Travis Gumbs: With back to school season in full swing, it is the perfect occasion to unveil our latest project, The Black Ivy. For this feat, we teamed up with F.E. Castleberry of Unabashedly Prep, a great guy and even better photographer whose talent and work ethic was more than enough to fulfill the high expectations of this monumental juncture.

When Josh and I first started thinking about this concept, we saw it as the perfect opportunity to  intertwine style, character, education and art with a culture that we are not only familiar with, but actually a big part of. The Black Ivy serves as a tribute to the first black colleges that paved the way for our generation and created a common ground for hardworking, likeminded individuals. What the original Black Ivy league did for folks many years ago is what we strive to do today with individuals that inspire, motivate and spark the creativity of  beings around them.

 

This is a video that we shot the day of the shoot. The quality of work that flourishes whenever creative minds bind together never ceases to amaze me. CJ of Culture of Creativity was wizardly able to catch the intense fervor and passion of that immaculate day. I am so grateful that we are able to have some sort of video representation of that day; describing it in words is very much next to impossible. Some of you guys probably remember Joekenneth’s epic spoken word performance in Sewn From The Soul. His stage presence, wordplay and delivery is unmatched. When he speaks you not only hear him, you feel his words pierce deep within. What we strive to do with clothes, Kenny does with words.

The Black Ivy from Street Etiquette on Vimeo.

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The Black Ivy from Street Etiquette on Vimeo.

A special thanks also goes out to each and everyone who participated in this project, whether it was behind the scenes or in front of the camera. We are grateful to call each and every one of you our friend, acquaintance, colleague and brother. This will surely not be the last time we make art together. Much love and respect also goes out to the hardworking students who currently attend the historically black colleges of today.

The Bkc also helped a great deal in the building of this project. Ouigi, the man behind the line, is the true backbone behind the whole style and character philosophy. Make sure you keep an eye out for there fall items on their blog and in-store.

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