Name: Niko Tuna Crackers
Location: Midwest
Niko Tumamak Reyes is the head designer and CEO of InkRed Clothing. The young enterprise has been exclusive on the release of their designs and clothing for some time. However, this Friday, InkRed will have its debut fashion show with over a year of work and anticipation.
I sat down with Niko to have a couple words as he was working during a well-deserved snow day on campus.
What does the fashion show represent for you?
“It all started off as an assignment,” he began. Over lunch, he explained how the project gained value and how he didn’t want to screw it up, didn't want to half ass it. InkRed was birthed as an assignment and manifested to the artist’s introduction to the world.
Who’s your audience?
“I can’t label my audience. The audience isn't necessarily those who wear the clothes, but anyone who sees them, or interprets the messages and images on them. By acknowledging an audience is to say that you want to be a certain way, rendering you a ‘wanna-be.’ But, that’s just how I see it. I don’t want to be anybody; I don’t even want to be myself—I am myself.”
Why Madison?
Niko explains how he’s on scholarship for his break dancing and graffiti talents, in a program called First Wave at the University of Wisconsin. “If there's a will, there's a Willie Ney. Thanks for the platform, Willie.”
Who are some of your biggest influences/inspirations?
“I'm influenced by what I don’t like,” he said.
In order to elaborate, he grabs his computer and takes me to a highly visited clothing website and says “I go to this website knowing I don’t like any of these clothes. That’s what filters out the bad and only leaves room for the good. But, when I design I’m not really influenced or inspired by anything or anyone. It has a lot more to do with motivation, and people tend to interchange those words as if they mean the same thing when they don’t. When you see the work hopefully you’ll know what I mean. I’ll just let the work speak from here on out—I want to finish my lunch”
The hungry entrepreneur will appear at the
InkRed Fashion Show
FREE
Friday, December 11th. 7:30pm – 10:00pm
MSC Satellite, Madison, WI
Performances by various artists, including:
Rafael Casal
Phonetic One
J. Dante
Blizz McFly
Klassik
And
this year’s InkRed featured artist…
¡Oye!
DJ illie Holliday will be on the one’s and two’s for the evening.
“A year’s worth of work, let’s have fun”-Niko Tuna Crackers
Source: www.oye414.com