I think about the desire we have to constantly express ourselves, perhaps even evangelize and we see clothing as this opportunity to show a part of ourselves. This of course I believe to be true but at what point do we put too much emphasis on the externals and get to hide behind this idea that we are wearing Christianity but not living it? What is more impactful to a person of no faith or one vehemently against what they believe you stand for, a t-shirt with Jesus on it or you representing Jesus through an actual encounter? I believe that virtue signaling has become so embedded in our modern culture that we are failing to realize when we may be falling into the same error we love to point out in our enemies. I do believe in the ability of clothing to have a profound impact on those around us and even ourselves in a way that is much deeper than the cotton they were made with. However, if we are going to make something good and claim that it is so, the process itself must be entirely different. Not just the graphic. At some point a graphic amongst a million other graphics just becomes another graphic. The meaning or lack thereof that you thought you put into it is the same that thousands of others did. The fact that it represents your faith doesn’t necessarily provide some moral high ground. The excellence, attention to detail, care and intentionality do. And those do not even require a graphic in the first place. If you want to change the game of whatever field you are in, do not place a bible verse on it. Rather, make it excellent because that is what the item itself, you and your peers deserve. Everything deserves to be made well not because of a profit or because it is being made for a certain class of people, but simply because it is being made.
I am teaming up with my very good friend Drake on his brand DRACO because he also believes in the philosophy above. We are passionate about creating and do not wish to settle for anything outside of a creative process that is through and through set apart from the rest. We have already been spending countless hours over the past few months to bring forth excellence, attention to detail, care and intentionality to each piece we create. We are not interested in creating some clothing empire that will add to the oversaturation and waste of the clothing market today. We are not interested in simply making things we think are cool. We are obsessed with the idea of pushing the boundaries and providing a new blueprint of creation centered on our faith in a way that illuminates the process itself and not just the graphics. It will be an absolute grind to get this project to where we want to ultimately take it as we are in two different states with full time jobs and one of us having a family. However, I know that we are both willing to do what it takes to see this fully and carry out the vision we believe we have been called to. Once again, another pivot for me and PPK but I do believe we are headed in the right direction.
Stay tuned for our first collection and check out the PPK website for writings on the bigger story behind DRACO releases.
August 14, 2024