Be fresh ... or die.
That's the slogan for Dumb Fresh, the line that Tunde "Boogie" Adesina (senior - industrial engineering) co-produced with partner Ryan Finney, a friend from high school and graduate of the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Now, Adesina said the first shipment for his line is arriving soon and that he expects the line to continue to grow from this point on.
Q: How did Dumb Fresh Clothing (DFC) begin?
A: It all started back in high school, senior year. We were getting stuff printed on jackets, doing things that nobody else was doing. Eventually, I went out to Penn State and my buddy, Ryan S. Finney, went to the Art Institute of Philadelphia and he decided to follow up on it.
Q: What is the significance of DFC's logo, the goldfish?
A: The goldfish concept is basically if you place one in a small bowl, it remains the same size. But place a goldfish in a bigger bowl, and it'll grow. It's similar to how Dumb Fresh is.
We left Baltimore and decided to make something out of nothing. We ended up with a great fish in a big ocean.
Q: What kind of clothing does Dumb Fresh offer?
A: We strive to create clothing that fits everyone's unique style and needs, too.
It's blending urban wear with a punk kick and vintage taste. It's a mindset, and we encourage only one thing: Be fresh or die. I think everyone will like it. The polos -- we have really exciting colors and color combinations. Our designs provide a form of new fresh air to the industry.
Q: How did you get the funds together for having the line manufactured?
A: We started out raising funds to get a line.
We started with T-shirts with sayings like "I am Dumb Fresh" and "99 Problems." Things worked out, and we raised the funds we needed. And, a talented manufacturer found us on MySpace. We crunched the numbers, and everything came into place.
Q: What else will Dumb Fresh have to offer in the future?
A: We plan on doing denims, accessories, hats, socks and more.
We also plan on pushing out children's line that will be called, "Born Fresh."
We support all walks of life from adults to toddlers.
Somewhere along the way we plan on getting into fragrance. Our main purpose now though is to push Dumb Fresh.
Q: Where and when can people buy Dumb Fresh clothing?
A: We're having our clothing carried by 5Twenty7, 214 E. College Ave.; people can walk in and purchase it.
We're also having a Web site designed right now, and it will be for sale there, too.
Our whole thing is to not only cover the United States but worldwide.
We have certain things going on; we have stores interested in our clothing in France.
We're interested in London and other great cities famous for fashion.
