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MEET JOEY GOLLISH
From tech to HXOUSE to luxury streetwear designer of Mr. Saturday
Joey Gollish is the founder, designer, and creative director behind emerging menswear brand Mr. Saturday and member of creative incubator HXOUSE—but that’s not his first business venture.
Joey’s entrepreneurship journey started when he realized he felt unfulfilled at a summer job working in the tech department of St. Michael’s hospital. He set goals for himself and started two tech companies called Addo Labs and Openhouse. Still not completely satisfied, he discovered his passion for design through the repurposing of vintage clothes and set out to start his own cut-and-sew clothing line.
Four years later and the result is Mr. Saturday—a notable luxury streetwear brand. Gollish’s accolades keep climbing with multiple fashion weeks, immersive experiences, and global pop-ups under his belt. Joey knows firsthand the benefits and challenges of entrepreneurship and his problem-solving skills are on par with his creativity. We chat below about mentorship, the advice he’d give his younger self, and where he sees himself in the future.
Four years later and the result is Mr. Saturday—a notable luxury streetwear brand. Gollish’s accolades keep climbing with multiple fashion weeks, immersive experiences, and global pop-ups under his belt. Joey knows firsthand the benefits and challenges of entrepreneurship and his problem-solving skills are on par with his creativity. We chat below about mentorship, the advice he’d give his younger self, and where he sees himself in the future.
From tech to HXOUSE to luxury streetwear designer of Mr. Saturday
Joey Gollish is the founder, designer, and creative director behind emerging menswear brand Mr. Saturday and member of creative incubator HXOUSE—but that’s not his first business venture.
Joey’s entrepreneurship journey started when he realized he felt unfulfilled at a summer job working in the tech department of St. Michael’s hospital. He set goals for himself and started two tech companies called Addo Labs and Openhouse. Still not completely satisfied, he discovered his passion for design through the repurposing of vintage clothes and set out to start his own cut-and-sew clothing line.
Four years later and the result is Mr. Saturday—a notable luxury streetwear brand. Gollish’s accolades keep climbing with multiple fashion weeks, immersive experiences, and global pop-ups under his belt. Joey knows firsthand the benefits and challenges of entrepreneurship and his problem-solving skills are on par with his creativity. We chat below about mentorship, the advice he’d give his younger self, and where he sees himself in the future.
Four years later and the result is Mr. Saturday—a notable luxury streetwear brand. Gollish’s accolades keep climbing with multiple fashion weeks, immersive experiences, and global pop-ups under his belt. Joey knows firsthand the benefits and challenges of entrepreneurship and his problem-solving skills are on par with his creativity. We chat below about mentorship, the advice he’d give his younger self, and where he sees himself in the future.
“I like to know what goes into each piece and how I can technically improve on it.”
@joey_saturday
“I like to know what goes into each piece and how I can technically improve on it.”
@joey_saturday
What are you doing when you feel most passionate?
You caught me at my most passionate time. In [about] two weeks, on February 17th, we have our second fashion show with New York Fashion Week. We’re filming that on February 12th, and the two weeks leading up to any runway presentation is when I’m the most hands-on creating clothing, making as many creative decisions as I can, and working nonstop. My weeks are weird because I start Monday at 7 a.m. but I keep staying up later, and so I wake up later, but it’s 15 hour days of pure creation and that’s my favourite thing. Then, at the end of that, where you get to see what’s been in my mind for that runway presentation—those moments are when I feel the most passionate about what I’m doing.
What was the first moment that you felt successful?
The first moment doing this that I felt successful was when I had only been repurposing vintage clothing but I knew I wanted to do cut-and-sew and actually make my own line. I convinced Aidan from TNT to let me sell my stuff in their store, and at that moment, I was like “yeah I made it. I’m selling my clothes in a store."
Have you had any mentors on your journey?
In the last few years, mentorship has been the biggest part of my journey. Joining the HXOUSE program in 2018 [was] the biggest change in trajectory for my whole career. Getting to work really closely with La Mar Taylor, Ahmed Ismali, Iva Zelic and seeing how they operate as a team and the things they were able to accomplish by starting HXOUSE was super inspiring. Also the ability to hit these people up and run my ideas by them or talk to them about opportunities I think I should or shouldn’t take. I know I wouldn’t be where I am right now without them, maybe I could still do what I’m doing but it would for sure take longer and I would make a lot more mistakes.
What are you doing when you feel most passionate?
You caught me at my most passionate time. In [about] two weeks, on February 17th, we have our second fashion show with New York Fashion Week. We’re filming that on February 12th, and the two weeks leading up to any runway presentation is when I’m the most hands-on creating clothing, making as many creative decisions as I can, and working nonstop. My weeks are weird because I start Monday at 7 a.m. but I keep staying up later, and so I wake up later, but it’s 15 hour days of pure creation and that’s my favourite thing. Then, at the end of that, where you get to see what’s been in my mind for that runway presentation—those moments are when I feel the most passionate about what I’m doing.
What was the first moment that you felt successful?
The first moment doing this that I felt successful was when I had only been repurposing vintage clothing but I knew I wanted to do cut-and-sew and actually make my own line. I convinced Aidan from TNT to let me sell my stuff in their store, and at that moment, I was like “yeah I made it. I’m selling my clothes in a store."
Have you had any mentors on your journey?
In the last few years, mentorship has been the biggest part of my journey. Joining the HXOUSE program in 2018 [was] the biggest change in trajectory for my whole career. Getting to work really closely with La Mar Taylor, Ahmed Ismali, Iva Zelic and seeing how they operate as a team and the things they were able to accomplish by starting HXOUSE was super inspiring. Also the ability to hit these people up and run my ideas by them or talk to them about opportunities I think I should or shouldn’t take. I know I wouldn’t be where I am right now without them, maybe I could still do what I’m doing but it would for sure take longer and I would make a lot more mistakes.
What struggles have you had to overcome to pursue your passions?
Education—so learning how to make clothing. I really like to understand what I’m doing, I don’t want to just be drawing things and telling a factory to make them, I like to know what goes into each piece and how I can technically improve on it. The biggest barrier has been education, which has come through practice and beyond that. Starting a clothing brand is one thing, but starting a fashion brand is a whole other beast. Starting to get accepted in that community as an outsider from Toronto was a huge step that we had to overcome to get to where we are today.
Have you had any mentors? How have they helped you on your journey?
I don’t have any regrets, I believe everything happens for a reason. Some advice I would give my younger self is to have better friends and people around you. It’s like the saying “show me your friends, I’ll show you who you are.” The biggest thing for anyone who’s successful is the people they surround themselves with. Those people will have a huge persuasion on who you are and what you do.
What is cool to you?
I resonate with anything being authentic or raw, that’s what really gets me excited. I don’t love when anything —whether it’s clothing, music, or movies, is overproduced. I like when it’s [a] purity of vision and craft from any artist. Whether that’s actual art or just meeting people, as long as it’s not contrived that’s my favorite thing, that’s what’s cool.
What struggles have you had to overcome to pursue your passions?
Education—so learning how to make clothing. I really like to understand what I’m doing, I don’t want to just be drawing things and telling a factory to make them, I like to know what goes into each piece and how I can technically improve on it. The biggest barrier has been education, which has come through practice and beyond that. Starting a clothing brand is one thing, but starting a fashion brand is a whole other beast. Starting to get accepted in that community as an outsider from Toronto was a huge step that we had to overcome to get to where we are today.
Have you had any mentors? How have they helped you on your journey?
I don’t have any regrets, I believe everything happens for a reason. Some advice I would give my younger self is to have better friends and people around you. It’s like the saying “show me your friends, I’ll show you who you are.” The biggest thing for anyone who’s successful is the people they surround themselves with. Those people will have a huge persuasion on who you are and what you do.
What is cool to you?
I resonate with anything being authentic or raw, that’s what really gets me excited. I don’t love when anything —whether it’s clothing, music, or movies, is overproduced. I like when it’s [a] purity of vision and craft from any artist. Whether that’s actual art or just meeting people, as long as it’s not contrived that’s my favorite thing, that’s what’s cool.
“Mentorship in any form is super important, whether that’s someone you look up to, a friend, or even just reading.”
@joey_saturday
“Mentorship in any form is super important, whether that’s someone you look up to, a friend, or even just reading.”
@joey_saturday
Where does your confidence come from?
I genuinely believe that anything I put my mind to I can do, I obviously have doubts it’s not like I think I can do something and there’s no chance I’m going to fail. For me, I will only do things that I really like and I always try to have this perspective on anything I’m pursuing, where it’s like, if this is the last thing that I ever do for this job, I’ll be fine with that. It’s kind of a nothing to lose mentality.
If you could spend one night at a nightclub from the past which one would it be and why?
My research for this [latest] collection has been a lot about the 1920s and it wasn’t so much nightclubs but they had this one party in the 1920s that was called “The Bottle and Bath Party” and it was this group of people who were effectively protesting the way of life at [that] time and wanted to live in debauchery and decadence. They threw this party where they went to public baths, essentially just a big swimming pool, and they brought all their alcohol and everybody was in bathing suits, which was not something you did in public at the time. 50 people threw what looked like the party of a generation from 4 p.m. one day to 8 a.m. the next day. [It was] at this public bath called St George’s Swimming Baths in London, it doesn’t exist anymore and I can’t find any pictures from it, so I’m curious to see what it looked like if it’s as cool as I thought and also just want to go.
Where does your confidence come from?
I genuinely believe that anything I put my mind to I can do, I obviously have doubts it’s not like I think I can do something and there’s no chance I’m going to fail. For me, I will only do things that I really like and I always try to have this perspective on anything I’m pursuing, where it’s like, if this is the last thing that I ever do for this job, I’ll be fine with that. It’s kind of a nothing to lose mentality.
If you could spend one night at a nightclub from the past which one would it be and why?
My research for this [latest] collection has been a lot about the 1920s and it wasn’t so much nightclubs but they had this one party in the 1920s that was called “The Bottle and Bath Party” and it was this group of people who were effectively protesting the way of life at [that] time and wanted to live in debauchery and decadence. They threw this party where they went to public baths, essentially just a big swimming pool, and they brought all their alcohol and everybody was in bathing suits, which was not something you did in public at the time. 50 people threw what looked like the party of a generation from 4 p.m. one day to 8 a.m. the next day. [It was] at this public bath called St George’s Swimming Baths in London, it doesn’t exist anymore and I can’t find any pictures from it, so I’m curious to see what it looked like if it’s as cool as I thought and also just want to go.
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