Victor Umeh, founder of BOSHOK Clothing. (Photo courtesy V. Umeh)
In the intro to rapper Nas’ 2001 Stillmatic album, he describes his pursuit to move forward while having the “blood of a slave, heart of a king.”
“I’ve always been a big time Nas fan and when he said that it always resonated with me,” 28-year-old Victor Umeh, told the AFRO.
A decade after the album’s release, Umeh paid homage when he named his cultural clothing line BOSHOK, an acronym derived from the rapper’s line. “The company came about around Christmas 2011,” says Umeh, a Dallas, Texas native who was studying civil engineering at the University of Arizona at the time.
“Me and my brother were trying to find cultural gear to rep like the old FUBU type or ENYCE or Mecca back in the day,” he says. “We looked around and we really couldn’t find anything like that so we took it upon ourselves to start creating.”
The basis of BOSHOK’s brand is to incorporate facts of life, segments of history and daily principles into urban streetwear. It began with the launch of 300 t-shirts – half were sold and half were given away for promotion. With the line’s success, Umeh created an e-commerce site and partnered with stores to sell merchandise.
“We did a tee where we listed stereotypes about African-American men and in the corner it said “turn down stereotypes,” says Umeh, describing his merchandise. “So it just gets people to think and wander a bit as far as the way you think of yourself and of others.”
After graduating college in 2011, Umeh spent some time traveling before settling in Washington, D.C. where he grew the company. “I like the cultural aspect of the city and it was real conducive to the brand,” he says. “We get a lot of support in D.C and a lot of people really understand what we are trying to do as far as culturally inspired streetwear. It’s an ideal location for us in that respect.”
With summer and fall collections approaching, Umeh intends to host events in D.C., New York and Arizona.
As the brand moves forward, customers can continue to expect the line to grow as a reflection of Umeh’s basic truths; to live with honor, respect and integrity. “At the end of the day, I think somebody’s worth should be based on their character and who they are as a person so I just try to maintain good character and my principles,” he says.
For more information on BOSHOK, visit www.boshok.com.