Home Sweet
drew house
Come for the Clothes,
Stay for the Company
- Text: Erika Houle
- Photography: Kristie Muller, Joe Termini
- Images/Photos Courtesy Of: drew house
Knock on the door at the drew house and expect to be greeted by a group of friends—or as they consider themselves, family—surrounded by skateboards, teddy bears, and VHS tapes from garage sale scores. Located in the San Fernando Valley, the real-life home that gives shape to the eponymous clothing label founded in 2018 by Justin Bieber and creative director Ryan Good is about stepping into comfort and warmth of all forms, where everyone can feel a sense of joy and belonging. The decor features lava lamps and fish bowls brimming with an assortment of lollipops that 90s kids grew up on. A closet tour includes a mix of sweatsuits and colorful Canadian tuxedos, complete with hotel-style slippers and smiley face logos that match the atmosphere (perfect for lounging by the pool or watching Saturday morning cartoons). To the left of the living room’s main attraction—a cozy floor-to-ceiling fireplace—the kitchen is stocked with boxes of freshly delivered pizza. While it all might appear to be something out of a teen sitcom, this is Good’s vision for a slice of suburban heaven. “It’s perhaps an ironic take on a fashion house,” he explains. But if the initial idea had the slight tang of irony, the realized version of drew house is one of real earnestness.
Back in March, during the final stretch of Quebec’s harsh winter, Good and Bieber brought that same (metaphorical) sunshine and neighborly energy to SSENSE Montreal. In anticipation of the label’s first partnership with a global platform, new friendships were formed, reviews of Boogie Nights and Clueless were topped with loads of laughter, and permanent markers were used to decorate the walls with phrases like “dreams come drew.” Now, to celebrate the launch of drew house on SSENSE, Good welcomes you inside to get a better understanding of the place where a fashion house becomes a home.
“The golden rule at the drew house is to be authentically you.”
“Movies we watched growing up, they’re all shot here; the Valley’s suburbia has been told throughout the decades in movies. We’re very familiar with the style. It’s the representation of the actual brand, not the clothing. It’s a story of the community.”
“Everybody’s welcomed, everybody’s loved, everybody’s accepted. We want everyone to feel comfortable in a warm, joyful, sunny environment.”
“We’ve been playing Billy Joel. Show tunes. 90s alternative. Sometimes I’ll come here early in the morning, drink some coffee, sit in the living room, play some Chet Baker and just kind of get into it.”
“I always love Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I love Disney movies. Gleaming the Cube. We’ve been watching a bunch of old skate videos.”
“I love the raincoat a lot. You don’t need it much here, but on those days that you do…”
“Theodore is a bear that would be in a house, and the story is that he found himself all alone here. His old owners left, and he didn’t have any friends. The thing about squirrels is that they know everything that’s going on because they’re in everybody’s yard. If a squirrel could really understand what’s going on, they’d see everything that everyone’s dealing with in the neighborhood. They’d know all the gossip. So Sherman the squirrel, he becomes friends with Theodore.”
“We have a rabbit—rabbits are local here—and he stumbles upon the drew house because he’s scared of a coyote. But the coyote turns out to be a vegan, so they become best friends.”
“Fernand, the coyote, is rejected by his pack because he’s vegan. He doesn’t want to eat any of the characters, but they’re all kind of unsure of him at first. They get to know who he is and they all come to find out that we all have more in common than we don’t.”
“Everybody is, for the most part, comfortable being themselves, and very loving, encouraging, and caring. Our relationships with each other—that’s the biggest thing.”
- Text: Erika Houle
- Photography: Kristie Muller, Joe Termini
- Images/Photos Courtesy Of: drew house
- Date: May 12, 2022
