Their streetwear is street smart

That was 2005, and Angol's label, Society Original Products, was in its infancy. Since then, the company - started by two young men with an ad hoc business plan, a truck they used as a mobile store, and lots of ambition - has flourished.

S.O.P.'s spring and summer collection, which marks the debut of jackets, knit tops, and denim jeans, is defined by clean lines and meticulous attention to detail. The flash is minimal, and utility is king. It's current because it's timeless.

Angol is the creative director and designer. Cofounder Brendan Boyd is the pavement pounder who takes care of sales and marketing. His network of connections has gotten S.O.P.'s clothes onto hip-hop stars like Talib Kweli and Lupe Fiasco. Angela Simmons showed off their threads on MTV's "Run's House" and "Daddy's Girls."

Angol and Boyd recently sat in their office, an airy space in a nondescript building in Roslindale Square crammed with racks of clothes, sticker-clad file cabinets, and endless stacks of DVDs and CDs. They struggled to keep up with the flow of RSVPs to their already filled-to-capacity party at Mantra, where they debuted their new line two weeks ago.

Boyd and Angol, both 28, met through friends and quickly formed a friendship based on their shared entrepreneurial ambitions. Angol was working in retail; Boyd had a job at Sprint. Both wanted to get into the fashion world. They quit their day jobs in 2005, and before they officially launched S.O.P. in 2006, they knew they didn't want to create a run-of-the-mill streetwear brand that churns out logo-laden staples season after season.

Angol describes his designs as streetwear-inspired casual menswear, and with this season's launch of the cut-and-sew collection, the company is increasing distribution to department stores. (The clothes are already available at boutiques in the US, Sweden, Japan, and Canada, as well as through Karmaloop.)

"I couldn't do this all the time because not everyone is going to want to wear my name all the time," said Angol, holding up a T-shirt with S.O.P.'s logo, the word "Society" printed backward, as if viewed in a mirror. The look is distinctive, and one that's open to interpretation.

It's branding as a conversation starter.

"It's backward because society is backward," said Angol. "And it's another way to say hip-hop: We take everything society gives us and we flip it and make it our own."

The logo is more subtle on the new items. It appears on a zipper pull or is embossed on a faux leather patch sewn near the wrist of a sleeve. The focus is on the designs themselves. Among the signature design elements are sideways button flap pockets on the chest of jackets made in a variety of materials, like vinyl or nylon ripstop and fleece.

Angol and Boyd equate their approach to that of a company like Apple: market loud but develop a product that's classy, durable, and distinctive yet versatile.

That's where the party at Mantra, titled "The aWEARness Project," came into play. Rap outfits and DJs entertained throughout the night as guests flooded in. Eddie Frierson, a buyer for the Attic, a Cambridge boutique, was among the revelers.

"The clothes have a longevity. Something by someone like Ed Hardy will be really in, but it won't stay," Frierson said, referring to the high-end tattoo-art-inspired designer. "You look at companies like Louis Vuitton or Gucci. They make stuff that's simple and that lasts."

For Angol, who counts a framed Nirvana concert poster over his desk among his prized possessions, inspiration comes from unlikely sources. He points to a cork board where fabric samples and sketches are pinned beside familiar images, including a classic picture of Charlie Brown from "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

"If you notice, he's wearing a lot of solid colors. And it works," Angol said, considering Charlie Brown's winter coat and hunting cap with ear flaps. "I'm making something to the same silhouette. It's workwear, it's rugged, and you can wear it every day."