Postmortem Zine

Full name: Gavin O

company name: Still Proud Clothing

important links:
SP clothing
bigcartel



What was your inspiration to create a clothing line?

The inspiration for Still Proud came out of my love for independent music and discontent for the corporate lifestyle. Besides the 9 to 5 hustle I wanted to have something of my own that would allow my ideas and creativity to flow. I was attracted to clothing because of its close relationship to music and the fact that it’s such a direct medium of expression. SP is very much influenced by many of the ideals within hardcore, the street appeal of hip-hop but also an element of self-empowerment.

I've heard you say "Still Proud will always be a brand rooted in the Hardcore and Independent Hip-Hop community" can you elaborate on that?

Sure, I’ve been involved in the hardcore scene for the greater part of my adult life (bands, journalism and booking) and have thus been fascinated by the ideals within it. Integrity, inner strength, nonconformity and a DIY mentality are what I’m referring to. Indie Hip-Hop also embodies these ideals and is another genre I’ve been a fan of for some time. These ideals have not only influenced my life but also what I wanted SP to represent, so whether it’s the artists we work with or the themes running through our designs, we’ll always have a foundation in these subcultures.

What are your plans for the future with your clothing company?

From hammering down a 3-season release schedule, expanding our product line and also looking into some retailer distribution, these are my goals at the moment. As for the greater picture, I really feel like the sky’s the limit for SP so we’ll have to see.

What is the deal behind the "this world is mine" hoodie that was limited to 50?

It was actually limited to 25. The hoodie is all about holding your own and not letting society dictate to you what you can or cannot accomplish. The diamond represents prosperity while the dice stands for the gamble of life. Put them both together and you have the sacrifice that it takes to succeed.
Are you going to print some more designs for back to school? Seeing as school has already started and our new line’s about to drop, I’d say we’re a little late. 4 new tees, 3 tank tops and a b-ball jersey are set to drop next week, be sure to stay tuned for the announcements: www.stillproudclothing.com

What’s the hardest part of owning a clothing line?

So far, it’s just been keeping a consistent release schedule. When you’re a one man team, there are many things that you have to juggle between design, production and then of course building the community around the brand so that the designs move. Throw into the mix working a full-time job and you can imagine how crazy it can get. It’s easy to look at a clothing company and not realize that there are many factors involved but I’ll be one of many to tell you that to believe this is to be very mistaken.