Steffen Grap is a young, lanky, fashionable but most of all really nice guy. And also very busy: The 20-year-old has been working hard to make himself, his friends, and his projects gain exposure in the world of skateboarding. We’ve been out skating with him on more than one occasion and he’s always happy to see us and interested in what we are doing. So as soon as we caught news of his latest project, apparel designs under the name “(030)”, we wanted to return the favor.
Great to see you, Steffen. It’s true that (030) isn’t your first shot at designing clothes, right?
No, I already did those Lovecam shirts as part of a school project. I always draw a lot and after the project they told us we could keep using their screen printer. I posted the shirt on Instagram and people wanted to buy some. So I did that for a couple of months until I got fed up with it and wanted to do something new.
So it’s transitioned from being just a project into a real company?
Yeah, at first I just wanted to make some stuff for my friends. But my parents told me I should register [the company] so I wouldn’t get into trouble with taxes and so on. So I registered myself and that was actually easy. It only took me about 15 minutes.
Is (030) a skate company?
Not really. It’s more of a company inspired by skateboarding. I am a skateboarder, so in a way it is linked to that world. I think that without skateboarding, I wouldn’t be where I’m at now.
Promo filmed and edited by Paul Hermann
What about the name?
I just think Berlin is the best place to be for me, so I used the Berlin area code (030). I grew up here… well, in one of the suburbs. At 13, I started coming to the city to chill, skate, and get to know the town. Johannes [Schirrmeister] was one of the first people I got to know. I already shot pictures and we would just go around Berlin to skate and shoot stuff.
Photography is something you still do a lot, right?
Yeah, I started because I saw all of my friend from Wannsee walking around with cameras and I wanted to do that as well. I still hang out with a lot of the same people. We all grew up skating, smoking, drinking, and partying together.
You really pay attention to what’s happening online. You contacted me when I had only been living in Berlin for about three weeks.
I saw your stuff and thought it was nice. And when we finally met at that Nike SB event, you talked a lot and I was way too stoned to handle all that (laughs)!
Who created the image on the clothing?
I made it myself. I was on holiday in Greece with my girlfriend Karo and I was taking some full body pictures with an analog camera. So after the holiday the pictures came back and I scanned them so I could look at them in detail. I even posted the the full image on Instagram before without thinking anything of it. After a while I looked at it again and thought, ‘I should do something with this!’
That’s nice! I was certain you had found the image online or something.
Haha, people have all kinds of ideas. Some have even asked me if it was me in the picture, even tough I feel the picture clearly shows a female person.
Is (030) sold in shops as well or is it just for sale online?
I’m still working on it. Its not 100% safe but I’m talking to a few shops, even worldwide, (laughs)!
You where also modeling for some companies before. How is that going?
There’s more and more coming in, but slowly. My agency and the people at Izaio model management are super friendly. And Instagram helps takin’ care of my business, too (laughs). I just like to get to know new people and collect lots of experiences.
Do you have a plan for the future?
Not yet. I am working on some new designs, but I need a lot of time to see if I really like it or not. I want to see what happens when I launch this stuff and then we will see what’s next. I hope to finish school this year, but after that there are no direct plans.
Lookbook and photos shot by Kyra Sophie of The New Age Club
Visit the (030) website by clicking here and also take a look at Steffen’s Instagram.
Article by: Roland Hoogwater