Some words from Jon Totaro, co-owner of New York-based Reason Clothing.

XLR8R: Who runs Reason and where is it based?

Jon Totaro: Reason is run by Philip Bassis (a.k.a. Phil Reason) and myself, Jonathan Totaro (a.k.a. Jon Reason), and about a dozen interns, part-time helpers, and designers. We are currently based out of a studio space in the East Village neighborhood in lower Manhattan.

What was the first t-shirt design you ever made?

That first “collection” (for lack of a better term) was a real eclectic mix of styles. It included some of Jon’s photography, some ancient Japanese mythological creatures, vibrant colored stripes, and the now-infamous Diplomats/Ramones parody tee. It’s funny how that seemingly random mix of graphics has manifested itself into what Reason is today.

What is the name of the spring collection and what are some of the inspirations behind it?

Our Spring ’08 t-shirts include some new graphics, some remixed classics, and a trio entitled “The Unreasonables Tour,” illustrated by the very talented Dust La Rock, all done up in fun, vibrant colors for the summer. We are particularly proud of the cut & sew pieces in this collection. This season’s signature ‘Jungle Stripe’ pattern makes it’s appearance on a crew-neck sweat, our first pair of “bored” shorts, and the super-soft jungle stripe jacket. There’s a couple other surprises as well, but that’s all I can say for now.

What are some upcoming projects for summer?

A big website re-design with way more content, some musical ventures with our resident DJ Jesse Marco, a New York City flagship store; all kinds of fun stuff. It’s going to be a busy year.

What do you think Reason is best known for?

People love telling me the story of how they first became acquainted with our brand. You’d think it would be through our more popular graphics like the Diplomats/Ramones tee or the Go Love Your Own City tee, but more often than not, it’s the fun, obscure stuff we do that people know us for. Things like the Hangover flasks, or the articles/interviews on our website, or the tee we designed for The Hundreds, or the interesting way we always decorate our booth at MAGIC. It’s great, because those are the things we really pride ourselves on. At the end of the day, anybody can design a cool t-shirt, but we apply that creativity to every aspect of our business, and that’s what sets us apart.