Marc Echo started designing clothes in 1972, but his trademark street-savvy style didn't really hit it big until about ten years ago. Recognizable by its eye-pleasing color combinations of camouflage, bright pastel solids, shiny pop-out plastic emblems, and the infamous trademark rhino stencil, this designer can be seen profiled by teens and trendy Gen-X'ers alike.

Introduced to the scene as an urban outfitter, the hip-hop flavored clothing designs graced the pages of Black culture magazines in ads featuring up-and-coming underground rappers. Soon the franchise pushed further than the "street" audience and began to catch appeal with skateboarders and extreme athletes, earning credit as a uniform for the rebellious and dangerous.

Far from allowing himself to fade into fashion obscurity as a fad designer, Echo 's dedication to be considered cutting-edge landed him crossover appeal, and landed him a contract to outfit the cast of the sequel to Jurassic Park, The Lost World. Before long, Ecko Unlimited moved from the shelves of specialty stores to cream-of-the-crop department stores to shops the entire world over, which lead to a change in the spelling of the company moniker due to copyright issues. (The original spelling was Echo Unlimited, not Ecko Unlimited.)

Starting out with t-shirts and athletic jackets, Ecko now produces designer jeans, footwear and even wristwatches. Securing licensing of Marvel comic book characters such as Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Incredible Hulk just before their recent onslaught on major motion pictures, Ecko shirts featuring the superheroes have been flying off the shelves, attracting both young kids and nostalgic adults.

Collaborations with such powerhouses as Jurassic Park and Marvel are not uncommon for this established street designer. Last year a cross-promotion with Playboy launched a popular line of bunny-logo'd sweaters, modeled by actual Playmates in advertisements. Ecko Unlimited can now be found regularly featured in the fashion sections of magazines from Vibe to Maxim. I now attempt to explain why.

Design

The design of all Ecko clothes has a omnipresent feeling of "cool," with some items even graduating to the look of "bad-ass." Many shirts, especially the Marvel series have traditionally had industrial lettering and graphics that look like blueprints or futuristic computer grids. Now the t-shirts mostly have a simpler approach, with caricature-ish figures, old-school lettering, and simple logos. In addition to the licensed characters, shirts like the Silent Protest depict urban scenes like graffiti on traffic signs.

With regards to outerwear, such as the Super Battle Friend Hoodie, the oversized, stretchy and cozy design of the activewear makes you feel a little tougher on the outside while being more comfortable on the inside. Khakis are baggy, functional and comfortable enough to wear around the house like sweatpants.

The denim is surprisingly easy to wear, bringing back the look of the jean jacket without the discomfort. However my only beef with the design of the clothes is the technical look of the jeans and some of the cargos. Jeans like the Remix and the Off Register have too much going on, and look like the seams are inside out. The designs on the outside are kind of busy and loud, and tacky in my opinion.

Ecko Red, the women's division, has trendy Euro designs designed for fashionable women who enjoy going out on the town and showing themselves off. Most of the tops and pants are designed for going clubbing, and looking good in the process. Even the more conservative blouses have that Banana Republic-meets-Amsterdam look to them.

Next Up: Quality and Overall.

Quality

As far as wearability, I've already mentioned how incredibly comfortable Ecko clothes are. Only a few t-shirts, such as the Core Stitch Ringer fit awkwardly, and only hang right on certain well-chiseled body types. Most of the activewear is baggy enough to make even the goofiest Tony Hawk protégé look sleek.

These clothes have a certain industrial or militant feel to them, and rightly so, because they last. My T-shirts haven't faded after 2 years, and my Otherground Fleece Hoodie has survived almost 4 years of rough-housing, Saturday afternoon football, and occasional beat-downs. These are clothes that you initially buy for the fashion appeal, and then hang on to for the durability and comfort.

All the pants are reliable too. Sturdy construction keeps all the various zippers and gizmos on the cargo pants intact for more than one season. The sweaters, such as the colorful Benedikt and the stylish S.W.A.T., stay their original colors and don't unravel in the wash, saving you a trip to the dry cleaners.

The Ecko Function line of outerwear comes off looking like snowboard gear, and is just as durable. The Bergen especially shields from the cold, and isn't likely to rip when you fumble with the metal wiring of your ski lift pass. Logos and patches stay on with minimal fraying.

A few years back, I did buy a sweatshirt with an oddly-placed metal rhino tag near the neck, which ripped right off when a friend tried to touch it, but I think that was a flawed design that did not go unnoticed. Ecko Unlimited styles and designs that do not hold water quickly evolve. Marc Echo is no amateur, and most of today's line is solid.

Overall

With t-shirts starting out at $24, this basically puts Ecko gear in the same price range as most exclusive designers. Competing with other urban marketers, including rap moguls' P. Diddy's Sean John line and Jay-Z's Rocawear line, Ecko stands at the top for providing high-quality construction and comfort without sacrificing for gawdiness or poor manufacturing. Seeing the volatile trends in fashion over the past decade, it's good to see that Ecko has held its position strong, still earning street cred as well as mass appeal, keeping current with styles as they change.