Minority-owned performance auto repair shop, The Driveway, in San Jose launches Streetwear brand
SAN JOSE, Calif.: The four young Asian-American entrepreneurs who founded The Driveway Auto Repair Shop have always been obsessed with cars. Childhood friends Michael Ly, Willie Chac, and Kevin Dang grew up living and breathing all things auto. CEO Dang spent countless hours playing racing games as a child. When he was 9, his father's untimely death from lung cancer led him to escape even more into his love of cars and racing.
The trio connected in junior high when they discovered a shared passion for cars and started tinkering with vehicles on their own driveways. Eventually, they grew to a team of four when they added friend and fellow car fanatic Eranthe Mitome.
The four friends established The Driveway in 2018 to build a different kind of aesthetic and performance auto repair shop with a focus on bringing a unique experience to their clients. Their minority-owned independent shop in San Jose sets itself apart by including a progressive lounging space allowing clients to relax and focus on their own work as they wait for their car service to be completed. Though they service all makes and models, they specialize primarily in Tesla and Porsche vehicles.
Now, the team is taking their unique auto brand a step further by launching a track-themed line of streetwear DRVWY. Mitome said adding a line of apparel and gear bridging the gap between car culture and streetwear was a no brainer.
"Our life is pretty much on raceways," she said, "so it only made sense to start creating our own lifestyle brand that encompasses the thrill, adrenaline, and confidence that we feel when we're on the track."
DRVWY includes a collection of basic essential apparel and other merchandise made for the drive, with subtle and monochromatic elements.
"We purposefully avoided loud and flashy designs because our consumers want to be confident, comfortable and stylish in our basic essentials," Mitome said. "DRVWY is a multifunctional lifestyle brand and it's an extension of us."
