One Heart
Meet Devin, the young, driven mind behind the eclectic, versatile and standout brand: One
Heart. Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Devin has his finger on the pulse of streetwear
fashion and trends, creating distinctive, unique work by amassing a wide range of inspirations
into unified pieces; a collage of fashion history, music, culture that at its core, represents the
creativity and innovation that makes streetwear what it is.
By Zuza Gaboush
Devin has been into fashion and clothing his entire life. During his time at college, majoring in theatre arts, he was exposed to costume designing where he was taught how to sew and piece together textiles. Looking back on this time, Devin recalls that this experience supplemented his desire to pursue the creation of his own brand, assisting him in further realizing that clothing was a part of his destiny. Devin began teaching himself more about the process of brand ownership and clothing through a DIY process; educating himself through Youtube and experimenting on his own. He states the reason he committed to starting his own brand was because of his desire to be an individual, to stand out from the rest of the crowd and not be put inside any boxes. He wasn’t seeing clothes that he wanted to wear out in the market, so he decided to create his own. This is where One Heart was born.
Growing up in New York was a large part of Devin’s come up, and the city inspired him to stay true to himself, take risks and disregard any judgment. He describes the culture of Times Square as ‘chaotic but calm’, a culture which he finds mirrored in streetwear.
“Streetwear... doesn’t care. [It’s] wear what you want, how you want it.”
By pulling from his daily life, using experiences from walking around the city, perusing social media or listening to music, Devin is able to curate integrated, unified pieces from a large amalgamation of inspirations. Whether it be sports, music, or the city, Devin is constantly taking inspiration from his life and compiling them into his work. The collage-like effect this creates is evident in his pieces: from half-denim half-camo pants, to graphic tees that infuse text and various kinds of imagery, to his upcoming drop of a bubble coat, paying homage to New York style inspired by the designer brand Moncler; Devin is a pioneer in defining and carrying the tradition of streetwear culture, consistently working to surpass trends by using what has previously existed to generate something new, different and unique.
Devin started his brand at the age of 23, while working a 9-5 as a bartender at Top Golf. Juggling a traditional job while being the sole business owner of One Heart, Devin realized that what initially seemed like a setback (getting fired for arriving late one day), was the opportunity that allowed him to buckle down, focus on his business, and thrive. One Heart has only been sound for 7 months at the time of this article, but Devin’s commitment to his craft is demonstrated in his brand’s growth and reach. For a relatively new brand, One Heart has already stamped its name on the streetwear community, and Devin’s passion for his work only continues to inspire and propel his work further.
Despite the ‘calm chaos’ that defines the individuality of Devin’s brand, at the crux of One Heart lies the importance of community and love. Describing the meaning and motivation behind the name of his brand, Devin reflects on his culture and community. “I’m from New York so slang [we use] will always be like, ‘yo what’s good ma heart?’ That’s how we talk... that’s our way of saying I love you to death.” Grounding his brand in the place that raised him, Devin decided to implement a part of the culture into his company, crafting meaning from New York slang as well as the importance of care for one’s self and community. “Everybody has their own heart. You got your own heart, I got my own heart. I can’t be you, I have to love the heart that God gave me, and be comfortable in my skin. That’s why I called it ‘One Heart’, because everybody has one heart, and you have to embrace the heart that you were given and just be you.” In this way, every piece that Devin creates is from his heart to another heart, gifting the love of his community back to the source. In his words, “Every piece is a one of one piece.” Now, Devin maintains his commitment to community by looking out for his people:
“I set my people up, my friends-- I set up the people around me. Community is the most important factor. If you don't have a strong base, a strong community, you're not gonna go nowhere. Community gotta be deep.”
Reflecting on the major learning curves that becoming a brand owner has taught him, Devin has this to say. For him, the two most important traits to have in order to be a successful brand owner are: confidence and dedication. In terms of confidence, “you have to know your brand is good, that it's gonna succeed. That no matter what happens, ups and downs, at the end of the day I’m gonna see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Devin recognizes that it’s difficult to grow a sense of confidence for individuals who are new to brand ownership, and for this, his advice is to be delusional, to fake it until you make it. Once you’ve established yourself, the hard part becomes keeping the platform you’ve already cultivated. This is where consistency and dedication are key; to be successful, you need to be dedicated to the craft, not just the income. For Devin, his brand is something he eats, sleeps and breathes, it is a 24 hour, everyday responsibility that requires the utmost attention.
“If you’re not that dedicated to it, don’t do it. It’s harder than a 9-5. I’ve cried, I’ve damn near quit- and I don’t cry, but these clothes have made me cry. You gotta genuinely love it more than anything else on this earth to be successful. You need to be dedicated and want to improve every single day. If you don’t genuinely love it- don’t do it.”
One Heart is a mirror of Devin’s interior, a place where he is able to express his inner self freely and exceptionally, channeling his interests and passions into a space where he can connect with an audience who resonates with him. The benefit of having a personal brand, a brand that is tied to an individual, is something that Devin has worked hard to curate and upkeep. The main idea behind a personal brand allows an audience to care about the brand owner, as well as the product itself. Devin has a personal style account that works in tandem with his brand, and he finds that allowing people to understand who you are as an individual is highly beneficial to crafting a deeper love and devotion for your brand. “Because people like you, they’re gonna buy your clothes. If you have a personal brand, people like you and then they like your brand- that’s times two. It’s so helpful.”
Looking towards the future, Devin has big plans for One Heart. His love of clothing and community reveals itself in his goal to teach and uplift the next generation of brand owners and individuals trying to start their own come-ups. “We print money everyday, so you can make some money with me, I don’t care. I wanna help people get to the point where they’re set, they’re good, they’re happy. I wanna help other people do it because I had no help.” Devin makes it a point to reach out to those interested in pursuing similar career paths- he responds to all his messages, creates chat rooms to give out advice, and helps upcoming brands release and drop their new collections. Devin’s ability to be himself, to wear whatever clothes he finds expresses himself best, regardless of any judgement he might receive, is the key to his brand’s success and individuality. When wearing his clothes, Devin says, “People gone look. When I walk in a coffee shop [it’s like] ‘yo, what is he wearing? It’s weird, but it’s hard. I kinda want that!’ That’s the kind of mindset I want to stimulate in people's brains with my brand.” For Devin, One Heart is not about the profit, it’s about the impact. One Heart is for those who aren’t afraid to stand out, to make a difference. Devin wants people to know that “money is irrelevant, money comes, money goes. What I care about is, how can I help another person grow their brand and be super successful and then, learn the ins and outs of having a clothing brand.” If Devin can do it, you can too.
