For this Antiques Clothes Show we’re taking a trip to the mountains of California to hear about Jungmaven main-man Rob Jungmann’s faithful hemp t-shirt. Take it away Rob…
In 2000 I was at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan when a friend asked if I could design ‘the next peace symbol’. I thought about it, and the Pura Vida Heart is what I came up with. I sketched it out on a beer coaster at Naeba Ski Resort in Japan and once I was back in LA, I completed it with the help of Vans and Phish artist Takashi Komiyama.
On the left side of the shirt you will see cherry blossoms spinning to the ancient moon cycle. The logo centers on the hemp leaf, which is protected by the sun, raven and third eye above the frog and the moon below. The moon cycle takes us to a barrel wave and Mount Fuji. My theory when I designed the graphic is that each side is a wormhole connecting to each other.
The back of Rob's t-shirt, featuring that design he was just telling you about.
The shirt we printed on is from the first batch ever made by Jungmaven and the label is also the first and most symmetrical. This is the label we used until the newer elephant logo was designed in 2008. The tee is 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton.
The printing technique used on the shirt is called ‘snake skin’. This technique uses natural oils, giving the shirt texture and the ability to break in with wear and time. It's been my favorite shirt for ten years and it's always in heavy rotation on all of my travels around the world. I've hiked a thousand miles in this shirt, lived in three countries and four states.
My ritual for nearly 30 years has been to run a mountain or a lake in the early morning. The run for me is mediation and the sorting out of the day ahead... plus it's good exercise for me and my dogs, who would then sleep all day.
From '08 to '11 I would run the Romero Canyon Trail in Santa Barbara with doggies Skipper Rey, Pookie Feliz Odelay and Lito Peligro (all rescue dogs from Mal Pais, Costa Rica). We'd go on the 10 kilometer, 900 meter high loop and be back in time for breakfast.
The Romero Canyon Trail and one of Rob's dogs. This little fella is Pookie Feliz Odelay, the pack leader.
This was my go to good luck t-shirt that brought happy mountain vibes to Romero Canyon everyday as my three crazy barking dogs and I would run by scaring off all the mountain lions.
They were some of the best days of my life. The tee is now worn to threads - I don’t wear it anymore, but I will never get rid of it.
See our selection of slightly newer Jungmaven t-shirts here.