FEATURE FRIDAY!

Creative of the Week: Orie

IG: @orie.4 @fourplayny

Hello my brothers and sisters! I'm back with another feature Friday to talk about a very close friend of mine. He's a graphic designer, stylist, clothing designer and more. He goes by many names, Orie, O, The Oracle, Ron + more. Without any further ado, please welcome my friend O to the chat!

Interview

Me: "Hey O, so let's get right into it. Can you start off by telling us name, age, where you were born?"

O: "My name's Orie. I'm 25. I'm from Bronx, NY born and raised."

Me: "Okay, okay. So let's get right when into the brand, fourplay. When did you start fourplay and why?"

O: "I started the brand in 2016 during my junior year in college. I started it as a way to get my ideas out as a graphic designer and fan of fashion, but also to be a positive influence/role model for my sister and younger relatives who looked up to me."

Me: "That's a beautiful thing; to wanna be there for family and put on for them. Where does the name fourplay come from?"

O: "Fourplay came about from my love and experience from basketball and my family dynamic/upbringing. The number 4 was my first jersey number in my very first basketball game and I was 4 years old at the time. I grew up in a household of 4 (mom, dad, sister and myself). My grandmother is born on Aug 4th and my other grandmother is July 20th but at 4:44pm. So that’s where the 4 came from. The “play” comes from the idea of continuance and progression. For example, if a story line is going on a narrator would say “as the story progresses” or if you hit play on a remote that means the movie is proceeding, that doesn’t mean there’s an ending. So in all fourplay means “fourward progression, four fun, fourever” which ironically is 444."

Me: "That's a great explanation. I know the audience will love that. And you know people are all about numbers and synchrony so I bet that also plays a part in the brands success. People may feel connected on a spiritual level. Where do you see the fourplay brand going? Any additional product line?"

O: "My goal is for it to fit in that hybrid space of high fashion and street wear where you can’t anticipate what the next thing will be."

Me: "That's definitely a good placement you can say for the brand. So we know you have hoodies, sweats, T's, and more clothing. Why did you decide to drop a fitted line?"

O: "I had the idea about 2 years ago when I made snapbacks that I wish were fitteds, but I didn’t have the design done until before quarantine this year. I started to give it more thought when my bro Delly had an endorsement deal with New Era last fall to do a campaign for the grey bottoms. I was supposed to have the hats out in May but Covid-19 and other factors slowed things down. But here we are now with 4 colors releasing soon. Red, yellow, burgundy, baby blue."

Me: "And they go sooo crazy. (Peep my IG to see the baby blue, it's firee!) What’s your favorite piece you’ve added to your brand? why?"

O: "My favorite pieces thus far is the fitted hat that I designed right before quarantine, which will be releasing soon. wearing it gives me nostalgia of Pharrell + Nigo when they wore their brands head to toe."

Me: "What has been the brand's greatest accomplishment thus far?"

O: "Pushing thru to 4 years has been the greatest accomplishment thus far. Its been an arduous road but its all worth it for sure. Its been fun to see my development as an artist/designer."

Me: "Four years of doing what you love is a beautiful thing. Congrats to you for that accomplishment. So we know all of your successes, but what’s been the hardest part of having a brand?"

O: "I would say the hardest part is coping with how lonely the journey is. But there’s no complaining because this was all my idea from the start and doing what I do makes me happy so I could never stop."

Me: "Love that for you. So onto you and your own look. How would you describe your personal style/aesthetic?"

O: "I would say my style is a blend between classic/vintage looks and futuristic looks. I like a great appreciation for 90's hip hop aesthetics (ex: Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Starter, Timberland) and for the brands that are ahead of its time in high fashion (Maison Martin Margiela, Number Nine, Raf Simons Rick Owens, Alyx studios, ACW)."

Me: "Yea I can definitely see that description for you and your look. A mix between the old and new. Classic and new age. So this question I ask all my interviewees to reflect on self and give some self-love. So, what is your favorite feature about yourself and why?"

O: "My favorite feature about myself would happen to be my hands. Without them I wouldn’t be able to create the things I do."

Me: "I love that answer. Very creative! If you could leave the people with any words encouragement, what would it be?"

O: "I would say to find what you love to do and do it. don’t indulge in anything without having a passion for it or purpose behind doing it, because essentially you’ll be wasting your time."

*end of interview*

Thank you guys for tuning in and learning more about an amazing and talented friend of mine. Tune into my IGTV on Instagram to see the in person interview with me and O. Love you guys, talk soon!