While Live Mechanics has been around for years and represents one of the leaders from the beginning of streetwear’s rise in popularity, founder Osa tells Label Networks TV in New York City just how and why the brand continues to stand apart.

“We believe in Passion, Pain, and Progress,” starts off Osa when describing Live Mechanics. “You need the passion to do what we do, and everyone must go through pain to make progress.” In addition, Live Mechanics while core, is more about positivity than promoting gangster lifestyle. For example, the brand does not include drugs and guns in their graphics, and promote progress through meaningful messages such as “Peace in Our Time” and the usage of natural fabrics and details to instill a sense of one’s environment and attention to finer aspects of style.

What was interesting to us was that Live Mechanics, a successful well-known brand, was working with smaller shows. For example, they clearly chose to represent at United in New York late last month with a simple and unobtrusive, but stylish booth because it’s important to them to be a part of the movement of up and coming young artists and designers. Yet they can also play with the big boys and will be showing at Magic in the next month right alongside Rocawear, Sean John, and Mark Eckō.

As Osa explains, Live Mechanics plans on being a leader in the market not just to sell, but rather to provide a source of stories—a walking dictionary that promotes questions to retailers from consumers--and inspiration that leads through example in their collections. In this way, the brand sticks to their roots and gains cred among various leading subcultures and does something positive at the same time.