10 Years Later: 312 Apparel Co.

I had the idea to start a business in my dorm room. That idea eventually became a "clothing line" — which was really just dropshipping t-shirts under the name 312 Apparel Co.  It wasn't perfect, but it was mine. So I took it and ran with it.

At 20 years old, I already knew I had the ability to design, edit video, build websites — I’d been doing that since 4th or 5th grade. And since I was a business/marketing major, launching something of my own just made perfect sense. So I started that same night.

And while building it over the years, I fell in love with the process. My thinking was: even if it didn’t “work,” I’d walk away with real skills and a college degree. And that’s exactly what happened. When the brand went dormant, I was working professionally and freelancing — applying everything I’d taught myself.

But I always knew I wasn’t done. I just stepped away to complete a necessary part of the process. Now I’m back — with more clarity than ever on where I want to take the brand.

Back in 2014, 2015, even when I rebranded to UNNNAMED in 2016, I was still figuring things out. I used the brand as a vehicle to explore different sides of the work. Now, ironically, that’s exactly what this platform is again — a space to showcase the creative process from different angles. A full-circle moment.

What the Name Meant to me Then vs Now

Back then, 312 Apparel Co. was about where I came from. As a kid from Chicago going to school out of state, it was my way of bringing home with me — of holding onto my identity in a place that felt far from it.

I eventually rebranded for two main reasons:

1. I couldn’t trademark the name
2. I always knew I didn’t want to limit myself to just apparel.

T-shirts were just a way to showcase artwork and tell stories through design. I was into a lot of things, but I never wanted to enter the fashion industry — and that’s where it seemed to be heading. So I became UNNNAMED.

Originally, it was The Unnamed Collective — made up of three parts:

• The Store, where you could shop apparel
  
• The Movement, home to written work
  
• The Artistry, a space for indie artists and filmmakers

Trying to manage and build three websites stalled me out. Life was happening, and I needed time to digest what it all meant — and how to consolidate it into one cohesive brand.

Now it’s just UNNNAMED — with an extra “n” to represent the nᵗʰ power: infinite potential. We can be anything, without having to define it. We’re a creative entity. Not one thing. Many things.

Like I said before — it’s a vehicle. And you don’t buy a car to drive to one specific place. You buy it so you can go wherever you want.

What I’d tell my 20 y/o self

"Keep creating. No matter how hard life gets, no matter what job you take, no matter who's with you or not — just keep going. And go at it intensely. This is your life’s work. You don't have to rush, but always be building. You break through by not stopping. Never stop networking. Never stop learning."

I’ve always known these things — they’re not foreign to me. But when you're young, you don’t always have that internal confidence that everything will work out the way you hope it will. Because of that, you don’t always go all in. But that’s exactly when you’re supposed to.

So I’d tell my younger self: Attack it. Hard. Don’t let up. Opportunities go around — someone has to catch them. And showing up is half the battle.

Creating With Friends

Some of my best memories came from creating with friends. And I knew it in the moment too — I remember thinking, these are the days you’re gonna look back on and smile.

Everybody was happy to support the brand and wear the merch. It had that real grassroots feel.

And we didn’t need a fancy team — just a camera borrowed from the university and a few product samples. We’d shoot a hundred photos and find the best ones. I still do that today. We couldn’t afford to hire anyone, so it was all built on friendship.

One of the greatest moments was renting a van and driving cross-country to a convention in California. That had always been a dream of mine. In 2016, I made it happen. Got a credit card, rented a van, and drove 26 hours with my boys to Long Beach.

It was my first time really seeing the world — we stopped in Denver, hit Vegas, drove through Utah. Just wide-eyed, full of ambition, and the open road ahead.

Those were the days. And while I reflect on them fondly, I’m even more excited for what’s to come. This isn’t just a reflection. It’s a reminder of why I started — and why I’ll never stop.

#312ApparelCo
#UNNNAMED