Introducing 365 Black Fxck 28 Days by Sub Culture Fashion

In this post, I'm serving you something new in the world of conscious fashion. I had the honor and privilege to use my photography for a dope Atlanta collaboration with Choiices The Series, an LGBTQ web series we introduced you to in a previous post, and 365 Black Fxck 28 Days of Sub Culture, non-binary fashion line designed by Kareema Black also known as K. Black.

K. Black and Choiices creator and writer, Nadja Warith-Sharp brought this collaboration to life, with the help MOTS Media and CAPZ TV.

As the photographer of this shoot, I wanted to put my focus on the clothes. I angled my camera to capture the conscious messages on the originally designed garments. The shoot took place at a really cool looking bike shop right in front of Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

THE PHOTOSHOOT

I fell in love with Sub Culture’s movement so much so, I networked with K. Black and booked an interview. She took the time to voice record her responses to my questions. During the interview, learn about how she got started, her beloved WHISKEY & YOGA project, and everything it took to get to where she is now. Seriously, there really is nothing like fashion with true depth behind it. I think you’re going to love learning about her movement.

Sit back and take a good listen!

MEET DESIGNER K. BLACK

TRANSCRIPT

Hey, my name is Kareema Black. I go by K. Black. I have a non-binary lifestyle brand called 365 Black Fxck 28 Days. It’s dedicated to highlighting blackness, thought, style, and statement. I have a mother brand called Sub Culture, and that’s merging different cultures through creativity.

365 Black Fxck 28 Days is dedicated to highlighting blackness, thought, style, and statement. So you have clothing with meaning, with style. So every piece has different statements.

How did you prepare for your career in fashion? And, tell us your creative process.

So 365 Black Fxck 28 Days it's a style and statement brand. So we wanted to make sure we stayed necessary, stay relevant and up-to-date with the movement. The easiest way to do so would be by fashion. Sub Culture, we started off by selling vintage clothing. We would thrift clothing from all over. It was a team of two stylists. We would thrift clothing and then we should style local artists, do fashion shows, etc., do pop up shops. Once we entered the vintage clothing, 365 Black Fxck 28 Days arrived from there.

The preparation was more so two people from the same town meeting up again in a different city and just putting our ideas together and collaborating and eventually a lot of creativity came from there. With creativity came movement and power and 365 Black Fxck 28 Days was set. It started off with the first line featured t-shirts and caps. That was the first part of the merchandise. I had shirts dedicated to victims of police brutality. We had a shirt for Sandra Bland. It’s actually a distressed t-shirt. It’s kind of long and like I said, it’s new and used clothing. Some of my tan t-shirts are actually from when I was in the army. I just took what I had and also what I sought out, as far as like clothing and material, and I just combined it with my own style. Some people may just see it as a tan t-shirt. I see it as a really dope tan t-shirt and I’m going to make it doper! That is when I add my own style to it and also with the movement.

What are the goals of your projects and the thought process behind your solution?

The goals of my projects are to continue to grow, expand and just always use my platform to empower and also show love. Embrace the fact that everybody in this world can really eat. Like we all have a seat at the table. The goal of my brand is to continue to put that out there. I don’t necessarily have a solution to anything. But my solution is always to stay true to who I am and give exactly who I am on my clothing and what I stand for. I think that’s important for us as black people who are the number one consumers of the world.

How do you stay organized when you're provided with multiple design assets and ideas?

I can take that over Pride Weekend. I can give you an example. On the low, I had a lot going on and it was pretty cool because I got to make a bunch of custom pieces. I had a few people come in to get styled for different shows. It was just a lot of success for me and I felt as though it was executed really well. I’m doing this full time right now. Doing my brand, it’s full time. I’ve taken all of the time that I would be putting into something else, and I’m putting it right into my brand. It’s not necessarily hard to be organized. I literally just make a schedule and I follow it. I make sure I hold myself accountable and I always make sure I remain calm. That’s my biggest thing.

Organization hasn’t always been something I’m really good at but I felt as though I came along with a method that works for me. I’ve been doing it and following it religiously. I’m very comfortable and confident in that. Everything just works out right now. And, as I grow, I’m pretty sure I’ll come up with new ideas to stay organized.

What project are you most proud of?

I did tell you that Sub Culture is the mother brand. We merge different cultures through creativity. Under the Sub Culture umbrella we have an event called WHISKEY & YOGA. Oh my God, I absolutely love this event! WHISKEY & YOGA is a feel-good event catering to the ear, souls and palettes of the guests. What that means is it’s in an event that stands for quality over quantity. It’s also an event that just goes off of vibes and energy. You’re not pressured to do anything at all but just come out and vibe out and have a good time. I’ve had one that was in after hours that started at 3:30 in the morning and people didn’t leave until 10 o’clock but it was over at 7. It was at a spot that was kind of like an arcade, Sweet Auburn. It was really awesome. People came, really went to sleep and woke up to come here. I felt as though that avenue was really dope. We had after hours. We had day party.

The last WHISKY & YOGA we had was at Piedmont Park. We had a yoga instructor. She was really dope. Yogini girl. Like really amazing. We had yoga from 4-5. People came out with their yoga mats. It was just amazing. The feeling that I get when I see people at WHISKY & YOGA is kind of like, I don’t feel like that about anything else. Wow, this is really amazing because it’s really a space that I wanted to curate for people to just come out and be themselves really but not necessarily telling them that. You know what I mean, just opening up that space and letting people already feel comfortable. Wear what you want. It’s just a really good time.

I started WHISKEY & YOGA before like with Sub Culture, when I had a business partner. It was always something I felt passionate about and I felt as though it could be really big and lot of people fuck (excuse my language) with the vision. I just thought that it could grow. Although the person I initially did WHISKEY & YOGA with no longer wanted to be a part of it (we went our separate ways), I never stopped. That’s why it’s so special to me because I saw a transition from then to now and it’s like I see where it’s going to be in the future. So it’s like when you really want something, it does not matter what goes on in your life, you still go after it. WHISKEY & YOGA is definitely my baby, for sure.

We've had a day party one where it was in the the underground on top of CEI Hair School. It’s like a really dope loft space. So there are two levels on that one. On the first level, I had a bunch of vendors. Just the dopest vendors in Atlanta. Whoever wanted to come out and just display your work. Everybody’s work was amazing. We had clothing brands, people who did jewelry, Tipsy Treats where they make alcoholic desserts. That was just amazing. That was a really great one. We had the first two there. Then you go out on the rooftop and people were just outside either smoking, talking, chillin', skateboarding and then you went upstairs and that was like the dance floor party.

What rules, culture, and/or structure needs to exist to foster your collaborations?

I think I’m going to answer this the way I believe you’re asking it. I feel as though clearly from the past, and anyone’s past, you can always learn from an experience and go into something different with a different mindset, whether it be good or bad. I think there has to be a shared vision almost. We kind of have to at least see the same thing. If we’re going to reach a common goal, we kind of have to share that vision together. A lot times when you go into something with people, they may not really understand where you’re trying to go with things. So you might want to make sure you’re totally on the same page. You’ve got to build a culture of, I don’t know. You just got to build that foundation of making sure you guys are both set on the same thing or at least similar things that you can both work towards and grow.

Who are the designers behind Subculture/365?

The designers are K. Black and Kareema Black. I’ve done all the designs myself. I’ve shopped the looks. I’ve made the looks. I’ve done it all. It’s kind of just my own creativity. When I say the designers, that’s me physically doing everything. The inspiration and everything else like that, that’s life. That’s people who I’ve been influenced by, experiences, people around me who influenced me and pump me up. I feel as though I’m doing it alone physically. I’m making the pieces and I’m doing it like this but it definitely takes a village to create a movement or to awake a movement in a person. So when you are through life and are inspired by people. I’m inspired by Saul Williams. I’m inspired by Kanye West. I’m inspired by Angela Davis. I’m inspired by so many people. I’m inspired by Feminista Jones. There are so many leaders who have been a part of my life and my experience who have really helped me get to the point of having 365 Black Fxck 28 Days. I’m from West Philly and I’m inspired by my ghetto. You know what I mean. I’m inspired by my brothers and sisters. So the actual designer is me, but the influencers are the people who’ve been a part of movements over time, and who’s led people. I’m inspired by Ramona Africa. I’m inspired by the M.O.V.E. organization. I’m inspired by John Africa. Those are organizations, lifestyle changes and movements. Not even movements, just organizations who were there and the government tried to shut down and stop. I’m inspired by things like that. I’m inspired by Tupac. I’m inspired by, you now what I mean. I’m inspired by greats and inspiration. To me it’s all a part of my brand.

I’m grateful to have taken the journey that I’ve taken. I don’t think it’s necessarily that hard to stay positive. Well, don’t want to say it’s not the hard. It hasn’t been that difficult for me for the past two years, or the past year, to be positive.

How do you keep it together spiritually and professionally?

I like to meditate and center myself. I’ve gone on journeys in life or just personal challenges that has helped me to be where I am right now. I’m spiritually sound. I feel as though I’m going to continue to be there. Professionally, it’s really dope to me to be professional. It’s really dope to be prepared. It’s really dope to work with people and they’re like, “Wow!”. You know, they’re wowed by you. I’m big on service. I feel like I’m here to service people, or life in general. So, when I’m working with you, I feel like I want to service you or impress you. Those two things help me keep it together.

CONCLUSION

I do want to say overall I’m most proud of everything because I feel as though I know everybody has meaning to everything that their doing. I feel it’s very important that even when you’re partying, even when you’re just you know walking down the street, you just have a purpose in life. Once you recognize that purpose and you really go after it, there’s nothing that can stop you. You know what I mean. You recognize the guide that’s inside you almost. Once you do that, you kind of have a different light in the world. I feel like I’m proud of everything that I’m doing because I know where this energy is coming from.