What inspired the RC Universe and what can we expect from this project in the future?
When I think about what inspires me, I often go back to a moment in my life. One that brings me back to my childhood, like most precious memories. My love for dogs started when I adopted Clark from a shelter when I was 12. I initially wanted a boxer, but as soon as I saw him, that was it. He was a huge dog - I mean, scary - mutt, anyone who saw him always drew back a bit the first time they met him. Clark became my confidant, my right hand, and over time, he laid the groundwork for RC. Thinking of Clark not like a mascot, but a representation of my vision - my ‘universe’. Loyalty, companionship, bravery. Those things transformed over time into my values today - community and sustainability being at the center of that. To me, the Universe combines nostalgia from my roots and a vision for the future. Creating a Universe that utilizes technology was something I was drawn to as RC evolved. I’ve always felt that innate interest in pushing boundaries - doing more, thinking about things differently, all while keeping the community at the forefront. Fashion and clothing has always been my heart & soul - learning how to sew at a young age sparked my curiosity for creating my ‘own’ clothing - which has transformed into something much bigger now - my ‘universe.’
Take us through the process of creating Clark and Cali
I literally sent a moodboard to Heather that consisted of the vintage Smokey The Bear mascot and the Ralph Teddy Bears. I also sent her photos of both dogs and asked her to emulate the style. Heather nailed it in the first iteration (the Clark with a white tee and the RC001 jeans)
What started as a pinterest board for clothing/style inspiration, quickly became a dedicated board to all things vintage Ralph. Because Clark is the center of gravity for RC, Clark and Cali were able.
Dogs are almost an easy concept and making it unique and layered - its about the fashion, how often do you meet a dog and not even acknowledge the human behind it? We’re conditioned to be drawn to things that bring common ground - that connect us, fashion does that for us as well so it’s cool to tie these things together.
What other NFT projects have inspired you, art or utility wise?
Endless - I was drawn to Adam Bomb Squad and World of Women off the bat. Bobby Hundreds gave a great example to how NFTs and your brand mascot can be seamlessly tied into fashion. Tying the project back to our roots - fashion and sustainable clothing and that educational component of overconsumption - how can we think about NFT’s not only granting access to those who may not have had the ability before, thinking broader - can this help remove barriers to entry within the fashion industry, reduce our overconsumption of goods, etc. It’s about thinking about it as a tool to help shape the future we want to see and be a part of.
What's your favorite part of this project thus far?
The expansion of opportunity for creatives to come together. Exploring the ‘rules’ of the blockchain and creating within those confines. Bringing the personality of Clark and Cali to life. Being surrounded by passionate team members, and experts who are really into it only pushes me to be better.
What utility benefits do you have in mind for the collection?
The best thing about NFT’s and creating a digital space where people of such varied communities can interact with one another, is this sense of collaboration like we havent really seen before. Think small town musicians who can share their music with people from all over - this sense of community is always at the forefront of this work. That’s always been the strongest value for RC.
What have you enjoyed working on most in the collection?
Having the opportunity to work with Heather, an artist who I have respected and admired for a while now - not just as an artist, but a human. She really took creative liberty on the traits and our aesthetics align really well - we're always on the same page creatively which is cool and rare. Working and learning with Alex has also been so fruitful. He has taught me so much about NFTs and crypto and it's certainly leveled up the project. Being challenged by our social strategy team on a daily basis has driven me relentlessly to keep working and keep honing in on the project.
What fuels you to keep expanding on the Rocky Clark brand?
The often times hard to articulate feeling that pulls us in a certain direction, creatively. That desire to fulfill those unique thoughts disguises itself as motivation i guess. I don’t often think about ‘motivation’ as a blank term, but more so ‘am I excited? Why am I not sleeping?’ oh, it’s because this thing bigger than me keeps nagging me.
What's your favorite Clark/Cali trait/fit in the collection?
What’s so cool about the NFT generation is creating all of the traits and envisioning different outfits, but not knowing how they will be randomly generated. That unknown outfit is super exciting - it provides this illusion that our clothing and armor is an extension of our mood that day - we can be anything we want.
What's something you'd like to say to the community and to those you hope become members of the Rocky Clark Universe?
Not much to say but to express our gratitude and share our excitement for what’s to come - if you’re new to the universe, or have been with us since day 1 - keep rockin’
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