EASY OTABOR's
How often have we seen a Slayer T-shirt in passing, noticed its wearer and automatically thought, Name one song? The – our – zeitgeist: every generation lays claim to a specific part, which we guard with hawk-eyed ferocity, weeding out those who don’t really get it. Yet when the dreaded thing does happen – when we finally witness someone who dares to have our idols blatantly spread across their hapless chests without knowing a single thing about them – no one is to blame. Not really.
The digital age makes it easy for iconography to first become homogenized, then ubiquitous, oftentimes becoming detached from its past to stand on its own. “I think [young people] want to know and need to know, but it’s up to us to inform them, show them what came before, and how to apply it to what they’re doing,” says Easy Otabor, founder of fashion label Infinite Archives. Wear and learn.
Easy’s Infinite Archives is more akin to a heavily curated museum shop than to a fashion brand. Every year since 2015, IA has produced a range of products and experiences, from apparel and prints to home goods and furniture, all commemorating key culture-shifting moments and artifacts from a single year, emphasizing the importance of history in relation to the present.
Intent on being a “bridge to connect past and present,” Easy chose fashion and its surrounding disciplines as his classroom and textbooks, because he understands – perhaps more so than most – just how important these forms of self-expression are to today’s youth.
Easy, a native of cultural melting pot Chicago, has long been a student of history, especially as it pertains to fashion, sport, music and art. It started with his older brother, Ade, who introduced him to it all; then, in high school, he realized the career opportunities his interests afforded while working at a local sneaker shop. From there, he tried his hand at fashion design and entrepreneurship, but still hungry to learn, he eventually landed at Chicago’s premier streetwear store, RSVP Gallery.
Founded in 2009 by Don C and Virgil Abloh, RSVP has been the go-to for all things street and youth culture. Under the tutelage of these two visionaries for the better part of a decade, Easy’s childhood affinities blossomed. Having worn just about every hat over the years, he soaked up every bit of knowledge he could, from anyone and everyone who walked through the shop’s doors. He became a walking encyclopedia of sorts, or the self-proclaimed Dean of RSVP, educating and mentoring the staff and their patrons, just as Don and Virgil had guided him. RSVP is where his two loves, history and culture, finally collided. IA is where they’re maturing as one.
Now aged 32, residing in Los Angeles, and two years removed from RSVP, Easy devotes his time to traveling the world, immersing himself in art museums and collaborating with friends and long-time inspirations on an array of projects. He is, to put it simply, never not learning – for that is the mark of a true teacher.
Where did your interest in fashion begin?
My older brother, Ade, was a big inspiration. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know where I would be. He’s a very talented artist and was always drawing during our childhood, and of course I wanted to be like big bro, so I started to draw; he collected shoes, so I wanted to collect shoes; he was on Niketalk, so I wanted to be on Niketalk; he listened to NAS and Wu-Tang, so I listened to NAS and Wu-Tang. He was like my Tumblr or today’s well-curated IG page, and, luckily for me, my brother was into all the right stuff and very diverse.
And then your first professional experience in fashion and footwear was at a local sneaker store, correct? What was that like?
Yeah, Athlete’s Foot in Orland Park was my first real job, for the Darwish family, when I was 15. I had to get a worker’s permit; I couldn’t wait until I turned 16 [laughs]. They made me manager real fast, while I was still in high school. I had the manager discount, so I used to buy two of anything I liked.
They used to take me to Nike HQ in Chicago and let me help out with sneaker buys. That was my first real experience with Nike besides just retail, and it showed me what was possible, that my opinions and thoughts actually mattered.
“I think everyone references the past in their work, but with me, I knew I had to focus on one year at a time and tell that story all the way through.”
Tell us about your first brand, the one you had stocked at Saint Alfred in your early 20s.
It was called Fallen Stars. My good friend Cornell Green and I started it, and the whole premise was based on the past: forgotten stars, legends and celebrities. Krabby, Saint Alfred’s operator at the time, saw one of the shirts and took a chance on it. He ordered every color and they completely sold out. Having a store like Saint Alfred carry your brand, let alone sell out, did a lot for my confidence and drive. Just seeing a dream come true led to me believing more of my dreams could come true; nothing sounded too crazy or too far-fetched anymore. And for things to come full circle, with me being co-creative director and part owner of Saint Alfred now, means the world to me. Still proving anything is possible years later.
You recently left RSVP Gallery, where you wore many hats, including the self-proclaimed Dean. What was it like working for Don C and Virgil Abloh?
[Laughs] Unfortunately, no, I am not the Dean of RSVP Gallery anymore, though I’d like to believe there is a picture of me hanging in the halls of RSVP Academy somewhere, with all the other greats: Don C, Virgil, Mike Carson, Mike Waxx, Alicia G, Zach, Mehdi, Austin, David, Jessica, Chelsea, Anthony. I don’t work with them anymore, but they will always be family and all love always.
Honestly, it was a dream come true, and I’ll never be able to pay them back for all the support and inspiration they have given me over the years. I look up to them; they’re mentors to me. I’ve learned so much from them outside of all this industry stuff – fashion/design, however you want to label it. Those two are amazing human beings that just treat people right, like how they would want to be treated or approached, because today’s sales associate can be tomorrow’s creative director for some top brand. That’s the biggest thing I’ve witnessed from them. I’ve yet to hear anyone say anything bad about Don or Virgil as people or attack their character.
You mentioned in a past interview that you’re constantly pushing yourself to do/be better at whatever task is at hand. Where does this mentality come from?
I think it came from my parents. My late dad was a car salesman. He would come home almost every week with a different car from the auction. He’d fix them up and sell them for a little more than what he paid for them.
My mom, though – I think I learned the most from her. She’s the strongest and smartest person I know, although growing up I didn’t realize all that I was learning from her. My mom was an accountant. She did people’s taxes, she had a non-profit organization, she once had multiple daycare centers, and she is a registered nurse. She taught me it’s never too late to do what you want and how to multitask [laughs]. I have no reason to settle or get comfortable.
What made you step away from retail and launch your own brand, Infinite Archives?
I got to the point where I found myself not understanding a lot of the brands that were out at the time and the purpose behind them, what they stood for, or what message they were putting out there. So instead of sitting there hating or dissing, I decided to try and make something with a meaning, something I wanted to wear. More importantly, I needed an outlet to work more frequently and better with all my talented friends and people I come across on the daily. I needed to build a platform/outlet to get these ideas out, instead of waiting for someone else’s approval.
What is Infinite Archives exactly? How would you define IA and its goals?
It’s an infinite amount of archives (laughs). I want it to live on forever, go on forever, to be there to help bridge any and all gaps among all ages and fields. I don’t want much of anything to be off limits: art, food, fashion, furniture, electronics, etc.
I’m a very big fan of the past, always have been. History was always my favorite subject… Shout out to my freshman year history teacher, Mr. Maurice Young, the best teacher I ever had. He changed my life.
I knew I couldn’t just do a brand on the past. I think everyone references the past in their work, but with me, I knew I had to focus on one year at a time and tell that story all the way through versus bouncing all over the place. I feel if I’m focused on one year at a time, it allows me to tell a broader story without many restrictions. I’m on year 1991 in 2019. Matt McCormick did this amazing piece where there is a still image from the Rodney King incident that took place in 1991, and today we are still dealing with similar situations almost 30 years later.
The ultimate goal is to keep expanding, collaborating with more artists and getting more people into the idea of buying and collecting art. I love that I sell out prints before T-shirts.
As a history buff, I imagine you subscribe to the notion that "we need to know where we've been to know where we're heading." Would you say that’s IA's defining characteristic? Why is this idea so important for our youth?
Exactly, a lot of things from the past repeat themselves. I never want to be a brand that is not conscious of what’s going on today and how it relates to the past. I want IA to be the bridge to connect past and present.
I think they – our youth – want to know and need to know, but it’s up to us to inform them, show them what came before them, and how to apply it to what they’re doing – all while paying respect to those that came before them, so the next generation doesn’t forget about them, and so on.
Why did you choose to educate through fashion, rather than another medium?
One, I don’t want to be known as just a fashion brand. Second, I think there are all types of ways to teach history, as long as you can find common ground with anyone you’re trying to reach it will make whoever the receiver is that much more open to hearing you out. That’s why IA will continue to produce different, unpredictable collabs to reach a broader audience.
We all just need to be the people that we needed when we were growing up. We need to give kids and people opportunities to succeed, and try our best to give back not only when we can, but [also to come] up with more infrastructures that sustain this throughout the year and generations to come.
For example, I love what Social Studies is doing, where brands like AWAKE, Ghetto Gastro, Election Reform!, Some Ware, No Vacancy, Off-White, and Shaniqwa are coming together every year to help give back. It’s all very inspiring and motivating.
What’s next for you and Infinite Archives?
IA will begin producing art shows around the world. I’m launching an art tour later this year and working with some amazing people from all around the world and from various disciplines. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Happy and in a better position to put other people in successful situations.
“We all just need to be the people that we needed when we were growing up. We need to give kids and people opportunities to succeed.”
In an exclusive interview for
HYPEBEAST Magazine:
The Rhythms Issue
THIS STORY WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN HYPEBEAST MAGAZINE ISSUE 26: THE RHYTHMS ISSUE AS “LESSONS IN RECALL”.. FIND OUT MORE HERE.
THIS STORY WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN HYPEBEAST MAGAZINE ISSUE 26: THE RHYTHMS ISSUE AS “LESSONS IN RECALL”. FIND OUT MORE HERE.
Bringing Past into Present:
Bringing Past into Present:
In an EXCLUSIVE interview for
HYPEBEAST Magazine: The RhytHMS ISSUE
EASY OTABOR'S
“The ultimate goal is to keep expanding, collaborating with more artists and getting more people into the idea of buying and collecting art. I love that I sell out prints before T-shirts.”
“I think everyone references the past in their work, but with me, I knew I had to focus on one year at a time and tell that story all the way through.”
mission for Infinite Archives
mission for Infinite Archives