crunchy riot
Bold, colorful graphics on clothing that ranges from hoodies to t-shirts to underwear, this is the creative, spontaneous design of upcoming streetwear brand, CRUNCHYRIOT.
By Zuza Gaboush
Station Magazine sat down with entrepreneur and brand owner Rashaun Robinson to discuss the come-up of his brand based in Dallas, Texas, and to learn about his philosophy of randomness: allowing life’s unpredictable qualities to adapt and manifest itself in his work.
Rashaun hasn’t been afraid to stick out from the norm. Starting his career in fashion during high school, he began painting on his clothes and wearing them out, receiving a mixture of varied responses. While he admitted that it can be difficult to let go of your ego and stop caring about others' opinions, he has always had a history of standing out so that he could differentiate himself from the crowd. Clothing is an accessible form of expression- something you can wear every day which demonstrates who you are as an individual. Looking at how far he’s come from painting on clothes in high school to being the founder of his own clothing brand, Rashaun remarks that,
“I feel like life has been teaching me [to have] a big imagination because a lot of things that you wouldn't think were possible when you were like, 19... all of a sudden you see people doing it now.”
Having a big imagination, not being afraid to take risks, and allowing your personal experiences with life to take root in your work are all factors of CRUNCHYRIOT. The creative process is simple. “Update your strategies and adjust to whatever happens and adapt. Get out of your comfort zone and don’t just stick to one thing.” He realized that leaning into the unpredictability and ever changing aspects of life strengthened his work, allowing him to move and transform work in ways he would’ve never expected. Rashaun notes that a reason why his work is so varied and evolves every year is due to the fact that he likes to keep it loose, to adapt and experiment with his pieces alongside his personal journey through life. Rashaun believes that the importance of allowing randomness to influence your work is based on the fact that,
“outside factors are not within your control... you kinda just have to let the randomness happen... just let it flow. Whatever happens, be forward-thinking.”
Being an ‘outcast’ has always been a part of Rashaun’s brand, even before it was conceived. He’s always valued difference, and his brand is a way to show that difference as well as connect to like-minded people. Discovering how to interact with an audience in order to create a community around clothing is a major aspect of owning a brand, and of streetwear culture in general; for Rashuan, “trying to get the people I find interesting involved” was a critical piece in getting his brand out there. “As far as, y’know, spreading the word, I wanna [include] artists that not everyone is paying attention to, or the athletes that didn’t get drafted. I’m trying to shine a light towards the people you would think are regular but [once] you learn about them you realize there’s so much more.”
When thinking about the future of CRUNCHYRIOT, Rashaun was certain of this: while he wants his brand to be successful, it’s important to him that it remains accessible for individuals who share like-minded views of his brand’s philosophy, for people who want to be seen on the outside as the creative they feel on the inside. CRUNCHYRIOT is made for people who are unapologetically themselves, created to unite and include a wide range of individuals based on their differences. Keeping his brand deeply ingrained in the community is necessary to him, and when asked what the end goal is, he stated, “I kinda wanna be like the Supreme of the underground. Like if people come down to Texas, they’ll know like, oh, CRUNCHYRIOT is down there... I want to have a certain privacy to my life which is why I'm not in a hurry to be big. I’m not tryna have everybody wear my clothes; although the brand is for everybody, I’m not doing this for everybody, if that makes sense.”
CRUNCHYRIOT chronicles Rashaun’s own story with finding himself through life’s experiences and using his platform as a way to make others feel included or seen. From the logo of the brand, an American Bison which is typically a solitary animal, one that Rashaun uses to represent himself, to the name of the brand, a random combination of words that points towards the erratic nature of the world- the brand embodies Rashuan’s personal and artistic outlook on life.
His advice to entrepreneurs looking to create their own businesses is this:
“Go out in the world, take a walk or listen to music, find inspiration in everyday life that you can use to tell your story. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to take advice from mentors in your field; always be open to critique and strive to evolve everyday. And if all else fails, just do it. If you have all these ideas it doesn’t mean anything if you’re not putting it to use. Dream big, adapt to the randomness that is life, and find your community”. This is CRUNCHYRIOT.
