IN CASE WE DIDN'T COVER THIS

SO, BACK IN THE DAY, I BOUGHT A PHAT FARM POLO FOR ABOUT $80, AND I WORE THE FUCK OUT OF IT, PROUDLY.  I WAS HEAVY INTO EAST COAST HIP HOP, I WAS OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE A JOB, AND BUY MY OWN CLOTHES, SO WHEN I CAME ACROSS THIS, IT WAS A NO-BRAINER.  I HAD SEEN THIS BRAND FREQUENTLY IN THE SOURCE MAGAZINE, SO, THIS WAS THE PINNACLE OF HIP HOP FASHION FOR ME.  I REMEMBER, I WAS IN, WYNNEWOOD VILLAGE, OVER BY WHERE THE BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO USED TO BE, AND COPPED THIS PURPLE POLO.  IT WAS THICK, AND HUNG HEAVY, IT HAD A HUGE PHAT FARM LOGO EMBROIDERED ACROSS THE STOMACH.  I WAS SO PROUD.  I FELT EXCLUSIVE.  I FELT LIKE, I KNEW SOMETHING NOBODY ELSE DID.  I FELT LIKE I HAD A JUMP, ON THE KIDS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, ON WHAT WAS FRESH.  THIS HAPPENING REOCCURRED AGAIN, LATER THAT YEAR, WHEN I WAS IN REDBIRD MALL, AND CAME ACROSS A WU-WEAR TRACK SUIT, I ENDED UP PAYING $120 FOR.  IT WAS THE SAME FEELING, ALL OVER AGAIN, WALKIN WITH THIS QUIET, YET CLEARLY VISIBLE, SECRET.  I FELT LIKE A BADASS.  IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME, I FELT TRULY COOL, IT WAS THEN.

I NOTICED TODAY, THAT THINGS AREN'T THAT WAY ANYMORE.  I REMEMBER, GOING TO A STORE AND BUYING A SHIRT, DAYS LATER, BEING TOLD BY SOMEONE HOW FLY THE SHIRT IS, AND THEN IT COMES...."WHERE DID YOU GET THAT SHIRT?".  THIS WAS THE CONUNDRUM.  TO TELL THEM OR, NOT TO TELL THEM?  SO YOU SAID, SOMEONE BOUGHT IT FOR YOU, OR, YOU DON'T REMEMBER, BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T WANT SOMEONE TO COPY YOUR STYLE.  WHEN YOU SHOWED UP TO THE PARTY OR THE FUNCTION, YOU WERE ROCKIN THE SHIT THAT NOBODY HAD.  THAT WAS THE POINT.  THAT FEELING OF BEING AN EXCLUSIVE MEMBER OF A PRIVATE CLUB.  NOW, IT SEEMS, THAT IF YOU AREN'T ROCKIN THE MOST POPULAR BRANDS, THEN, YOU DON'T EXIST.  I'VE SEEN PEOPLE, ROCK WITH MORE STYLE, FROM CLOTHES THEY GOT AT THE THRIFT STORE.  PART OF ME WAS GLAD WHEN MACKLEMORE, DROPPED THAT GOODWILL JOINT, BECAUSE, IT WAS A TRIBUTE TO TRUE STYLE.  STYLE, IS NOT SO MUCH ABOUT BRAND, BUT, ABOUT OBSCURITY, AND AN OVERALL LOOK.  UNIQUE DESIGNS, INTERESTING PATTERNS, OBSCURE BRANDS, ETC., ALL CREATE A LOOK THAT MAKE UP WHO YOU ARE.

THIS IS WHAT IMAGINARY FIENDS, AIMS TO BE.  THAT BRAND.  WE AREN'T TRYING TO REPLACE YOUR FAVORITE BRAND, WE'RE TRYING TO BE ONE OF THOSE CHOICES.  BY CREATING DESIGNS, AND EVENTUALLY CLOTHING, THAT IS UNIQUE AND EXCLUSIVE TO THE PEOPLE WEARING IT.  I WOULD BE OK, WITHOUT BEING A GLOBAL ENTITY, ALTHOUGH, IF I WAS, THE DREAMS WOULD BE BIGGER AND THE IMPACT, MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT.  WE WANT TO BE A UNIQUE BRAND.  A BRAND THAT REPRESENTS, A MINDSET, AND AN IDEA.  SOMETHING, THAT NOT ONLY REPRESENTS, WHO WE ARE, BUT, YOU ARE.  SOMETHING JUST ON THE VERGE OF BEING POPULAR, BUT, EXCLUSIVE ENOUGH TO STILL GIVE THE WEARER, THAT, "YOU DON'T KNOW NOTHIN ABOUT THIS", FEELING.  SO MANY BRANDS, ARE AIMING TO BE THE BIG BUDGET FILMS, BUT, NOT THE INDIE CULT FILM.  WHILE IT'S TRUE, ONE MAY GENERATE TONS OF REVENUE, THE OTHER, SUSTAINS LONGEVITY.  THAT IS WHAT IMAGINARY FIENDS WANTS, LONGEVITY.  BESIDES, I WOULD RATHER BE RICH, FROM SELLING PAINTINGS FOR A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS.  THE BRAND THO, IS ABOUT THE FEELING IT CREATES.   -  925