Five Things With Hex

The Los Angeles-based accessories company Hex has been making some of the best style-meets-function accessories for the last 6 years. With the launch of their new collaboration with Guy Mariano, they crafted the most essential skate backpack we’ve ever seen. We caught up with the founders of Hex, Dan Maravilla and Trent Valladares to talk about their brand, their 20 years of friendship, and the five things you need to know about Hex.

1. The Bus: The Hex team travels around in their 1963 VM Splitty Van to bring their product directly to the people. The bus travels around hosting events for whatever the guys at Hex dream up. The idea of the bus ties in with the founders’ love of DIY. When gaining their experience in the skate and fashion industry they both dove head first into the industry. Dan explains, “Neither of us went to formal education or college, it’s all just all grinding and figuring it out”. The bus also references back to the beginnings of their friendship, which centered around playing in their band Clyde. “The backstory of the bus goes back to the band days, I owned a 77’ VW Bus that was our Clyde van that we used to tour”, Maravilla explains. “The bus compliments our aesthetic and our appreciation for classic design and minimalist styling and retro things”.

2. Style and Function: Looking closely at a Hex bag or wallet you notice just how functional every piece is. The marriage between this functionality and style is at the heart of the brand. Dan explains “We wanted to create a brand that is that intersection of technical, protection and everything that a modern bag should do for what we do today, but also looks great and has great materials and interest to it”. One of the main goals of the brand is to not sacrifice style or function but exist in a way that marries both.

3. Device Ready: At the core of their functionality meets style is the idea of every Hex product being device ready. You can find this concept in the protective laptop sleeve in every backpack that not only make it easy to go from school or work to the rest of the day but also have padding so you’re not stressing all day that you’ll tear up your computer. Dan explained to us, “There’s a lot of cool little details, you might buy the bag and not even realize it’s has that feature…We try to take the forgotten and take it from the bottom of the list and put it on the top of the list. It’s the forgotten detail that no one cares and makes it the coolest thing in the bag”. There are very few bags and accessories that include as much forgotten detail as Hex does.

4. Authenticity: Dan and Trent believe in creating an authentic brand and product. They build the product around activities they enjoy doing themselves which is probably why the hidden features in the bag are so thoughtfully designed and constructed. Whether you’re a skater, photographer, adventurer, or couch potato, there is something for everyone. Trent explains, “An aspect that separates our brand is that it’s real. We are musicians, my family has artists in it, we paint, we write. We do all these things. It’s legitimate, it’s authentic”.

5. Guy Mariano: Back in 2012 Guy Mariano joined the Hex family and in that press release Guy said “I look forward to working closely with their team on some new products and designs”. We finally have that collaboration and it is definitely worth the wait. Hex and Guy created the ultimate skate backpack with everything you’d expect; skateboard straps, laptop sleeve, and durable materials. They are also coming at us with a ton of features we didn’t expect that make the backpack truly the unique. The backpack has organizers for all your skate tool needs, water resistant coated fabrics, phone pocket, water bottle storage because you know Guy wants you to stay hydrated, and a smartphone stand keychain. Yes a keychain that sets up your phone for getting that footage when your crew bails. Glorious.