VNTG LA
Los Angeles native, Charlie Onwuegbusi is striving to create a brand that will last the test of time, and his creation: VNTG, is his testament towards this belief. Rooted in the streets of South Central, Los Angeles, Charlie’s vision is deeply influenced and representative of the West Coast culture that raised him.
By Zuza Gaboush
Drawing from vintage aesthetics that framed the height of fashion in the 80’s-90’s and remains culturally relevant today, VNTG—short for "Vogue, Niche, Timeless, Garments"—encapsulates the eternal taste that vintage clothing offers. In short, VNTG is Charlie’s antidote to the disposable nature of contemporary fashion that has overwhelmed the streetwear market today.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Charlie’s relationship with fashion began at an early age. High school offered him an opportunity to experiment with clothing, but not in the way most would expect. Charlie recalls the materialistic drive that sent him and many of his peers to purchase the same kinds of clothing, where a need to differentiate themselves through creative customization was born.
"We would always alter what we had to make it a little different,"
he recalls, "whether it was putting fat laces in shoes, dying your jeans to a new color, or adding bandanas to your jeans." This spirit of individuality, of taking something basic and turning it into a personal statement, would later become a hallmark of his design philosophy.
A major aspect of VNTG’s aesthetic stems from Charlie’s childhood on streets of Los Angeles, where music, gang culture, and skateboards have shaped fashion in a way that’s uniquely West Coast. Charlie credits his older brothers and the stylistic influence of his community on him for VNTG’s designs. "Having family members in gangs, I look at their style from the '80s and '90s," he reflects. "It’s crazy how back then, people looked at that and called it ghetto, but now they’re taking that same thing, putting a name on it, and selling it back to us." This reclamation of cultural style is at the heart of VNTG’s designs. From a Snoop Dogg tee that pays homage to the West Coast rap scene, to beat-up Van sneakers influenced by the skate culture of Southern California, VNTG’s collections are deeply entrenched in Los Angeles culture. Charlie reminisces: "Our Fridays consisted of: getting your paycheck, going to get your haircut, getting your car washed, going to Best Buy to buy whoever’s new album was out, playing it loud as hell, and then going to the club." For Charlie, dressing well is not just about fashion—it’s about embodying a lifestyle. And VNTG is his way of accessing that.
Charlie’s creative ambitions extend past streetwear clothing into home decor, self-care products, and more. His desire to push VNTG further stems from his belief that “everybody who’s a fashion-head cares about the way they look, their hair… their home, smelling good." VNTG’s collaborations with a high-quality candle company are just the beginning. Charlie also aims to explore furniture design, creating functional art pieces like refurbished newspaper dispensers transformed into record holders. "I want to do different things—something that’s in your house and is like, 'Whoa, where’d you get that from?’"
Charlie shares with Station Magazine that VNTG was born out of a desire to create garments which exist as both functional and stylish; pieces people could invest in and keep for years. "That was the purpose of my brand," says Charlie, "to try and create pieces… you can always come back to and wear." The timelessness of a classic Starter jacket, a vintage Guess shirt, or a Sergio Tacchini track jacket; these vintage pieces Charlie once adorned in high school still remain relevant to this day, and inspires his brand, VNTG, to embody a nostalgic sense of style that never went out of fashion. His logo upholds this ethos as well, an upside-down triangle which symbolizes both the letter "V," in VNTG, as well as stability and strength. As Charlie puts it, "The triangle is the strongest shape. It represents the strength of the brand and its ability to stand the test of time." In this regard, VNTG is not for those chasing the latest fleeting trend. Charlie designs for people who appreciate longevity in their wardrobe, a piece they can possibly pass down to future generations-- not just an item of clothing, but a representation of memory. "I’m gonna have a piece I can forever put on. It’s very functional," he explains. The brand appeals to a specific audience—one that understands the value of investment pieces, clothes that age gracefully and continue to serve their purpose over time.
For the future of VNTG, Charlie goal is to fill niche gaps in the market, much like his dream collaborations with iconic brands and designers from a wide range of aesthetics, time periods, and demographics. "I’d love to work with people like Tyler, the Creator, Karl Kani, Ralph Lauren, or even Tinker Hatfield," he shares. "Liz Claiborne made things for women joining the workforce but also made them fashionable. I would have loved to work with Claude Montana and bring back the exaggerated shoulders in fashion. That versatility of style inspires me."
As the brand grows, Charlie's advice to fellow entrepreneurs is to make a burger. “Y’know how you make a burger? The meat is the hardest part to make, the longest part to make, and everything else is just the toppings. Once you have that meat-- the LLC, the website-- the rest, the toppings come easy.” He encourages fellow entrepreneurs to start small and build a solid foundation, asserting that the rest will follow. Consistency and dedication is the key to success.
For Charlie, VNTG is about creating a brand that reflects the culture he grew up in, the values he holds dear, and maintaining the vision he has for the future.
