EFENDEE

This Crown is the descendent of the art piece: BEEN SUPER BOY. This collaboration is more endearing and personal for Chuck, which is quite different from the notoriety that comes from working with celebrities. Initially, the piece reads very abstractly. Look closely, and become hypnotized by the powerful neutral earth tones and the masterful way the vibrant blues and orange colors leap off the design. SUPER is written in a graffiti script at the top of the Crown that feels raw and unscathed, allowing us to experience the artist's vulnerability. More than just a word-SUPER- is an identifier of action. Look deeply into the child's eye and see the purpose and power that is in you. The revelation is profound- Always remember I got this shit; I'm Super, and I BEEN SUPER.

CEO and Chief Designer David Castro curated The Black Artist Collective because of a unique bond they all share with him and the brand, bringing a long-standing, ancestorial practice of Umoja -- or “unity” in Swahili— to the project. “We embrace the fact that we are a black-owned, thriving, creative business, and we want to breathe life into everything we touch. We connected with those we admired to create products that couldn’t exist without collaboration. There is beauty in the honesty of this collaboration, and we get to drop a new silhouette in the process,” he also adds. 

 “Creatives move the world forward, and collaboration breeds growth,” he continues. As an artist and architect, Castro employs authentic storytelling in all that he does, seen in the crown’s construction and design. “It only made sense for us to create authentic products with our contemporaries that share a perspective on the world through the product. This capsule will captivate many, and the depth of the designs will inspire the culture for years to come.”

 Chuck Styles is a Philadelphia-based multi-disciplinary artist who has completed projects with HBO, Starz, and Topps. At the age of six, Styles found comfort in the arts while surviving harsh social conditions. After ten years as an award-winning barber, he pivoted his career to follow his deferred dream. His crown is titled BEENSUPER after his piece “Been Super Boy.” The design is an effort to remind people of their blind confidence as a child as it is their true form.