Juicy Peach: When did you first start your clothing line Materialistic Enspiration? Where did the name come from? I noticed you use E instead of I for inspiration.
Rod: I started it 3 years ago, I started with the I love head tshirts. That shirt sold out in like a week. It was like a promo shirt it didn’t have nothing to do with the name. The name comes from growing up, my momma kept me in high end designer clothes so basically I became materialistic and when I got my first job all I was doing was working to buy clothes. Buying shoes, clothes, that’s basically being materialistic. By me being a shorty I was inspired to become materialistic. I’m tired of spending 300, 400 on clothes and shoes I was like I’m gone make my own. So that’s where I got the name. And at the end of the day all you got is yourself so that’s why I changed the I to an E and it’s me.
Juicy Peach: What is your vision for everything in 2014?
Rod: 2014 I’m taking off like for real this time. I started it 3 years ago, I was making the money but I was spending it doing other stuff like paying bills. But this year I got a couple investors and I’m building a team. So it ain’t just me it’s us.
Juicy Peach: Why is there not a website available is there one coming soon?
Rod: Yeah it’s a website coming soon but for now it’s just local. Cause I ain’t really into the shipping thing to heavy. I don’t like when packages get lost. So for right now I’m going to keep it local.
Juicy Peach: What inspires you the most?
Rod: Just seeing people fresh, just good fashion not this fufu shit going on around here. Just real people who’s been doing it. People that enjoy being fly and know how to dress up. FLY SHIT ONLY! Your woman could wear cheap leggings or whatever and look good in them but for men it’s different. You can have on a white tee but every man think they clean if they have a pocket full of money but that white tee ain’t gone do it. You gotta dress it up a lil bit and now days you don’t see too many men in white tees everybody into fashion now. I also made a quote “Fashion is going to outshine violence one day” cause it is. Everybody’s getting into fashion, everybody have a clothing line out/ t-shirt line or want to have one. If you look around you will see this expanding and we need that.
Juicy Peach: Are you the only designer for your line?
Rod: Yeah I am, I have friends that have ideas and I just put them on paper and bring it to life in front of them so they can see it. But for future references whoever hear this If you have an idea and I rock with it we could make something happen and put some money into it.
Juicy Peach: What group are you trying to appeal to most with Materialistic Enspiration?
Rod: Everybody has a little bit of Materialistic Enspiration inside of them. I don’t know one person who doesn’t enjoy checking out at that cash register. That’s just real talk.
Juicy Peach: What is your favorite clothing line that you rock besides your own?
Rod: Nike, Jordan, but on the high end I like Gucci, Louis, Fendi , the Main Oak Street, Mabel’s, for women Tory Burch, it’s a lot of them out there.
Juicy Peach: I really like the West Side gear that you have, what significance does the west side of Chicago plays into your life?
Rod: This is where I was born and raised at. This is home. Everybody say that the west side small or they say it’s a small world but the west side ain’t small it’s just smaller than the south side. Everybody know everybody cause its all love out west. Out west is solid its more universal people out here. You can go any where you want to go out west but out south you can’t leave your block. I’m not dissing the south side but I just don’t rock with the south side like that. I love Chicago but I love the west side.
Juicy Peach: Who are your biggest supporters?
Rod: Family and friends right now. There isn’t just one person cause everybody rock with me. I ain’t never got a complaint about nothing. Quality merchandise = Quality Customers and that’s quality business.
