REDONDO-CANVA WLR

The extraordinary story of Mr. Fliks takes place starting from the historical documents of Redondo Beach, California, USA.

Located just south of Los Angeles, this iconic beach town is celebrated for its laid-back vibe and distinctive Horseshoe Pier.

The first reference to Mr. Fliks surfaced in the 2019 publication "Vintage T-shirts" by Lightning Archives. Among the first finds in this search was a yellow T-shirt with "Mr. Fliks" written in bright red.

This t-shirt, made of 100% cotton, dates back to the late '60s, precisely between 1967 and 1968, in perfect alignment with the famous "Summer of Love."

During the summer of 1967, approximately 100,000 young people, later known as "hippies," gathered in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district.

This gathering marked a pivotal moment in the counterculture, symbolizing a collective desire for freedom, love, and peace in the context of the Vietnam War and widespread social unrest.

The era witnessed a stark contrast between the anti-war protests of the "Flower Children" and the war veterans who returned home, adopting the M-65 Field Jacket as a symbol of peace and counterculture. This trend of reappropriating military items extended to other garments, reflecting a broader movement to redefine war symbols as emblems of peace and civic life.

In this period of transformation, Mr. Fliks' narrative emerges. A Vietnam War veteran originally from Redondo Beach, he returned with his military uniform and a particular fascination with the vulcanized "Deck Shoes" worn by U.S. Navy personnel. Recognizing the popularity of military-inspired fashion, Mr. Fliks began producing these shoes, adding a subtle homage to his hometown with the inscription "Redondo Beach, CA" and two stars, in honor of the California night sky, near the malleolus.

Thus, the legend of Mr. Fliks is intertwined with the cultural changes of the 1960s, embodying the transition from war to peace and from military utility to civilian fashion.

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