Unemployable is the story of a bunch of misfits who chose to create a world to exist in, rather than conform to one in which they didn’t fit.
From the 1970s underground Melbourne skate scene to a company with a worldwide presence in over 100 countries, Unemployable is the story of how three Australian brothers-Stephen, Peter and Matt Hill-founded one of the world’s biggest skate, street and surf companies, Globe International.
Unemployable traces the origins of the Hill brothers’ passion for skateboarding to the founding of their initial company Hardcore Enterprises and subsequent entities, Die Hard streetwear, Globe, Dwindle Distribution and Globe International. Following the Australian Super skateboard tours of the 80s, the streetwear fashion explosion of the 90s and the arrival and growth of Globe in California (the heart of the action sports industry), the Globe story is one of loyalty, stumbling, dealing with change and ultimately, succeeding.
As well as the story of the Hill brothers, the book features a large cast of players who ran Globe’s debauched skate tours, infamous industry parties, exotic surf contests, frenzied stadium events, cutting edge fashion parades and red carpet launches. In addition, it includes over 190 exclusive contributions from Globe insiders and untold tales from the world’s most respected skaters and surfers including Rodney Mullen, Tony Hawk, Taj Burrow, Chet Thomas, Chris Haslam, Mark Appleyard, Layne Beachley, CJ and Damien Hobgood and many more. It also touches on Globe’s affiliations beyond action sports, including with Eric Bana, Mick Doohan and former Prime Minister, Paul Keating.
The Company was the first Australian skate shoe player; a creator and distributor of leading streetwear fashion labels such as Stüssy, Mossimo, Obey and Mooks; a producer of celebrated skate and surf movies; and from its earliest beginnings, a business that recognised the importance of connecting to the customer. Co-founder Matt Hill sums it up best: ‘Clearly we were unemployable. To the outside that meant we were losers with juvenile hobbies and no future. To us, it meant not following a conventional life path. We wanted a grown-up life that would match our teen lives: optimistic, innovative and fun. Turns out when you band people together with that “fuck convention” mentality, it’s a powerful, creative and inspiring force.
