YH MATES: Lenny Tejada & Nextdoor Sydney
YH Skate Mate Lenny. Shot by Yeah Rad
Sydney-based skater and ginger beer aficionado Lenard Tejada is a friendly face in these parts. Joining the YH team back in 2022 when we gave away a 6-month sponno at the Bar of Hammers and Screws skate event at our Newtown Tasting Bar, we’ve had a bunch of rad times watching Lenny do his thing on the board, and in the bar. A skate culture tragic, Lenard is now turning his focus to the fashion game - teaming up with his mates Ryan Helm and Zane Hedley to launch a new skate apparel brand based out of Bondi; Nextdoor Sydney.
Designed by local skaters, Nextdoor is inspired by Sydney culture with the aim of creating functional skate pieces that hold their own as fashion-forward streetwear staples. Dropping their first capsule ‘home’ in late 2023, the first pieces have certainly captured our city in all her glory. Nostalgic graphics, classic type, and BLOODY SCHOONER GLASSES! They’re a brand after our own hearts.
With their ‘Super Ultra Mega Blazed’ party coming up, we caught up with Lenny over a coupla’ GBs and towed him into a a few questions about his new endeavour:
YH: Tell us about Nextdoor. What is it?
LT: Your new favourite brand!
Lenny sharing the good stuff. Shot by Yeah Rad
YH: Can’t fault that... What are you making?
LT: Our range covers you from head to toe. Hats, tees, shorts and socks with more products coming soon!
YH: What made you wanna get involved?
LT: Ryan (Ryan_Helm) and Zane (Zanedeadly) had been talking about starting a company for a while. I’d always wanted to do something like this, but unfortunately I was caught up with a few other things and couldn’t be there from the start. A month or so after they launched, it all looked so sick that I decided to just take a risk and join them.
YH: What's the best thing about running your own brand?
LT: We’ve created something from the ground up, the way we wanted do it. The reward is seeing other people love it just as much as we do!
Superior merchandise. Shot by Nextdoor Sydney
YH: PREACH! What's the hardest thing about running your own brand?
LT: Honestly, nothing has been hard yet! It’s just been hella fun doing something with my friends.
YH: What can we expect from Nextdoor in 2024?
LT: Fresh clothing pieces, more events and parties, demos, pop-ups, new team riders, potentially a YH collab? Make it happen!
YH: SOLD! Ok, finally, whip us into 10 songs that best encapsulate the vibe of the brand
LT:
Join us, Lenny, the Nextdoor crew and our mates Life Without Andy at ‘Super Ultra Mega Blazed’ on Friday, April 19th at Uno Studio in Alexandria. Along with free brews, there’ll be ink, tunes, art and shenanigans well into the evening. Get your tickets here and keep an eye on the crew at @nextdoorsyd.