Cleptomanicx

Cleptomanicx - fresh style from Hamburg!

Hamburg and Cleptomanicx go together like wheels and skateboards. The label was born in 1991 when founder Pitt Feil printed the first stickers and T-Shirts in Hamburg's gritty St. Pauli district . At first, he used a friend's screen printing machine to produce his early creations, but that quickly changed. Cleptomanicx' quick success wasn't only due to St. Pauli products gaining cult status at the time, but also thanks to the Hamburg hip-hop band, ‘The Beginner.' The band wore shirts and caps with the seagull brand logo during their concerts and this North German success story quickly grew from a niche brand to a big seller in the shops.

Aall good in the hood

The North German drawling ‘aall' has become a running joke at Cleptomanicx, with Cäptn Clepto, the brand's seagull mascot, having a strong northern accent. Especially in the early years, he featured on almost every piece of the collection. According to the brand, Just like a real Hamburger, the Captain manages to fit an ‘aall' into every second sentence – not bad for a talking seagull! Cäptn Clepto quickly found his way onto the company's first ;skate decks as they increased their product range. Nowadays, Cleptomanicx is not only known as a fashion brand, with their hoodies , ;caps ;and skatewear, but they are also highly regarded throughout Germany as a skate deck manufacturer.The graphics that set the brand apart are mostly penned by Stefan Marx . The Hamburg artist has his own label, ‘The Lousy Livin' and, since 2003, he has also been the Art Director of our favourite seagull's brand. He describes himself as having the heart and soul of an artist, and doesn't want to limit himself to only producing skater fashion. In the beginning, his intention was to only design his own streetwear , but that quickly led to him making more and more pieces for friends. "Clepto is not worn exclusively by skaters, nor are the clothes exclusively available in skate shops. It is instead a real label that I think offers something really cool, " writes Mark about the brand's philosophy. As he puts it, he is ‘in no way' a fashion designer, and would never describe himself as one.

Art and away

Marx gives the Cleptomanicx collection a unique and unmistakable style. To this day it is not only fans of the cult FC St.Pauli who follow the Hamburg illustrator's work, but the entire skate scene as well. A grinning piece of toast, a smoking lemon, or a football wearing a cap– Marx and Cleptomanicx complement each other perfectly and stand for a truly one-of-a-kind style. At Blue Tomato you'll find the 2014 collection of this North German cult label, from ;socks to ;sweaters.