Christmas Day, 1999. Wilmington, California. A small booth at SP (Sneak Preview) Magazine's The Night Hip Hop Stole Christmas, with a table of shirts made by people who actually lived the culture. That night is when the underground started to know our name.
Panic 39 started in March 1999 in Southern California. Back then, most "streetwear" came from big corporate brands with no real street in them. We wanted gear made by the scene, for the scene.
A few months later, we set up at B-Boy Summit 2000 in Pasadena and sold out of everything in the booth. From there, b-boys, b-girls, and poppers made Panic 39 part of the uniform.
Where We've Been
We've set up booths up and down California and across the country, from Freestyle Session, one of the biggest b-boy events in the world, to City vs City in Chicago and Evolution 2 in Orlando. Most California raves had a hip hop room, so we ended up in the rave scene too. That meant the Fox Theatre in Pomona, the Orion in LA, Monster Massive, Together As One, EDC, Nocturnal, and Audiotistic. That's where the drum & bass heads and junglists became family.
In 2015 we opened an office in Shenzhen, China, and built a team in Hong Kong. In 2017 we added a team in Tokyo, Japan. Our Hong Kong and Tokyo teams are still repping Panic 39 today.
Beyond the mainland US, we've set up booths in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Celaya, Mexico. And people are rocking Panic 39 all over the world. We've got photos of our gear on every continent except Antarctica.
In July 2024, we celebrated 25 years of Panic 39 at the historic Doll Hut in Anaheim, California.
Who We Rep
Breakers, poppers, lockers, and krumpers. Junglists, house heads, and techno and trance crowds. Underground hip hop heads, MCs, DJs, and graffiti writers. Skaters and BMX riders. If you're out there putting in the work at the jam, the rave, the wall, or the park, this is your gear.
What We're About
Unlike mainstream labels that adopt urban aesthetics from the outside, Panic 39 was founded directly within the culture. Started in 1999 in the streets and underground by people living hip hop, graffiti, breaking and popping, and still repping those scenes today.
Panic 39 started in graffiti and hip hop, and the crew always came before any one person. That's still how we run it. This is a platform for the people repping Panic, so when the brand gets stronger, they get stronger. We credit the originators. We don't copy anybody's art. We'd rather work with artists and designers than use them. And we've turned down deals, including one with one of the biggest retailers in the world, because staying underground matters more than getting big. That's also why we run Panic 39 Magazine, to keep the history, the news, and the people of these scenes in the spotlight.
What Panic Means
"Panic is more than a brand. It's a movement that shapes and defines who we are."
Quali-D of Style Elements Crew
"Panic is more than just a brand. It's a bond that we've built through the experiences we've shared with each other. When we see someone struggling, we want to help lift them up and become better than they were yesterday."
"To me, Panic represents both hope and struggle. From the person who started the brand to the people who support it, we've all faced adversity in different ways. Through those experiences, we've learned to overcome challenges and grow as individuals and as a community. We want to show others that no matter what they're going through, there is always hope and a way forward through their talents."
Sprite, Funny Bones Crew
Giving Back
After the tsunami in the Philippines, we helped with a clothing and food drive. In two different years, we donated a beanie to downtown LA's homeless community for every order placed during a set stretch of the winter.
Still here. Still underground. Thanks for rocking with us.
Want the full story? Read our history.
