ArtOfficial Intelligence, an up and coming t-shirt and clothing line, is creating a lot of buzz in the DC Metro area. This line features out-of-the-box designs focusing on black greek lettered organizations, music, style and life. Owners and business partners Derrick Beasley, Donald Boone, Dorian Boone, and Matthew Green officially launched the clothing line on January 2, in Washington, D.C. The release party was held at Jin Lounge, where the t-shirts were also showcased. The live performance by rising DC artist Locke Kaushal was definitely another highlight of the night. Before the night was over I had a chance to sit down with partner, Donald Boone, to talk about the line.
What inspired the clothing line?
- We originally created the line to provide a contemporary alternative to current black greek clothing. We were all pretty fed up with the options that were on the market for those affiliated with black greek lettered organizations and we thought we could create something better. Then once we really started exploring options, we decided that we could expand on the idea and make clothing for everyone. We didn't want to box ourselves in with one market or one type of person.
Is the clothing line going to be made up of only T-shirts?
- No, not at all. T-shirts are just a starting point. Our aim is to build up our brand image with t-shirts. They offer a good starting point. They're simple, relatively easy to produce, and they allow us to be creative. From here, the sky is the limit. Once we have a little brand recognition, we plan to expand to jackets, sweaters, watches, bathing suits, everything! Once people really recognize who we are, I can see us producing almost anything.
Describe your personal style.
- My personal style evolves with time, and... money, lol. I've always enjoyed being well dressed but I've been limited by how much money I have in my pocket. But I would describe myself as a laid back kind of guy. You won't see me wearing anything too groundbreaking but I like to look good. I love ties, and I love dressing up. But after that, I'm a t-shirt, hoody, with a cool pair of slacks with a pair of Rainbows kind of guy. I haven’t always been that way. 3 years ago you wouldn’t have caught me with my toes out and jeans that weren’t 2 sizes too big. But hey, you live and you learn.
Who are some of your favorite designers/clothing stores/clothing websites?
- I love the way Express dress shirts feel. They are all I buy. For everyday clothes, I enjoy shopping at stores like Urban Outfitters, HM, Heritage, and Uniqlo. Except Uniqlo doesn't have an online store! It angers me that I have to travel to NY or internationally to shop there. As far as online stores go, I like sites like Karmaloop and Johnny Cupcakes. I and the other members of ArtOfficial really look up to him and what he does.
Where can readers buy your clothing?
www.artofficialshop.com
We have our latest and greatest clothes from our release event there.
Are there any new products coming up?
- We're actually working on a few things. The first being a Valentine's Day line of t-shirts, and the second a black history month shirt. We'll be shooting a look book with Pathological Designers very soon and we want to feature both designs there. It should be great. We have a lot of creative guys and when we come together, we make great things happen.
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