Western Edition began in 1999 in San Francisco. I gets named from the neighborhood in SF which was considered the "harlem of the west" because of its cultural significance. It was a hotbed of jazz and nightlife which is where the brand derives much of its aesthetic, the art direction continues to be one of the strongest and most coveted out there.
The brand sympathizes with simplicity, style, and continues to carry the torch for a golden era of skateboarding.