collective of graffiti artists based in Tokyo who, for the most part, shies away from the spotlight despite how successful the brand is.

While most fans of the brand would know their quaint little store in Nakameguro, Tokyo, have a good time actually first opened its doors at the now-defunct THE LAST GALLERY 2F in Shirogane, Tokyo. In just two years, the label moved out and opened its own store in a back alley in Nakameguro, a train stop or two from Shibuya Station. Until today, this is where they operate from, despite later moving once more a few steps down from their original Nakameguro spot.

Primarily a select shop in its early days, have a good time brought in a myriad of weird yet interesting products that you couldn’t find anywhere else in Tokyo. From books, art, music, toys, and clothes, have a good time became the premier location for artists and creators to gather and source for interesting curios. You would be able to find products from graffiti artists and labels like HOMERUN, MOZYSKEY, The Seventh Letter, and MANKIND, to name a few.

Style

If there’s one thing have a good time is known for, it’s for its unmistakable logo. In its prominent red frame border and distinctive font, there’s no way one would mistake the brand for anything else. Over the years as the label grew in popularity, have a good time started to create and push its own products. They slapped the aforementioned logos on anything you could possibly think of, none more famous than its basic tees.

Most of their products don’t stray too far from the path: a blank canvas stamped with have a good time’s logo. Through this repeated association and memorization of their trademark, buzz started to grow. No longer was have a good time only meant for graffiti artists and fans, their apparel started to infiltrate the Japanese street and fashion world. That culminated in 2013, when one Jason Dill took notice of the brand.

Collaborations

Partnerships and endorsements were a huge part of have a good time’s meteoric success over the 2010s. As mentioned above, FUCKING AWESOME’s Jason Dill took notice of have a good time, which eventually resulted in the label’s first big collaboration with a major brand in 2013. This would be the defining moment in which have a good time started to grow rapidly, especially within the skate scene.

Shortly after, have a good time branched out to work with more big skate brands, including a three-way collaboration with Vans and BEAMS. And not too long later, Stüssy came into the mix.

Stussy x have a good time further cemented the latter’s position as a “cool” brand, one that involved itself regularly with skate and street culture. Their Nakameguro spot became a must-stop for streetwear fans all over the world.

The best part about their collaborations is that the label keeps its core messaging simple. Most of the time, have a good time’s iconic logo is present in such collaborations, albeit with the text edited. In the case of FUCKING AWESOME, tees were printed with “have a good FXXK”, while high fashion brand TOGA’s collaboration in 2013 turned it into “have a TOGA time”. Even through their partnerships, there’s no mistaking what have a good time brings to the table, or who they are for that matter.

have a good time’s name and reputation began to grow with velocity through more collaborations. Soon enough, they were working with the “big boys” in the footwear world. Vans, FILA, Reebok, and most recently, adidas joined the party.

Global Success

In 2015, have a good time began selling products overseas through many stockists, further spreading the label’s reach globally. A year later, have a good time collaborated with South Korea’s premier streetwear label thisisneverthat, and subsequently teamed up with footwear brand FILA. This was the connection that propelled have a good time into a frenzy in South Korea.

Over the next few years, some would even argue that the demand for new have a good time products was larger in South Korea than it was in Japan. Everywhere in Seoul you’d see someone wearing a tee with the label’s red frame design on it, or a tote bag that bore the same. It was minimalistic yet eye-catching, which was the trend that Seoul’s fashion crowd desires.

With the Far East conquered, the label soon turned their attention to the Wild West. They distributed their goods in the US and Europe through popular boutiques such Sneakers N Stuff, GOODHOOD, and BSTN among others.

In 2018, they opened their first outpost in the US, landing in downtown New York City. After all, New York was home to the likes of Supreme and FUCKING AWESOME, it made sense to join the skate community there naturally.

That being said, have a good time remains the same humble brand true to their roots. In all that time, they’ve never opened a second store in Tokyo, choosing to hold fort with their quaint little Nakameguro shop and their laissez-faire style of social media posts.

What’s to Come

have a good time will continue to spread its wings as a lifestyle brand, and they will continue to host collaborations to further strengthen their position in both the fashion and street world. Most recently, they teamed up with legendary Japanese streetwear label XLARGE on an apparel collection. It’ll be exciting to see what the brand comes up with next as they venture in 2023 and beyond.

Images via SILLY, Timeout, HYPEBEAST, Zane WEAR, have a good time, Fizzy Mag