This designer spotlight has been a longtime coming. I’ve been rocking 21 maroons for the past few months now, but every time I would hit Emeka up he was hella busy. I guess that’s what happens when you make that good stuff…
Peep 21 Maroons (21MC). Founded by good friends Emeka Alams & Yego Moravia in their quest for individuality and heritage. Make sure you read up on 21MC and their message. Then peep their t-shirts…
1. How did 21 Maroons come about?
After doing graphic designs for the music industry I was fed up and needed a change! The work was stressful and at the end of the day meant nothing in my life. So I went down to San Francisco to visit one of my oldest friends, Yego Moravia. Having both just returned to the states from long stays in our countries of origin (Nigeria and Haiti) it was the perfect timing for something like 21MC to come about. We both decided to dump our design jobs and do something that actually mattered, 21MC.
2. Elaborate on the message behind 21 Maroons.
21 MC: It’s about honoring our ancestors and the creative legacy that makes Black history relevant and important in the 21st century. Essentially, Maroon culture is about trying to maintain and establish individuality, community, autonomy and freedom in the face of a society that wants to strip all knowledge of where you came from and assimilate you into something you’re not. So through 21MC we encourage ones to think about what reclaiming our identity means on a person level and to simply have pride in your heritage.
ANGEL’S PICKS FROM THE 21MC COLLECTION
3. Describe your inspiration(s).
21 MC: We have a lot of people, places and things that inspire us like our ancestors, the future, West African design and textiles, the West Indies, Afro-Beat, Aime Cesaire, Afro-punk culture, Nigerian movies, Sun Ra, Abuja, Linton Kwesi Johnson, sunny days, Bo streeter George Jackson, Coco Fusco, Lee Scratch Perry, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Emory Douglass, Nas, M.I.A, King Tubby, Black Uhuru, Big Youth, dead prez, al green, jimmy cliff, Afro-surrealism, Cadillacs, the Tropics, skateboarding, Abidjan, Lagos, Afrikanboy, 2face, brother brown, L.E.S, 6th and Howard, Fillmore and McAllister Santogold and Black history in general.
4. Where do you see yourself in the future?
Emeka: Yego and I just talked about this the other day. We both decided that we want to go hard with 21MC! We want to make a label that has the ability to out last our youthfulness and hopefully go on to the next batch of kids coming up. We also agreed that no matter what we are both enjoy life much more back in the West Africa and the Caribbean. So we are happy with the acclaim and success 21MC is enjoying and we hope it continues but at the same time home is where the heart is and we hope to be there before too long.
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I say pick up these tees before they’re sold out. In the meantime, you can peep me rocking the ‘Warrior Jack tee’ in my recent interview with Gakcity.com here. Personally, I’m still waiting for that Pharaoh’s Poncho to be released though..
Visit the links above for more info on 21 Maroons and creators Emeka & Yego.
I LIKE IT!! COOL BUT NOT OVERDONE.
i like!
I like a few of the designs on their site. but DAMN Yego is yummy. I’d holla! (if I wasn’t taken)
I love risk takers and people following their passion I will def support them.
Speaking of taking a risk I am going to launch a magazine get at me Angel. I looove the Loop.
I LOVE IT IM ALL UP FOR ANYTHING NEW AND FRESH PLUS ITS VERY LIVE AND CREATIVE. I WANT SOME
great spotlight. I’ll be copping a t-shirt just because I like the message behind them.
Something different.
Cool i love it
NICE!!!
WOW! HOT ISH!
I CAN DEF ROCK THOSE TEEs!
Wow loving he t-shirts. I never heard about them intill now. Thanks concrete loop.
I love it, and I appreciate their inspirations and motives behind it. It’s something I would also definitely rock. LOVE IT AND WISH THE LINE THE BEST OF SUCCESS!
I am not feeling the clothes at all… not even a little bit…well if I turn my head slightly to the right – maybe… Just my opinion…don’t start shooting daggers.
But I will say that I appreciate CL spotlighting talent like this…
WICKED COLLECTION… I’m feelin it 100%… It’s different!!!!
REPPIN NIGERIA !!…big upss..to Haiti aswel…AL CARRIBEANS AFRICAN AMERICANS AND AFRICA..need to start representin and appreciating thier African culture..its understandable for African Americans not to becos they have been ripped from the culture but styl noe dtt u cme from a continent of riches and gold!
nag clothes. its gd 2 c a nigerian makin gd moves and reppin 4 us. BIG UP 2 DAT (proud nigerian). and also a haiti person 2. gd moves. i like these clothes. i will like 2 buy sum.
Big Up To Ayiti and Nijah! My peps are from Ayiti and my BFF Ronke is from Nijah! Do it up and do it big! Love the line!
hmm not really feeling it…
I dig it….. definitely something I would rock
i just found more info from them. apparently yego is caribbean just like me. i love that black ppl from different diasporas are coming together. very nice. they’re kinds sexy too lol. but they’re talented (that’s most important)
Thx for the love
Fashion is absolutely about taking risks and pushing the Envelope!! These Styles are different ans Kool-Good Lookin Angel!
mmmmm. I don’t think so. Thanks anyway.
NOT FEELING IT! I LIKE THE HAT IN THE FIRST PICS,BUT THAT’S ABOUT IT.
THESE CLOTHES LOOK LIKE IF I WAS IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY I WOULD FIT RIGHT IN.
i love this collection. i need that 21 color rope necklace asap!!!
I want all of them, but they mostly sold out….
Loved the GakCity interview Angel. Not sure if I can see myself wearing that but don’t get me wrong its still hot.
I’m loving this and would rock this without a second thought.
I’m gonna have to pass on this one. However, the models are doin’ that damn thang! It looks cool on them, but not on me!
Positive brothers…not really feeling the clothes though…would not rock these at all.
this is a great line.
Some of the pieces are nice.
no thank you!
this is the line!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This looks like some Urban Outfitter’s type stuff, I really like it.
i likee
where can we buy this???
BEAUTIFUL. Finally some real fashion in this bitch.
@ 35. Click on the names (as stated in the image) and click on the links provided at the end of the post.
I guess…it’s ugly to me.. but not mad at them for doing they own thing.
I really like the worldy bohemian look of it & it really looks alot like Jeremy Scott’s stuff. I think they execute it a little better though, because their stuff looks more wearable than Jeremy’s to me.
God Luck to them they actually have alot of talent.
Clothes are cool…I guess…but 38 bucks??? I’m kind of put off by the fact that they are trying to profit off the whole “ethnic,” “heritage” trend, and I understand that they want to honor individuality and the message, and all that, but it just doesn’t seem genuine to me. I also don’t understand how these shirts scream “black legacy.” They look pretty unoriginal to me.Spending 38 bucks for a shirt like that will not be enough to make me feel like I’ve “reclaimed my heritage,” or find my “identity.”
Sorry for being so cynical, but I’m tired of everyone (music, fashion, etc) advertising originality and individuality these days when at the end of the day it’s completely contradictory to that and people get paid from it.
the tees are amazing and i gotta give probs them for 3 good reasons:
1. they are actually both of african decent doing african inspired design VERY WELL!
2. Getting tee’s made in the us is helllla expensice! im sure they are just getting by.
3.Emeka actually lives in africa!!! and volunteers every ohther year for a year in africa helping his people!
i support them and love em!
i feeling this to death! they are the real deal!
@sean of course they’re both of african descent but emeka is from africa and yego is from haiti
@=P Just speaking my mind $38 for a shirt is cheap. stop complaining. they’re making it affordable and i love that
not really something i would wear. idk, looks kinda ross-ish..thrift store-ish
Yego is cool people. I met him this past February at the United Trade Show in NYC. We connected on the whole “maroons, slavery” tip being that I’m from Charleston, SC and most slaves that come to the States came in through our ports. If you a bigger dude then you need to holla early. The larger sizes go quick. Early…
I love their powerful message and the designs are tasteful.
The line is dope. Chicago’s local hipsters (Dj. Mano, Dj. Sonny Day, Hustle Simmons, Vic from Leaders1354) are embracing the line and it’s African/Rican culture. Not many people are aware because their stuck on Bape, BBC, Gucci, Swagger, Lemar and Dauley, 10 Deep, Crooks and etc. No hating. Enclosing, the apparel does advertise and communicate the story of people of color: stories, struggles, colors, textures and patterns!
-Face
“Go Hard or Go Home”
I love it! Nice to see people doing somthing diffrent that’s actually good.
Placing my order now!
” Oh won’t you break these chains and set me free ” – Black Uhuru
WTH? Ummmm….NO!
ordered and in love!
I’d like to make Yego my gumdrop.
ORIGINAL DESIGNS I LIKE EM
Man this is MASSIVE! Nice Wikked T shirt!
Definitely inspiring!Hey I want to be a fashion designer already. I saw a fashion design job here at jobsTAXI. Christian Dior and Donna Karan is hiring! Yee Haw!
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