Yeah, Nah, It’s Nah Skateboards
Have you ever been to Ireland?
You should go. It’s beautiful, green and full of people whose accents sound like they are singing all the time. Wonderful place, wonderful people. Nah are from Ireland, so naturally, they are wonderful too. An eco-conscious, independent company, run by two brothers producing playful products spanning apparel, accessories, home goods and skateboards. you know—the good stuff. Here’s our chat with the boys, Dyl and Aran.
How is the weather in Dublin?
Shite most of the time, we get about three weeks of steady summer. Makes it hard to skate.
One of you is based in New York though, right? Which one is that?
Aran is based in Brooklyn; he’s been working there as an illustrator and animator for 11 years now.
And you’ve got a brick-and-mortar shop in Dublin?
Yes, we split the rent and share a shop with a couple other young Irish designers. 6 Royal Hibernanian Way is the address, just off Grafton Street in Dublin.
Where’d you get the name Nah from?
Aran thought the name Nah would be a good brand name since he was 16. When Dyl mentioned putting Aran’s illustrations on some t-shirts, the name popped back into Aran’s mind. It was a chance to stray away from working on bigger corporate projects. To say, ‘nahhh,’ let’s not say ‘yes’ to that… It’s about wanting to feel free to do your own thing.
Are you both skaters?
Yep, we’re both skaters. We have a lot of good games of s.k.a.t.e when Aran comes back to Dublin. The brand was born out of our shared love for skating.
How would you describe the skate scene in Ireland?
Small but determined and has a big energy. Skaters here spend most of their winter trying to find any shelter to skate under; a lot of cold, rainy nights have been spent being kicked out of car parks that you don’t want to be skating in anyway. There’s no indoor skateparks in rainy old Ireland anymore because insurance rates are so high for them here. Bummer!
What makes you happy?
Music, skating, nature, painting, drawing, having a laugh with loved ones… Anything in good company!
Was it a big jump to start your own brand?
Yep, big time. We didn’t fully realise the amount of work that would go into it, we thought we’d just slap a few designs on some t-shirts and see what happens, but it snowballed into something much more once we got started. We spent about 10 months getting the website, clothes, launch video, photoshoots (and everything else that came along with it) ready for the launch in December, 2019. A lot of highs and lows already and it’s only been two years, but it’s all worth it and we love it.
Is Nah both your full-time gigs? If not, what else do you do on the side?
Aran is a full-time, self-employed illustrator and animation director. He makes music videos, short films and commercials for artists, clients and brands around the world..Dyl’s doing a carpentry apprenticeship (hopefully we’ll get a few ramps out of him) and plays the drums in his band, The Sleaze. In the past, he’s had all kinds of different jobs working as a landscaper, a colour grader for film and television, cocktail bartender… just to name a few.
Thanks guys!
Thanks so much for reaching out to us. Big love guys, stoked! Say ‘nah’ to the corporate overlords and support the little guys.
To see more from the 2022 Monster Children Annual, pick up your copy here.