About Us

 

You don't have to live in the Hollywood Hills to live the Hollywood dream.

Valley Mentality is a celebration of the San Fernando Valley and the lifestyle that comes with it.

My grandfather, actor Dick Van Patten, moved our family from Queens, New York to the Valley in the 1970s when work brought him to Los Angeles. He chose the Valley for a very specific reason: it was halfway between Santa Anita Racetrack and the beach.

That pretty much summed up his philosophy on life. His motto was tennis in the morning, poker in the evening, racing in the afternoon. If he wasn't working, he was finding a way to have fun. It didn't matter if it was 100 degrees outside — which, in the Valley, it often was.

That spirit is what we think of as the Valley Mentality.

The Valley has always been the slightly misunderstood side of Los Angeles. It's been made fun of, imitated and turned into a stereotype, but it's also played an enormous role in the culture of LA and beyond. It's the home of teenage mall culture and Valley Girl, of backyard pools, movie stars, musicians, filmmakers, old restaurants, golf courses, racetracks and neighborhood institutions. Bing Crosby and Dean Martin hung out at the Sportsmen's Lodge. Lucy and Desi headed over the hill to make a life in the Valley. Generations of artists and entertainers have grown up here.

We're Duke Van Patten and Tanner Zagarino, two actors, creatives and Valley natives with family roots back East. Duke is a third-generation Valley resident, and Tanner is a Valley native by way of New York.

We started Valley Mentality because we wanted to celebrate the places, stories and way of life that made us love this part of Los Angeles in the first place. We do that through clothing, art, photography, film and whatever else gives us an excuse to tell a good Valley story.

Work hard. Have fun. Don't take yourself too seriously. Keep the Valley Mentality.