We chatted with Professional rugby player Angus Scott Young about launching his streetwear brand called Saint Gustaf.
Tell us about Saint Gustaf?
Saint Gustaf is my upcoming vintage-style T-shirt brand. I’ve been a collector of vintage T-shirts for a while now and thought I’d try my hand in creating them. I was originally drawn to the grungy / edgy style of Harley Davidson and vintage rock band tees, and decided that through the wearable medium of T-shirts, I could show my own artistic flair.
What motivated you to create the collection?
Inspired by the growing popularity of vintage-style NBA and NFL t-shirts, I saw an opportunity to combine my passion for rugby and drawing to celebrate the 15-man code in developing a streetwear culture. Ever since I was a kid, I used to draw skulls and demons and I was a bitobsessesed with comic heroes and villains. These elements shine through my illustrations – where I look to pay homage to iconic rugby players and moments in my unique style – bringing hype back to the 15-man code.
Why the name Saint Gustaf?
The brand name SAINT GUSTAF is inspired by my alter ego, Gustaf Le Batch, which I attribute my creative and expressive streak too.
I firmly believe all people have an internal struggle between good and evil, right and wrong, analytical and creative, controlled and chaotic, and for me, this manifests into my split personality between Angus and Gustaf.
The ‘saint’ portion is somewhat of an oxymoron, considering my drawings have a macabre undertone with references to skulls. And its catchy – I wanted it to parallel names such as Childish Gambino and Tyler the creator – a bit out there but memorable.
Who is in the first release?
The first collection celebrates iconic players Quade Cooper, Taniela Tupou, and Jordan Petaia. I’ve been lucky enough play with these guys, so having the first drop featuring teammates has been reallyspecial.
Every design is stylised like a comic graphic illustration in order to highlight players’ superpowers, with the hope to inspire nostalgia and connection with the rugby community.
For example, the Tongan Thor tee brings to life Taniela’s insane power that he is renowned for on the field.
Do you have plans for future releases?
Yes, I have so many ideas and part sketches that I can’t wait to release. I’ve got a few more Rugby legends in mind as well as a specific coach and a women’s player I’ve been working on. Eventually, I’ll work on some iconic sports people from other codes. I have plenty of ideas so it’s exciting to start planning my next releases already.
Where can we buy your streetwear?
The t-shirts are limited edition with restricted numbers available for purchase. They can only be purchased on my Saint Gustaf website, which opens Wed 7 April 2021 at 6 pm.
How is training going?
Training is going well, we are all really enjoying playing and training together as a group. Last year with COVID we were forced to spend a lot more time together and it has definitely brought us closer, which is definitely translating to the field. We have a massive game this weekend against the Brumbies at Suncorp. Top of the table clash so hoping to get a big crowd!
Where can we watch you play rugby?
Super Rugby is now on free to air – channel 9 and Stan sport are covering all the games every week so it’s a lot easier to watch us. It’s also great that we can have fans at Suncorp Stadium, we play the Brumbies this Saturday and It always nice playing in front of a home crowd.
About Saint Gustaf
A vintage-style t-shirt brand combines rugby greats and sports players with superhero and villain personas to create a comic style design. The first collection includes Quade Cooper, Taniela Tupou, and Jordan Petaia.
For information visit www.saintgustaf.com or www.instagram.com/saint_gustaf
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