2024 Year in Review.
After celebrating our 20th anniversary last year, it was natural to assume that there might be a little bit of a letdown. We pulled out all the stops in 2023: special capsule collections, anniversary parties on both coasts, a monthlong café concept, and a whole lot more - all on top of the day-to-day tasks of operating the brand. The challenge that we gave ourselves internally at the end of last year was to do our best to maintain momentum without the occasion of an anniversary to celebrate.
We started this year off with the release of what seems to be a future classic for the brand: our black leather square toe side zip boots. The style was something that was on our design board for quite some time, but it wasn’t until we had the opportunity to start making our own in-house footwear that we were able to execute on that vision in a way we were truly satisfied with. After a year of development with our partner factory in Portugal, we debuted them on January 4th; we’ve since produced four more runs of them in increasing numbers and demand has only grown. Just two months later, we launched the “Big Jean” collaboration with Throwing Fits and sold out of that project in minutes. Looking back, we realize that a good number of customers who are new to the brand over the past year probably came through these two projects. If that’s you, welcome to the family.
Some of our big accomplishments for the year went unseen. Our LA team had a lot on their plate this year, starting with a major warehouse move. For the past few years we’ve been operating out of a badly outgrown space in the Arts District and while we were able to make things work, daily tasks became increasingly difficult. This summer, we signed the lease on a new space 4 times as large as our previous one, giving our team the space they needed to operate more efficiently. These are business changes that might not be visibly exciting but they allow us to serve our wholesale accounts and web customers more efficiently. They also gave us room for a ping-pong table and a pop shot machine.
The biggest achievement for 2024, though, was our new retail flagship at ROW DTLA. Our previous location was on the first floor of our warehouse building and we called that space home for eight years. Once we decided to move the warehouse, it became clear that it was also time to move the store. We’re going to be spending some time in the new year talking about the process and inspiration behind the shop buildout, but having been open at ROW for about 3 months now we’ve been really happy with the space and the community surrounding us. We hope everyone who has had a chance to visit us thus far agrees.
A few other highlights for the year include our continued commitment towards our community. Alongside monthly set contributions to nonprofits that meet the needs of the marginalized and underprivileged through policy, education, advocacy and felt needs, we continued with our annual Juneteenth fundraiser for Prosperity Now and took all proceeds from our first unsanctioned road race - the Jorts Mile - and donated it along with a matching amount to the Bowery Mission. Growing as a company has always meant being able to do more good in the neighborhoods we reside and work in. We’re only able to do it with your support.
To close the year out, we polled some of our team members on the music, trips, meals and experiences that made the year meaningful for them. We hope you enjoy what they had to share and we’ll see you in 2025.
Cleopatra Ortiz
Big Swiss by Jen Beggin: Hands down one of my favorite books of the year. Solid blend of dark humor, emotional depth, and unpredictable twists. It centers around Greta, a quirky, complex character you can’t help but root for. She’s a transcriptionist for a relationship therapist in a small town and becomes fixated on one of her bosses clients, eventually forming a more than questionable relationship with her. Her voice is raw, honest, and funny—sometimes all at once—which makes for an engaging read. Heavier themes like identity, trauma, and relationships are explored but she never takes herself too seriously. A fun read that stuck with me this year.
Sleep Hygiene: As a now-retired night owl who would go to bed around 2-4am regularly, this is a huge one. Now I try to have my head hit the pillow around 11:30, I take my magnesium glycinate with my sleepy time tea and put the phone away. It’s been a game-changer for my overall health. It’s still hard at times, especially on days off, but it’s worth it.
My first bike: Highly recommend Allez LA in Highland Park for any bike needs, Kyle and his team got me right with my All City Micro-shift Space Horse. Beyond the health benefits, it’s been a refreshing and fun way to explore my city and connect more intentionally with my surroundings. In many ways, this bike has become a reminder that small decisions can lead to bigger, more rewarding changes in how I live and experience the world. I’m looking forward to adding more personal touches and getting more into bike maintenance/repair.
Johan Lam
DiDi: I remember the feelings that arose when I first watched Better Luck Tomorrow in a movie theater as a teenager. I’d never seen an ensemble of actors on the big screen that looked like me and my group of friends. Twenty years later, DiDi brought those feelings back. Having grown up in the Bay Area, spending way too much time on AIM chatting with girls, embarrassed of my ethnicity, being awful to my Mom for no reason, it was such a warm experience to see such a relatable story portrayed. The girl sitting next to me cried the entire film.
Tennis/Ping Pong: We moved to a new warehouse at the beginning of the year and for the first time in my life, I had my own office, and a big one at that. With all that space for activities, I had to get a nice ping pong table, a game that I’ve played since I was very young with my late father. It’s been such a fun way to wrap up a productive day at the office and always helps me think about my Dad. Later in the year, I signed up for a group tennis class at my local rec center after not having played since college and had so much fun getting back into it. My new year’s resolutions always involve doing more of the things that I love and enjoy and I was able to achieve a bit of that this year.
Industry Season 3: A few years ago, I started season 1 of Industry, probably aiming to fill the void after some Succession withdrawal, but I never finished it for whatever reason. When season 3 started airing late in the summer, my interest was piqued, maybe because of the addition of Kit Harrington to the cast, maybe because LA was plastered with wheat paste posters. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it, despite not really liking any single character, which says a lot about the quality of the show. I subsequently went back to watch seasons 1 and 2.
Anniversary Shows: My wife and I saw The Get Up Kids play at the Troubadour to celebrate 25 years of Something To Write Home About, one of my favorite albums, and had a blast on a rare night out away from the kids. When we got in line for merch after the show, we saw that Ozma was playing a few months later at the same venue to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Rock and Roll Part Three. All that to say that I’m ancient and the albums that I grew up on are now a quarter decade old.
Shogun: A beautifully shot and masterfully acted show that was mostly in Japanese, forcing me to put down my phone and actually pay attention or risk getting completely lost and having to rewind 15 minutes.
Wesley Scott
Vacation to Japan: My wife and I took a trip to Japan for our five year anniversary. We wanted to go for our honeymoon but COVID hit. We finally made it this year, and, well I just don’t even know what to say- it was probably the best vacation we’ve ever taken. We shopped, ate great food, and just found ourselves able to relax like we hadn’t in a long time.
DIIV- Frog in Boiling Water: I could have listed any of the incredible albums that came out this years, and there were many (Drug Church, Nick Cave, especially The Cure), but this album has been on near constant repeat. Sebastian and I were lucky enough to Cath them at the Brooklyn Paramount for the last show of the tour and it was a truly unbelievable show.
Final Cut by Charles Burns: I read a lot this year and loved so much of what I read, but I’ve already found myself returning to the new Charles Burns graphic novel a few times. It was a good year to be a Charles Burns fan- so much new work was released this year, mostly zines or non-narrative pieces, but this graphic novel really grabbed me. I’ve been reading his work since high school, and it still grips me to this day. It’s a surreal existentialist coming of age story that made me nostalgic for being a young, creative guy trying to find his place. Oh, and the artwork is perfect, that’s the only way I can describe it.
Egg Salad Sandwiches: Okay this may seem a bit odd but I fell back in love with egg salad this year. I hadn’t eaten it since I was a kid and then randomly grabbed a sandwich one day for lunch and it just immediately took me back. I’ve spent a lot of time this year trying to perfect my recipe and then ate far too many in Japan. When I reflect on the year, this somehow seems to be a memorable part of it.
Brandon DaConceicao
London: This year I took a trip to London and got to see my beloved Arsenal FC play. It was a special moment for me as a lifetime fan of the club and it was also Chanel's first time ever attending a professional sports game.
Scosha Bracelet: I discovered the brand Scosha when I was on the hunt for a simple lightweight bracelet. The elliptical bracelet caught my eye and also caught the attention of my mom so I ended up buying one for her birthday.
The Ordinary: Thanks to my girlfriend Chanel, I've learned a lot of skincare and fell in love with the brand Ordinary. They use simple ingredients and it is sold at fair price. My skin has never felt better!
Butterscotch Wool Socks: Tommy at Butterscotch made these socks that pretty much ruined all other socks for me. They're so comfortable, they keep your feet dry, and can be worn with sneakers or boots.
Romeo Nucum
The Penguin: I may be biased having grown up a huge Batman fan, but the best TV series I have seen all year hands down is HBO’s The Penguin. It takes place in the aftermath of Matt Reeves’s 2022 movie, The Batman, which I loved as well. The 8 episode series dives deep in to multiple characters and explores the complex inner hierarchy of the city of Gotham. Jacques and Wes put me to the show and I'm so happy I gave it a shot. Would really recommend if you haven’t watched it already.
Running: Our summer runs really kicked started my running in the second half of this year. I haven’t really ran since my high school days but I have been making it more of a priority in my life to be more active. My goal for this coming year is to run even more consistently.
School/Sewing: This year I have really spent most of the year immersing myself in sewing projects and schoolwork. I'm currently in my last year at the Fashion Institute of Technology in the technical design program. We really focus on sewing, knitwear, fitting garments and the most exciting part for me is learning to pattern make and render garments.
George Caingcoy
Europe: Took a boat tour through Paris, had waffles in Belgium, rode bikes on the streets of Amsterdam, and Harry Potter’d my way through London. So surreal to see such historic places in person, being even more special than I could have ever imagined. Grateful to have the opportunity to travel and share these experiences with great company.
Gaggia Classic Pro: My good friend has one, so naturally, I had to have one too. The result: I now have a newfound respect for all baristas everywhere. Currently, my routine every morning consists of dialing in different beans from different roasters and practicing latte art. The benefit: it gives me the opportunity to slow things down and actually appreciate and enjoy the process. The drawback: I now have a pretty extensive cup collection.
Dodgers: I had the opportunity to go to a few games this season and add a few more bobbleheads to the shelves. We ended up winning it all. Take that New York. Sorry Andrew, not sorry. Still love going to New York though. Do not ban me from entering the city.
Tufting: Took a tufting class at Softland Studios in Irvine. After a brief tutorial and some practice, we were let loose to yarn it up. Took almost 6 hours of my life. Absolutely worth it. Made a cool rug. Sheriah made a better one. I want to make more rugs. I NEED MORE RUGS.
Andrew Chen
Rome: In April, we took a trip to Italy with some good friends. We started off at the Amalfi Coast and then trained it to Rome halfway through. Rome was incredible for all of the obvious reasons, but what unlocked for me in particular was a newfound appreciation for how simple Italian food should be. The best meals were the ones centered around just a few extremely fresh and vibrant ingredients. I tried to bring some of spirit back with me when cooking meals at home.
Mets playoff run: My fandom for the New York Metropolitans over the years has admittedly had its ebbs and flows in passion. When your franchise has been mired in mediocrity from gross mismanagement for as long as it’s been, it’s hard to keep the same kind of energy up because there’s always fear of impending disappointment around the corner. That made this year’s season and ensuing playoff run so special. When you suffer much, you rejoice much. I was in LA for our store opening when we lost the NLCS to the Dodgers and while it was sad, I was just so happy that we got to experience what we did this year. And for the first time in awhile, I am now even more excited for next season because of one four letter word (no, not Soto): hope. LFGM!
Newsletters: It feels like 2024 was the year of Substack. I revived my own newsletter for a few entries and then felt the impending guilt of not being able to keep up with it, but throughout the year I really enjoyed reading several other publications consistently. Cafe Anne by Anne Kadet tells really special stories about New Yorkers and New York City; it feels like old Village Voice features in the best possible way. HEAVIES by Chris Gayomali speaks to all my interests in health and wellness in a relevant way. Running Sucks by Raziq Rauf covers running culture in a way that no one else does. There's a wealth of independent journalism out there that is readily accessible to us all now and I'm really enjoying it.
New things: It’s hard to recognize it when you’re in the moment but I’m pretty proud of the fact that we tried so many new things at 3sixteen in 2024. In-house footwear. Active collection. Record parties. Community runs and unsanctioned races. I hope people recognize that what binds it all together is a genuine passion behind all of these side quests. When you’re a brand of our size that isn’t held captive to what investors tell you what to do, you have the opportunity to take some chances that hopefully showcase a bit more of who you are to your customers. We hope that you felt some of that passion this year, because we certainly had a lot of fun doing it.
Ricky Armenta
Alien Romulus: I went into this movie not knowing what to expect having only seen the original Alien and I was blown away. The visuals and setting of this movie really put it over the top for me and actually got me wanting to head back to the movie theater more often this year.
Universal Studios Hollywood: My girlfriend's dad ended up hooking us up with some tickets into the theme park this past November and we went on a whim. I haven’t been to Universal other than horror nights but it was pretty cool to watch Waterworld and ride the tram again. The new Sanrio store is a must on the way in for a sweet snack.
Summer pool party: This summer my girlfriend and I decided to invite everyone we know to just come hang out at her house and swim. It was a blast and we ate so much food. I ended up marinating and grilling like 15 pounds of carne asada that was a hit. We’re definitely running it back next year.
LA shop opening: This year at 3sixteen has been absolutely insane. Every ounce of blood sweat and tears went into opening those doors from myself and the team. The night we worked overtime just to set up the back room and make sure Cleo had everything set up for soft opening is something I’ll never forget.
Dodgers World Series Win: My father and my family started me young as a Dodger fan. After all the heartbreak and mediocre teams it’s almost surreal how good they are now. That World Series was incredible, I ended up watching that game one grand slam by Freddie Freeman at a concert venue on a merch stand laptop with like 10 heads crowded around. The whole venue went nuts and the lights turned blue. Later that night a prince cover band came on and played Purple Rain, I felt like it was 1988 so I had no doubt the Dodgers were going to win it.