Colossus
brand creation
How I found my voice, created a streetwear brand, and found that passion is contagious
How I found my voice, created a streetwear brand, and found that passion is contagious
Colossus came from the swirling cauldron of ideas, feelings and values bubbling in my heart. I’ve long been fascinated by the occult, by belief systems outside the one I was raised with, and by the common threads I see across these systems. I love the idea that there’s a deep river of experience common to humans, described by different groups imperfectly
As I look at the world, I see the common things we value—self expression, self as divine, the limitless potential of humans, love for each other. I wanted to make a brand that would be counter culture, encouraging, and safe for outsiders (those of us who don’t hold to the status quo of society, popular culture, etc)
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
I love that the hero is the Mother of Exiles, “a mighty woman with a torch,” strong and welcoming to immigrants. The masses “yearning to breathe free” connect with my desire to be for the outsiders, for those who struggle, who are tread on by capitalism, colonialism, racism, and other forms of hatred and intolerance
Eventually I came to an idea common to many belief systems—the tree of life. Cultures around the world, from ancient Mesopotamia to Mesoamerica, hold this sacred tree as a fundamental archetype in their stories. I especially loved the Tree of Life from Jewish Kabbalah, describing the Sefirot, or divine attributes. These attributes (sometimes know as the structural forces of nature) were an inspiration for me. I loved the idea of a set of fundamental, interconnected, and divine qualities that describe life
I sharpened my messaging and decided on the pieces to include in my first collection. After months of research and development, Colossus was ready to share with the world
