SPEAKER_01 1:45

Welcome to another episode of the Hilltop Glove Podcast. Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Chris Murphy. He is a father, a photographer, and an entrepreneur that wears many hats. And he also is the creative mind behind Chris Scott Photography, where he specializes in capturing stunning photos, lifestyle moments, and memorable weddings. Beyond his photography endeavors, Chris is also a visionary behind the clothing brand Dyes Effects, a fusion of artistic expression and fashion that has gained attention far and wide. Dyes Effects, which he's wearing right now, has a passion. Since then, Chris has a passion for tie-dye and shines through in every piece of clothing. Drawing inspiration from his mesmerizing artistry of tie-dye to each garment is a unique masterpiece, reflecting Chris's dedication to creating wearable works of art. What sets Dye's effects apart is its individuality of each design. No two pieces are the same, making them truly special. Chris's journey into the fashion world took a bold step forward when he showcased in Columbia's Fashion Week. So proud of you. And with his tie-dye hoodies, his jeans and sweatshirts, he stole the spotlight. He's offering custom garments and he also does group events such as family reunions and personal touch-ups on other garments. I'm sorry, who's threw that over? Offers custom garment items for each event like family reunions and adds his personal touch to group adds his personal touch to group gatherings. And how are you today, Chris?

SPEAKER_00 3:20

Great. That sounded immaculate. That was awesome. Thank you so much. You always wanted to read that again.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

I'll email it to you.

SPEAKER_00 3:27

I was intrigued just listening like that.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

You can have it. LinkedIn, that's LinkedIn bio.

SPEAKER_03 3:31

Yeah. I'm not gonna lie. The bios, the bios are always outstanding. They always catch me off guard because man, we got really, we have really talented individuals here in Columbia. That's not true. And I always tell folks, I think we have a great talent pool. And when you actually read some of this stuff out, it just is mind-boggling. You don't think about yourself like that. I don't. I don't.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

You know, you gotta hear your accolades. You gotta you gotta give your flowers. That's like giving your flowers.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

I appreciate that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

You know, I know you, but the people don't know you, so you know.

SPEAKER_00 4:00

Yeah, that's what I was gonna say.

SPEAKER_01 4:01

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your childhood, what was it like growing up? Have siblings.

SPEAKER_00 4:06

Well, I'm originally from Brooklyn, New York. Um, wow, I have two older sisters. I'm the baby of the other bunch. Um shout out to Sonia and Latoya. I don't know. I'm from again, originally from Brooklyn, New York. I was brought up in East New York. I could think back as far as my art goes, it's like maybe fifth grade. I remember my art teacher, Mrs. Razor. Actually, that was kindergarten. Mrs. Razor was kindergarten, excuse me. She's actually the one who pushed my mom to like, you know, make me look further into my art journey. So she actually was able to give me like a little scholarship to go to Brooklyn College during the summer and just take, you know, different types of art and so on and so forth.

SPEAKER_01 4:41

In elementary school?

SPEAKER_00 4:42

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

Yeah, I'm fine.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

That was 306.

SPEAKER_03 4:49

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Oh man.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

So you like graffiti?

SPEAKER_00 4:52

Absolutely. That's that's that's where it started. It's like it started out in in kindergarten and then I ain't gonna lie, to get girls or just get girls' attention back in boys and girls high school. I used to actually just draw. I used to draw their name and leave it on their desk, or you know what I'm saying? That was back when we used to have loose leaf notebooks and you had the little clear plastic in the front. Yeah, you can't do that. You know what I'm saying? So you yeah, you slightly little graffiti piece in the clear plastic. Yeah, Chris Cash Cat Chris Cash is who they call me, but cash is what I write. So yeah, that was.

SPEAKER_03 5:21

Was that like your graph name? Yeah, cash. Cash. Oh okay. Oh, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

See, I didn't know that part about me.

SPEAKER_00 5:28

Oh when you will when you do see my my my graffiti, which is you know, just recently happened in at the museum. What during what was that? Oh goodness, art walk.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

Artwalk, yeah, yeah. That makes it, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

At the Glum Museum art?

SPEAKER_00 5:41

Yeah. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I did the I worked with the uh artist here. It's escaping me right now. Please.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Aja?

SPEAKER_00 5:47

No, it wasn't Aija. Well, it wasn't Aja. Actually, me and Jif did the artwork and um Veronica. Veronica is the one who is who's the artist who that uh pretty much created the entire treatment as far as the runway and so on and so forth. Yeah, cool. So, so yeah, that that event I was actually able to showcase cash, and then I had love in the background on the other side. That was cool. That was a cool experience. So casual.

SPEAKER_01 6:07

You are you do wear mini hats, okay?

SPEAKER_00 6:10

Yeah, I try to keep busy.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

When your birthday?

SPEAKER_00 6:13

October 15th.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

Libra.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Libra.

SPEAKER_01 6:15

Libra game. Libra this stuff.

SPEAKER_03 6:18

Good boy.

SPEAKER_01 6:20

I kind of just be guessing. October is like Libra, Scorpio, you know.

SPEAKER_03 6:24

Yep. I see how you vibe. I see how you vibe.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

You're creative.

SPEAKER_03 6:27

Yeah, Libra's like, no, you're right, you're right, right. She comes, god darn it. That's the big thing. She can catch you, she's gonna figure out who you are, and then figure out how that affects you.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

Actually, she's part of the reason why I'm at where I'm at. I have to give her that I have to give her that prop. Give her that prop. Because that one time you invited me to to come to that that Sunday brunch that we had is where the ball started rolling.

SPEAKER_01 6:49

Yeah, our own plus brunch last year.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

Yeah, that's that's where the ball started rolling. Yes. Once I came here, I met C Scott. Yeah. And C Scott pointed me in the direction to meet Dalvin, Dalvin Span. Then I met the dub.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

And I met Jiffy. Yeah. And then I met Juliet at the Cola Fashion Week.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

Oh, so that's how all that.

SPEAKER_00 7:11

That's how it started. That's that was the link. That was the link. It started when you invited me here. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01 7:16

It's my job to bring creatives together, create if you guys do not know our nonprofits. Yes. Check us out.

SPEAKER_03 7:22

Please do. Absolutely. I can't. I'm bringing it up. Don't like that. It's it's a really it's really hard to think. I know we're gonna start bringing back those brunches because they were they were such a good, not just ideas, but for networking. So you said bring it because a lot of folks don't know who who the people are that they need to contact in order to move forward certain ideas and expect especially being a creative, right?

SPEAKER_01 7:45

You know, and then you being multi-talented, you're like, okay, like which avenue, how do I get grants, or how do I get exposure, or what market do I need to be in? Yeah. All in one room.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

All in one room. All in one room. And I'm listening that that's where everything started for me. So, you know, that was just an opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone. Because you know, I'm I'm naturally a homebody, you know.

SPEAKER_03 8:05

Just about to ask you, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

I'm a laid back type of dude. I'm always in the crib, and you know, that was my opportunity to just step out and do something different.

SPEAKER_03 8:13

So now, since we're since we're speaking about it, I just gonna ask since you obviously you come and you learned something from it or gained something from that work plus brunch. Could you explain in your perception how important it is to have a community or network for artists and creatives to come together to gel and and just communicate?

SPEAKER_00 8:33

I mean, just based off the lineage I just explained to you right a minute ago, it's really important because you want to have people who are like-minded. You want to have people who have your best interests at hand, and you want to have people who can tell you their story, maybe you can learn something from them.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

Bounce some ideas.

SPEAKER_00 8:47

You know, you bounce some ideas and you know, you just never know where you want to where you can go with it. I mean, think about it. I do tie-dye. Yeah, you know, how many people you know it can make can say you they've made tie-dye kind of stylish. You know, it was in style, but I think I've added a style to it to where it's it has its own character, you know. Like you said, each piece is unique and that's done with intention. So, you know, just being able to say that, you know, I I met C Scott and then she actually put the burden on my back to do what to take it to another level as far as like to Canvas art.

SPEAKER_02 9:17

Yeah, so I'm also that.

SPEAKER_00 9:18

I saw that we could bring it in. Exactly. She was the brainstorm, the brainstorm behind that because she just saw it as a different as another medium. So, you know, that was just at that brunch. Also, you know, when it came to writing grants or getting grants and so on and so forth, funding. We had we had people there for that.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:34

So that that community, that that outreach, that that ability just to link up with people that can point you in the right direction is is necessary because without it, I would still be in the crib just making tie-dash.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

We're gonna keep that testimonial.

SPEAKER_00 9:46

We gotta keep doing though.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

That kind of goes into your our next question, like trusting your process. How did you trust your gut instinct to actually like go full force and you know, design for everyone, not just men, not just kids, not for a certain age group, like your designs, anyone could wear that.

SPEAKER_00 10:07

Well, to be honest, it started out as a collaborative effort. Like I saw, like I actually I'll be honest with you, it was a brand, it's a clothing store, I forget where they're from, but it's like his name is Lapstone and Hammer or somewhere. And they actually was making tie-dye drops here and there and so on and so forth. And I bought a t-shirt for $70. And much like when it came to photography, when it came to when it comes to like woodwork and so on and so forth, I'm like, I can do that.

SPEAKER_01 10:31

I'm investing.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

I can do that. So I started out with just buying shirts at Walmart and just realizing like, okay, you know, when I walk when I wear them outside, I'm always I get a reaction from them. Yeah, and then I started posting on Instagram. And then, you know, the more I did, the more pieces I did, the more creative I got. Then I had somebody real dope in my life, which was your mom.

SPEAKER_02 10:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

Her mom bought like eight sweaters from me.

SPEAKER_02 10:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

And each of them, she wanted each of them like that.

SPEAKER_03 10:58

I remember when she started rocking, I was like, yo, what are these?

SPEAKER_00 11:00

She wanted each of them different, different colors and everything and so forth. So that allowed me to create a catalog because of all the colors, like every color you can think of if she asked for. Yeah. So that allowed me to again display that on Instagram. And then if that went into just buying pieces, like like I wanted to be like the Ralph Lauren of Tide, I guess. You know what I'm saying? Because I have core pieces. And with some brands, it's always those core pieces, those blazers, those that certain type of hoodie with the the certain type of um neck on it, whether it's a drawstring and whatnot. Just noticing those different types of things. I just know I wanted to go in that lane and just create my brand to look like that, to have those core pieces that you can expect to see. And so putting it out on Instagram and just wearing it outside, just seeing people that's reaction, taking them to normal warehouse and just seeing people's reaction, knowing that this is not about me. You know, I like to I like for the people to put on my joint to feel like it's art. Yeah, their personal expression. And I think that's one big part. Um, you know, just one liking to see people feel good about themselves and knowing that I did that.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

And comfortable, man. And it's comfortable, right?

SPEAKER_00 12:05

And it's done with intention. Yeah, I do. Like again, I prefer quality over anything. That's one reason why I like that Ralph Lauren. Like, you know, when you buy something, Ralph Lauren, no matter what you spend, it's gonna be quality and you're gonna have it for a long time. Exactly. So investing in that quality, you know, do that trial and error, buying different types of hoodies and knowing which brands to rock with, which brands go with the die, so on and so forth, that whole process. It's part of me. Give I'm giving a part of me to you, just knowing that you actually gonna love this for a long time. And, you know, it's that's what's been working. Just taking myself out of it, just wanting to want people to feel good about, you know, something I made for them.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

That's the greatest thing as an artist, our creative, seeing someone rock your stuff, and you're like, oh my gosh, like you you rock for me. I made that. Like, thank you. It's like inspiring when I see people post the picture that I took as their profile picture or like as their cover picture.

SPEAKER_00 12:56

I'm like, man, I can't tell you like the feeling I get when I see somebody with a sweater or a hoodie that I'm in.

SPEAKER_03 13:05

I gotta ask you this, man, because all right, so our podcast, we are emotional. Right. And I know you were speaking a bit, and we're talking about trusting the process. Could you speak a little bit about your process? Because your stuff doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

Well, it's actually like a combination of everything that I saw on YouTube. Okay. I'll take something from one YouTuber's like, ah, that's not what I'm gonna do. I can't, I can't possibly try to replicate what something somebody else does. Yeah. That's just who I am, you know. That's it has to be right, right. I come from an area with no biting, no, no bit in my rungs, no biting my style. Yeah. So knowing that I don't want my stuff to look like anybody else's, I just take a bit of the of one process and add it to another. It's pretty primary. I one thing I do share it is ice dye primarily. So it's a labor of love where you just like throw ice in a certain way and throw the dye on top of it. And you just want to make sure that you just wait for the process. No, because you see, like what you look like more. One detail in it is the fold. So there's certain types of folds that you do to get the results that you that you desire. So, you know, I typically go through that, especially when I'm making a custom piece with somebody. I go through, you know, have you seen something I like that that you like that I've done? You know, I can make it your own. So, you know, with that, I go through the different types of folds that I do to get different types of looks.

SPEAKER_02 14:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:26

And we go through the color process because this is actually one color. What you're looking at is one color. And this is like becoming like my signature. I'm always gonna look like I put this in the show, I wear this all the time. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? It's because this is like that piece, it's like you look at it once or twice, and then you still find you still find different things that you like about it. And then with the the 3M the 3M logo on it, you it's definitely gonna catch your eye someplace.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

So I love the logo. Just seeing your brand like transformed from the beginning to now, I love it. You're very intentional.

SPEAKER_00 14:57

Absolutely, absolutely. Like the hoodies are not the same. They not no, they don't.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

That's what people gotta understand. That's something like Aaron Picture of the card. I'm like, I'm like, yes, like he's out here like working. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 15:07

I love it. What what all right? So, what or what experience or what did you see that made you understand that importance of marketing? And this is just like brass tacks explain our folks process again. Folks who are entrepreneurs are wanting to do art and have their art actually exist and get out there far. People don't think about that. And then for you, for you to make that something paramount, hey, I gotta make sure I market this properly, that people are gonna want to see this, that they come back, that they follow myself, that they like it, that it gets out there and has a life of its own. Like, did you learn that through education, schooling? How did you walk upon that?

SPEAKER_00 15:42

I'm still learning that, bro. That is the hardest part because as an artist, I get consumed with the product. Okay. You know, I get consumed with what it looks like and how I want it to look, and then I get stuck on how I want people to see it. So that was where that's where Cola Fashion Week came in at. You know, got people getting people to see that it's not just tie-dye, it's not just a tie-dye t-shirt, it's not just your regular. So that was pretty much my marketing. I'm actually going, I actually just got my pictures back. I'm really excited.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

The way you and Jiffy like met showed.

SPEAKER_00 16:13

Listen, listen, shout out to Jeff.

SPEAKER_01 16:15

Did that like their outfits? Oh my god, so cohesive, it really looked like like some top-notch. Yeah, like I would like wear every look. The men's stuff, like I want to put it.

SPEAKER_00 16:25

But it's actually stuff that you would wear, not just couture. Yeah, and I think that's what was the strength behind our our shoe, our session is the fact that what you saw on the runway, you literally could probably wear it. Wear I think was the strongest part of our blazers like because even her crochet, like her crochet is awesome.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

Yeah, you know what I'm saying. It mesh with the colors, the colors just like oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:46

Shout out to teaching oneself, teaching oneself crocheting. That is all right now back to this this marketing thing. Yeah, keeping it.

SPEAKER_00 16:53

So with the with the with the marketing piece, again, it was it was cola fashion week getting people to see what it looks like. And then of course, like I like to I need people to see themselves in in the in the garments. So my next the next thing I'm actually doing is actually releasing pictures that we took afterwards. Like I designed maybe two or three looks, and then I uh um connected with Cola Fashion Week, and they was able to set up a photo session with Aaron Smalls. We just got the pictures back. Um, I was gonna put them out yesterday, but I was like, you know what? Let me record, let me just, you know, holler at y'all real quick, and then once I leave here, I'm gonna release them. Oh, I'm gonna release like two or three, maybe three or four pictures. But you know, there were three models that that that came out and show love, and then the fourth was Jif. Yeah, she was not playing, but Jeff always holds the line. She delivered, yeah, and she killed this shit. Excuse my language, but she killed her. No, I'm really excited about these pictures, y'all. Cool. So when it comes to marketing, I'm still learning. It's being again, this is marketing. This is you know, getting people to see that this is me. They're buying me. This is something I love. I'm not just putting something together and throwing it out there.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

I like how you mix it with the shoes. Yeah, I like it.

SPEAKER_00 18:03

Say it.

SPEAKER_03 18:03

No, seriously.

SPEAKER_00 18:04

So I think the biggest part is getting people to see yourself in them, you know, getting people to see other people in them.

SPEAKER_01 18:09

I want to see a men's blazer.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

I got you.

SPEAKER_01 18:11

You got you got one of those?

SPEAKER_00 18:13

I have one. One of them.

SPEAKER_01 18:14

I want to see a men's blazer. You have one already?

SPEAKER_00 18:16

I have one. I have I bought one for the what was that, the Met Gala.

SPEAKER_03 18:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 18:21

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:23

The pictures are there. Yeah, yeah. I'm wearing a b I'm wearing a blazer dye of the same color.

SPEAKER_02 18:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 18:28

Yeah. And and could you speak to this too? Because I know one of the things that I guess it's a kind of a gateway that a lot of people don't like to jump over as as entrepreneurs or or beginning creatives and business folks. And I know this is something that we think about all the time. Do you spend money on marketing? Like specifically to get your brand out. Yes. Could you explain?

SPEAKER_00 18:56

Because I want people to hear it, because they think this is something that you don't know where I spend my money at is pretty much how can I say this? It's almost it's social media. You have to boost your posts. You spend money boosting your posts. You spend money on the pieces themselves. The photography I got covered. So that aspect I I take care of myself. But it's mostly just boosting posts. And then when I when I actually have like a street, street event that I go to, like something like a normal warehouse, it actually shut down recently. I know. But I went there a couple of times and people was able to discover the brand there. So, you know, you really for me it's about being strategic. It's about being really strategic and how where I put my money. And you have a budget? I don't really because I'll be honest with you, the way things are going for me right now. Yeah, the balance of, you know, being uh pretty much like a single father, yeah, you know, and then also just having that day-to-day lifestyle, taking care of those bills. Yeah, like you just want to make sure that where you put your money at is focused. So I focus my money, not necessarily a budget, but when I do have that extra income. It's not, it's not. When I do have that extra income, I'm putting it towards something meaningful and I'm getting, you know, getting the brand. The brand is growing. The brand is growing. People are finding it. That's what that's what I'm focused on. Brand brand is growing, and I'm just focused on being more my being myself. You know, like I actually didn't read none of the questions. I read, I read the questions real quick.

SPEAKER_01 20:16

No, people say that all the time, though, but then when they hear the bio, they're like, Oh, I like that. Like you, you made me sound like that.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

I read that, but I was like, okay, this is about me. I'm not reading everything.

SPEAKER_03 20:25

No, but I want it to be canned. Yeah, I don't want it to be canned. Yeah, do you know what I mean? I like I like natural, especially because as we always tell folk, the questions and the way in which we talk, it's just a guideline to make sure that we don't get off track. I know I'll be wilding.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

Me too. I like to I talk, you know what I'm saying? Exactly. I'm mostly quiet, but then when I do talk and I open up, I got a lot to say. You know what I'm saying? So again, just being myself, that's what I think people need to see. Just me being myself. I'm not I'm not one of those dudes who are just all about the money, who's just all about, you know, just themselves. This is not, this is the most selfless thing I do, to be honest with you. Because I like to I like to see people love themselves. Yeah, you know, I got an 11-year-old daughter, and we had that conversation, and I told her she needs to love herself. She she cried. And she's like, Dad, I need to hear that. I was like, oh shit, I'm about to cry too. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. So just having that, then that's my baby. So you just had knowing that that's you know, being myself is what is what my brand is gonna be about. And just putting that love into every piece I make. It may take a long time, you know. Some people do wait a while, but it's only because I don't put out the first thing that I that I make. Sometimes if I wouldn't, if I wouldn't wear it, I wouldn't put it on myself. I'll start over or I'll buy another piece, I'll spend the extra money just to get another piece because I want you to get your money's worth.

SPEAKER_01 21:41

Now talk about that. You're still more the process, you know, how many times you have to trial and error trying new products.

SPEAKER_00 21:47

So with certain colors, they bleed. Red bleeds pink. So if somebody asks me for something that's like red and white, like something for Valentine's Day, I have to let them know that it's not gonna be a solid red because red bleeds, no matter what tone of red I get, it's gonna come out. It's gonna bleed. It's gonna bleed pink. So that part of the process you kind of learn because you know you'll get a dye process, you get a dye, an ice dye process to go through right. And then you got your nice little white areas and whatnot, and you think that's gonna stick, and then you gotta wash that red. You gotta wash the dye out.

SPEAKER_02 22:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

Washing it out, you gotta make sure that you keep those white areas white. Yeah. So I made my business today. I don't offer that anymore. There's like the half-white ones, half. Yeah, I don't do it anymore because if it doesn't come out some of like if I if it's something not something I would wear, I'll start over. And you can bleach them, but the bleach damages the material. So it's it's it's definitely a process that I've learned to hone in on, especially when it comes to the fold. So I know I can get a certain fold and get the colors exactly the way I want them if I do a certain type of fold.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

So roughly how long does it take to do like one piece?

SPEAKER_00 22:54

Typically, you're supposed to let them soak for 30 minutes. I let it soak for at least 12 to 24 hours. Okay. And after the soaking process, I drain it out. It's all by hand. Everything is by hand. So I don't put it in a washing machine to drain out the because it's a it's a solution you soaking in soda ash. If you let it soak in soda ash, again, typically for 30 minutes, I do 12 hours or more just to make sure it's it's soaked thoroughly. And I ring it out by hand. Each piece is thoroughly by hand, wringing it out in the sink. And then you just pick your colors. Like if I have like a shoe that I'm trying to trying to match or something like that, I have my colors collected, or I'm doing an experiment, like this was a complete and total experiment. That's crazy. Yeah, it's just crazy. It's a nice experiment. Yeah, it's it just it depends on like the weight of the fabric, how much ice you use. I have a measuring stick for the how much dye I apply to the ice and so on and so forth. Like it's real in-depth process.

SPEAKER_03 23:45

This is and this is not sweatshop labor.

SPEAKER_00 23:47

Right, it's not. It's not easy, but then again, it's it's fun, it's exciting. Cause as soon as you put that that color to that ice, I can't wait. You gotta let it soak for at least eight hours. I let it soak for sometimes two days. The longer it soaks, the less, the longer you let the dye process and let the dye sit on top of it, the less likely you're gonna have bleed out and runoff. And therefore you get a more in-depth color in the results. Better probably you don't get something that sits on top of the shirt and that washes out after two or three, okay, two or three washes. Like I've intentionally, like I said, I wear this sweat all the time. I wash it, wear it, wash it, wear it, wash it, wear it. Just so you know that this is something that you can wear, it's gonna last for a long time.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

Now, where'd the name the name come from?

SPEAKER_00 24:29

Because the people are gonna be like, What?

SPEAKER_01 24:30

What is how does it mean how you say it?

SPEAKER_00 24:32

I'm from Brooklyn. Yeah, you're from Brooklyn, and one of my favorite groups in hip hop is Das Effects. And I guess I get kind of personal. I was trying to think of what kind of tie that I didn't want to be like the diest right, or you know, I didn't want to be to die for I didn't want to do anything like that. I wanted to do something that was for one influenced by hip-hop. Yeah, because I am thoroughly influenced by hip-hop. Yeah, and when I when I think about hip-hop, hip-hop kind of like accepts you. You can't just be hip-hop, you know what I'm saying? You can't come from as an outsider and think that you hip-hop, you know. So this is something that for me that I feel is my expression of hip-hop. So when it came to D'Es Effects, it was that song, Back in Effect. And I was just listening to it and I was like, wait a minute, Dyes, Dyes Effects. Yeah, that'll work. That'll work. I hopped out the shower because if I don't, if I if I don't um write it down someplace, I'm gonna forget it. I hopped out the shower, wrote it down, finished up, and then I just started drawing it. I started writing it down, my handwriting, just to see how it looks. And I was like, Yeah, that'll work. All caps, that'll work. So it's intentionally like cues, wherever you see it is stamped. You're gonna have to get it. No, I was about to ask you about that.

SPEAKER_03 25:41

Yeah, it's real bold.

SPEAKER_00 25:42

Yeah, it's real bold. Yeah, yeah, it's intentionally that way. Sometimes on the front, some on the back. And you know, with me, I like logos all over the place. So I have I work with different types of logos that I, you know, I give them the option to put on their shirts.

SPEAKER_01 25:55

That's another add-on.

SPEAKER_00 25:58

Yeah, yeah. But some brands don't do that. You get what you get, yeah. You get what you right, you get what you get. That's that's something I'm looking forward to doing, just giving you a drop. Because I think the the the customization aspect is something that I want to pursue, but I think for like match production, I want to do drops. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:12

I was about to ask, because this is more in the process, is like once once you start getting like because of course I I still I see your brand is growing and blowing up, right? Once you get to the point where now you have massive amounts of orders and you no longer can do the process in the way that you by yourself. Have you thought about how you would scale that up?

SPEAKER_00 26:33

I have because Daz Effects is just like one aspect of my artistry.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:39

As you mentioned, Chris Scott photography and it's Chris Scott photography and design. So the design aspect is where I've been focusing on. Photography is one thing, I love it. You know, I sometimes I fall out of love with it. It's because I can't be as creative as I want to be. So now that I have DAS Effects, the ultimate goal is to create a design brand, design firm. So Daz Effects is just that entry level. So when I think about mass production, I think about the idea that I want to keep it at a certain level. I don't want to make it too accessible. Um I wanted to have a certain mystique about the brand. You know, I want people to look for it.

SPEAKER_03 27:14

You don't want to be in Walmart.

SPEAKER_00 27:16

No, I don't. I don't. I don't want to it I don't want to make it to the point where it's just the same shirt all the time. I don't want to do that.

SPEAKER_02 27:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:23

I have a I have a goal that I want to keep it like sort of like a boutique style to it. Yeah you know, so but people know what is coming out, they go look for it. And then if they have something ideas that they want to create, they can reach out to me. And I I don't mind like you know, training or showing somebody how to do that's what I did with with Jeff. Like she did some of the tie-dye.

SPEAKER_01 27:41

So you can show people the process.

SPEAKER_00 27:43

Yeah, I would. I it's like something I keep to myself. Jif is the only one I've showed. Um, and she does the damn thing. She's she really paid attention to.

SPEAKER_01 27:51

I thought the crochet looked cro die tie-dye.

SPEAKER_00 27:54

Not the crochet night, but she kept the crochet crochet, but some of the crochet pieces that she paired with tie-dye, she did the tie-dye.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 28:00

Also, she did work for the tie-dye and the crochet. Okay, cool. Yeah, so she's that dope. I showed her, I showed her my process and showed her what results she can get, gave her the colors that she picked, and she ran with it. Actually, she picked this color. I'm not gonna tell what color it is, but she picked this color and I used it, and I was like, yo, I'm keep looking at this.

SPEAKER_01 28:19

I'm trying to figure it out. It's like it's one color. That is wild.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

It's like it's it's a metallic gray. I'll say that. It's a it's a gray color, it's a shade of gray. Dang of gray that produces like looks marble, maybe four, four or five colors. It's blues, it's greens, it's oranges, it's pinks.

SPEAKER_01 28:36

Now, would you be open to doing this process and teaching it to kids?

SPEAKER_00 28:39

Absolutely. Okay. Oh wow. Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 28:42

Because I think they would they would love that.

SPEAKER_00 28:43

I would love like something like a art class or something like that, because it doesn't stop at clothing. Right. No, you can show, I can show a kid how to dye canvas, wrap the canvas, and then paint it.

SPEAKER_01 28:53

Paint on top of it.

SPEAKER_00 28:54

That's that's pretty much like the next level of what I want to do this year. It's like actually collaborate with not just brands, but other artists just by creating a canvas for them to work on. To work on. No, you're right, because it can create some really unique. Yeah, because canvas is cotton. Yeah, you're right. As long as it's cotton, it can be dyed, it can be processed, and it can be painted on. So I have I have a few. I have a few that's like the 36 by 24. I have a few that's already lined up that I'm actually going to say, hey, listen, you can take this and on it. You've already had the canvas. I have them already. I just haven't like put them out there to the public. Jeff actually has one that she does with her Afro Cubism.

SPEAKER_02 29:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 29:30

We just haven't put it out there yet. Because I just I just want like, you know, we're just getting over Cola Fashion. Yeah, I know that was a lot. Another one coming up. Yeah, yeah. I'm thinking about jumping into that again.

SPEAKER_01 29:39

Do it.

SPEAKER_00 29:41

Do it. The block is hot. The block is hot. If the pieces come to me, I'm definitely gonna do it.

SPEAKER_02 29:46

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:47

Cause I I I actually thrift a lot of my pieces.

SPEAKER_02 29:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 29:50

And I said then some pieces I actually try to make original or just you know make my own, especially when it comes to like bombers and so on and so forth.

SPEAKER_01 29:57

That kind of goes into our uh next question, like being a man in fashion. So is it kind of intimidating?

SPEAKER_00 30:03

Yes, it wasn't because it was all love. Like everybody, like when I was safe again, we think about Cola Fashion Week. Any event I went to, people just told me about how much they like the brand. They didn't know much about me, which is cool. That's that's cool by me. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that I'm the type of artist I can put something out, walk away, and let just people go crazy over it. And just I won't even claim that that's mine.

SPEAKER_01 30:24

I just get a badge looking.

SPEAKER_00 30:25

Right, right. Right, go ahead. Right, right. That's the type of person I am. I'm just that low-key. But you know, again, stepping out on faith and you know, wanting to grow myself, grow my brand. Being a part of Fashion Week, it wasn't intimidating at all because of all love. I mean, I'm thinking about when I had when we was doing the show and I was backstage, it was like people who didn't know the brand was walking up to it looking at the looking at the racks like the colors, they pop.

SPEAKER_01 30:48

Let me tell you, y'all, they pop. That's why I've been wearing them when they pop and it just attracts your eyes.

SPEAKER_00 30:53

Everybody who did who was back there who didn't see the brand, they walked past and it was like, yo, that's dope. Like this, you did this? Like, yeah, I did this.

SPEAKER_01 31:00

You created your own lane.

SPEAKER_00 31:01

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I don't see it.

SPEAKER_03 31:03

I haven't seen anybody in around or by that.

SPEAKER_00 31:06

It exists. Don't let me, I'm I'm not the first. I'm not first. I just think I'm the one with the most style to it. I'm I'll say I'll claim that. I'll own that.

SPEAKER_03 31:14

I mean, because of course, I mean, you're you're looking at something and like most people know the whole saying, nothing's original, right? It ain't what Nas say it's not how how you it's not what you do, but how it's done. How it's done. Yeah, and that's what it is. You're doing it differently than others have seen it before.

SPEAKER_00 31:31

Intentionally, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:32

And that's what makes it dope. That's what makes the art the art because you can take a pretty picture, you can paint a pretty picture, but it's how you go about doing it that gives the effect to the audience, and they're they're they're seeing it.

SPEAKER_00 31:43

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm I'm thankful for every I'm thankful for being here. I appreciate y'all.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

I was like, why did it take so long to have Chris on the public hat?

SPEAKER_00 31:54

Everything happens with the at the time.

SPEAKER_03 31:55

I'm gonna say that's what it is. Like people are busy, stuff happens, we we we try to plan stuff out in advance. And it is weird because I mean, like from the first time that I met you, I was like, oh, we're gonna see him a lot. Yeah, we're gonna see him a lot, right? But then you you live life, stuff happens, etc. But just back onto men and fashion, I'm gonna say something that my wife should she would like for me to say this because she's always talking trash about this. She's like, What? Because it's funny that she said men in fashion. Well, men seem to actually run a lot of fashion. Yeah. And her big thing is like, well, why do men always make women's clothing? And they don't make them with pockets. We never have pockets on our clothes. I want pockets on my clothes. And so she, I was thinking about that. I said, Dang, she is right. We don't be making no pockets for women. Now, here's the cool thing about your stuff, it got pockets.

SPEAKER_00 32:41

Yes, absolutely. One thing I can say is that I like being a man, I don't always know what to pick for a woman.

SPEAKER_03 32:47

That's why, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:48

You know what I'm saying? It just so happens stuff that I pick happens to have pockets because as I'm thinking like a man, it's functional. I'm thinking like a man, but I'm picking something for a woman because let it be known that women are my biggest supporters. Wow. Women buy women buy more of my stuff than men do on any given day.

SPEAKER_01 33:05

That's that's a lie.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

Any given day. They buy them for the men. Yeah, and they buy them for themselves and they buy it for the men. Because I don't think a lot of dudes can see themselves, they like you don't when you think of tie-dye, you're thinking you're not thinking, you're thinking right. You don't think about like, yo, this actually got some kind of style to it. Yeah, get swag to it, except for the time, you know, and unless they see it, then they're not gonna understand it. But when women, for some reason, I don't know what it is, they have eyes, they have eye, they have the eye for it, and you know, it's always a compliment. It's always, oh, you can do something like this, and then I upcycle. I use that all the time. Listen, you got something in your closet that you tired of, you check and see if it's at least 80% cotton and hit me up. Wow. You know what I'm saying? If it's at least 80% cotton, I got a chance to make it something new, and you can take it and wear it like you just bought it.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

See, that's pretty cool too, because you're showing people how to like, you know, not just go out and just keep buying stuff.

SPEAKER_00 33:56

Not just because let me see what you're working with. That's why that's why I thrift.

SPEAKER_01 33:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:59

I found a jacket like weeks ago. I found out it's like a western full-length work jacket. It's like $120 on Amazon. I paid $6 for that.

SPEAKER_01 34:10

Wait, this is the one I asked you about.

SPEAKER_00 34:12

Is it?

SPEAKER_01 34:13

I was like, you was like, they sold out on Amazon, but they're it's fire.

SPEAKER_03 34:18

The way it's like this is like full length.

SPEAKER_00 34:21

It's a it's like it's like a rancher's winter jacket. Oh wow. It was six dollars, it's huge, it's long. And it's like when I find pieces like that, I'm like, yo, I hitting people up, like, yo, should I buy it? And as long as it's 80% cotton, it's good. That joint just happened to be 100% cotton because of its canvas. And so I got though, I got some pictures coming out with that too. I I I work with Jamal Joseph.

SPEAKER_03 34:44

That's good.

SPEAKER_00 34:44

It's gonna be dope. It's gonna be dope. And it's like, again, just looking at those pictures, I put a woman in that jacket. You know, because you just need to see that. Yo, women love Dodge effects. Yeah, and I appreciate that. I appreciate that because it's the blazers, you know, gifted one of the blazes. I do blazes, it's the the comfortable hoodies. Now I got the pants, everything is comfortable, everything is intentionally like made to feel like it's something quality that you wouldn't mind spending your money on. Because that's ultimately, I do want to have a high dollar mark. Yeah, but at this point, it's something that's growing. So I do want to have it to the point where it's really high-end, it's custom, it's you know, it's aglets on your on your on your on your laces if you get one of those hoodies. It's you know, little buttons here, so on and so forth. I want to make it really tailored towards a woman's taste because my with the women who buy my stuff buying for themselves and even they buy for their men as well. I gotta make it.

SPEAKER_01 35:37

Showing your appreciation.

SPEAKER_03 35:39

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I gotta tease on this for the for women with hoodies because there's uh somebody that I follow. A couple online and they do their little vignettes. And one of the things that they make fun of is the fact that women are always stealing a men's hoodie.

SPEAKER_00 35:53

Yeah, I think I saw that.

SPEAKER_03 35:54

Oh my lord. And so no wonder. I'm like, yeah, y'all really do like hoodies. Yeah, so I can see like, yeah, they're comfortable. Like you said about being comfortable in your closet.

SPEAKER_01 36:03

I got a good 20 hoodies in my closet. See, you got like women like complex hoodies. Yep, yep. Like Richard Norphe's hoodie, model hoodie, beat con hoodie.

SPEAKER_03 36:13

Beacon.

SPEAKER_01 36:14

Speak love, no hate hoodies. I just love hoodies. Um boos and dope hoodies. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:22

I just love hoodies. Yeah, because it's comfortable clothing. And I guess people don't think about when it when you think about fashion, and even like we were speaking earlier about couture and all this other stuff, like fashion, technically, like comfortable clothing is fashion.

SPEAKER_00 36:35

Yeah, and it can be very fashionable. That's the route that Kanye West was going.

SPEAKER_03 36:39

Yeah, seriously. Comfortable, yeah. Like I can put this on and I can go. Like, I don't have to worry about being having to have on Spanx for this to work. The Spanx of God. Like, I ain't gonna have it on the Spanx? Yeah, I said, man, you know what? I'm gonna start getting me some of them Kim Kardashian drawers. They be looking so for real.

SPEAKER_00 37:11

Let me stick to my hands.

SPEAKER_03 37:12

Yeah, hands work, man. And they kind of they breathable, they feel good on your body, it's actually good for your health. Yeah, so y'all don't know what them skims are doing too. You have all kinds of fungus and stuff growing on your body, but it's all good. But we just had to take a little break on that one to say that. But again, one last point on men in fashion. Yeah, most of the large-scale like designers and and big fashion folk, we know there's a lot of white males dominating that that sector as a black male, and not that it has to be a racial thing. I just want to know this is because I'm a black male too. How does it feel being in those rooms? Do you feel you get the same type of respect? And is there camaraderie when you're in those rooms talking fashion? That's a really good question.

SPEAKER_01 37:56

That was good. I wasn't even on the list, y'all. Just so y'all know.

SPEAKER_03 37:59

That's just how my mind works.

SPEAKER_00 38:01

For me, and I'm I'm glad you asked that question because I think about this often. And the way I think about it is like everything is like black, a black owned, not everything, but the brands that come out like it's really a big thing to be a black-owned business. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:15

And I don't have anything anything against that because I am a black man that owns a business. But I'm in the people business.

SPEAKER_03 38:22

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 38:23

You know, so when I get the when I get people that come up to me from any particular, you know, walk of life, ethnicity or whatnot, it's all diverse.

unknown 38:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:32

And so being in those rooms, they see the work first. Then they see me. It's like, oh, that's you. They're not seeing me and then seeing the work. You know, so like if I'm exhibiting my work and I'm if I like, you know, if I'm if I'm at the museum and I'm doing arts and drafts, and you know, I'm pretty much like the only black man in there with a with the with the spot. You know, we know they're not coming up to me and like, hey, Mr. Black man, let me look at your work. They're looking at the work and like, hey, yeah, this is dope. Good work. And I'm like, hey, this is my and they shake my hand, they grief, they ask questions.

SPEAKER_02 39:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:06

And it's nothing more gratifying than standing and talking to anybody about what I do. Like I people stand there and ask questions, just like you asking questions. You know, what's what about the process? You know, you know, how did you do that? How did you get into it? So on and so forth. So when I get that type of reaction, I don't think about being black. I think about me just I'm doing something for people, and people are loving it. And not saying that black comes second because at the end of the day, I I love being black, you know.

SPEAKER_03 39:32

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:33

But it's it's even dope when you could just, when your work speaks for itself. Yeah, yeah. It's even it's even more gratifying when it's not about you, it's not about that your skin color, it's not about where you're from. That's your work. Yeah, yeah. And that's why as a creative, like before I was comfortable not being Chris Scott, the photographer, not being Chris Scott, you know, the person who's out there having a conversation with people. I was comfortable with being in the background, but now that I realize like there's a power behind being able to be myself and also to connect with people, it's even more gratifying being in those rooms and seeing the different reactions and knowing that, okay, every every place I go, somebody tells me you're onto something. Yeah. I always hear that. And so that's like, okay, I'm onto something. And not just as a black business, but as a person, as an artist, as a human, you know. I think that's really dope. And that's that's what keeps me going, you know, to be honest with you. Just seeing the people, seeing people's reaction.

SPEAKER_01 40:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:24

It's dope. I like your mindset.

SPEAKER_01 40:26

What type of people are you looking to work with or seeking to work with?

SPEAKER_00 40:31

Artists. I have a knack for like interior design.

SPEAKER_01 40:34

Yeah, talk about that because they don't know. I didn't mention that in the bio, y'all.

SPEAKER_00 40:39

Well, you know, having built furniture before, I did do it professionally for some time. I worked here with a uh furniture designer. I'm not gonna mention the name or nothing like that. We still cool, but you know, it is what it is. But having that, and I did it, I guess that extends for me being in a little small bedroom back in Brooklyn, New York, and seeing everything, like seeing like on TV, things can be different. Yeah. And now that I'm here in the South, things are different. And then you know it, honey, home ownership is important. Yeah, and also the style of your home is important. So if you're married, it's it's important. If you're a bachelor, it's important. So it's always been important for me to have a dope crib. If I could put together a dope outfit, why can't my crib be dope? So I want to work with people who don't mind, you know, dying some some poultry, you know, having certain pillows and so on and so forth. If I don't, if I don't do that, I could do it myself. I could do it myself, you know. But I want to, I would love to work with an interior designer. You know, I would just want to sense. I want I would want to do everything. I want to do textiles, I want to do wallpaper, I want to do, I even want to do furniture that has a dye, a tie-dye effect to it. Like there is no no boundaries to where I can go with this because it's all from it's all from a place of love and it's all it's all from a place of just wanting to be be myself.

SPEAKER_01 41:54

I want to get into textile design and pattern making.

SPEAKER_00 41:56

So that's what tie-dye is. That's what's so cool when you talk about that. You think about like like indigo, like what like C Scott told me about indigo and how important that is to the South Assona. It's like hard to get batches of indigo, you know. So I would want to work with somebody who does indigo art. Like there is no again, there is no boundaries. I just I want to work with people who just want to make it, you know, have a positive impact on the world as it is. Just be art, just be artistic, just find shit tough to do.

SPEAKER_01 42:25

The limit does not exist. It doesn't exist. It doesn't.

SPEAKER_00 42:27

It doesn't. There is no limit to who I am and you know the people who I can meet.

SPEAKER_01 42:32

Where can people find you on social media, contact you, place orders?

SPEAKER_00 42:37

It's all on Instagram and Facebook, DASFX, D Y E S E F F X. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 42:45

And photography. Your photography.

SPEAKER_00 42:47

Oh, photography, Chris Scott, P X D on Instagram.

SPEAKER_01 42:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 42:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:52

Thank you for having being here today. I was about to say thank you for having us.

SPEAKER_00 42:57

No, thank you for for inviting me. You know, again, I appreciate it from day one. Like, this is you had a vision, and I appreciate the fact that you invited me. And you'll thank y'all for having a platform. Because like I said, with that, but without that brunch, yeah, who knows where I would be.

SPEAKER_03 43:10

Oh, I like how I like the this is natural growth. This is a full circle moment.

SPEAKER_01 43:17

Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_03 43:17

Absolutely, absolutely. It can only get better from here. And I will say, I always like to have conversation. I always say this because I'm gonna make sure people realize I always say this for real. I like conversating with people that we know. Right. Because the conversation is always good and it's always genuine. So it's nice to actually sit down and chop it up to get to know more about you and what you're doing out here so that the audience will know. So we can get you out here more, man. Because I think there's something that's good for the for our for our city and just our our cultural influence and what we're doing. Because again, we go other places and we see beautiful things that they're doing, et cetera. I'm like, yeah, we got stuff back. Columbia's home, man. So yeah, we always want to make sure we should.

SPEAKER_00 43:58

And this is home. So I appreciate y'all for having me here.

SPEAKER_01 44:01

And if you ever need us to support or promote anything, just send it to us. All right.

SPEAKER_00 44:05

We'll do. That's that marketing I need help with.

SPEAKER_01 44:07

We got you.

SPEAKER_00 44:08

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 44:09

Matter of fact, we have one of our Swanses, man, does marketing. And yeah, we get to bother him, we're gonna bother him about some things. I told him I gotta call him to bother him, and he'll he'll even give you consultation. That's awesome. Yeah, I appreciate it. But uh man, I like to say we had a great dope conversation today.

SPEAKER_00 44:23

Thank you. Thank you for letting me uh go off like I did. I know Connor's off in the tent.

SPEAKER_03 44:27

No, you're fine. That's what we wanted. That's what we want. That's what we want. That's what we want. But for DJ and what? Skipping the back, our intern, Mr. Breesha. Yeah. And then our esteemed guest, Chris. Thank you. Thanks for watching. We appreciate having you here today to speak with us. Yeah, give that good smile on that camera so they can see your face, man. I appreciate y'all. Yes, sir. But the Hilltop Glove, we're gonna be uh podcast. We're signing off. As I like to tell everybody, make sure you tell somebody I'm gonna look at this camera here. Tell somebody next to you or around you that you love and you appreciate them. Until the next time. Peace.