The Experience X Tyler the Producer & Dreamstate

Meet QUEZCUSTOMZ

By Whitney Richardson


TE: When did you start designing your own shoes?

QC: In July 2015. I saw another artist doing his thing on Twitter and he inspired me to try, then I fell in love with it.

This is the beginning of QuezCustomz. You’ve probably seen his work on twitter. His pinned tweet, posted in mid July of this year, features several of his custom shoe designs. It currently has over twenty thousand retweets. At this point, his talent and popularity is undeniable. I was able to talk to him about his work, where his ideas stem from and what he has planned for his future in fashion and customization.

TE: Who are your fashion inspirations?

QC: I don’t really have any tbh. I go by what I think goes.

His shoes are definitely unique. He starts off with a fresh pair of shoes, whether they are Nike, Adidas, New Balance etc. Then, he adds his own touch to it. Quez creates his own color ways and designs. A few of his shoes even feature floral embroidery and his own unique take on what a high street wear brands collaboration should look like. One of his most popular custom shoes are Yeezy Boost 350s with a Louis Vuitton x Supreme design.

TE: Favorite shoe brand and why?

QC: I never really thought about it before, but if I had to choose, I’d say Nike because they have the best selection in my opinion.

TE: What would you like to see change in the shoe industry?

QC: I would like to be the one to start the change I want to see in the industry. People should be able to have their sneakers look unique and be unique just like them. That’s what I want to create, freedom of expression in sneaker fashion and fashion in general.

Quez puts his money where his mouth is. Scrolling through his social media, one can find a variety of custom made shoes. Each color way and design is unique and different from the next. The shoes he uses fit different styles and needs. Whether one is a shoe head or not, he or she will be able to find a shoe perfect for that specific fashion sense. His passion doesn’t stop there. Quez is on a mission to change the fashion industry through his passion for quality and distinct style.

TE: Tips for anyone who wants to start customizing their own shoes?

QC: Do research. Educate yourself as much as possible. Consistency is key. Try and try and try over and over again. Never give up and remember to be original. You can admire someone’s work but never copy it.

His confidence in his work and future is remarkable for any eighteen year old. While his shoes speaks for himself, his grind behind the scenes is nothing to overlook. He creates each shoe design himself and completes personal orders for anyone who’s looking for a shoe that will fit their personality. Living in the DMV, the variety of styles is endless.

TE: Favorite shoe you’ve customized so far and why?

QC: I don’t have a favorite custom I’ve done so far. I fall in love with every new shoe I do because I see myself getting better and better.

Quez is passionate about each project that he starts. Each pair is hand painted. He doesn’t send them out without ensuring that everything is perfect and goes beyond his client’s expectations. With two years of experience and nearly twenty thousand people looking forward to his next post on twitter alone, his future in the fashion industry is bright.

TE: Do you plan on turning this into your own legitimate business?

QC: Yes. Let’s just say I’ve got huge plans for this. The sky is the limit.

After speaking with Quez, it’s obvious that he is a mogul in the making. He takes his craft seriously, presenting his artistry and creating his own small business while still in his high school years. His platform only continues to grow with each shoe he drops. Although he’s still young, his following is strong and his instincts for business and marketing will launch his customizations to the next level. With skills so mature and advanced for his age, his response to our final question brought him back down to earth.

TE: What do you do to stop and smell the roses?

QC: Go outside and see the world. I really just like to paint in my free time. Ya know, watch some old school cartoons or some anime, chilling, relaxinnn.

🌹🌹🌹

Meet Jonathan Melton of Ransom Clothing

By Whitney Richardson

TE: A trend you hate or wish you would have started?

JM: A trend that I hate is Thrasher being uncool. Thrasher is literally the coolest brand doing it and everyone hates on them heavy for being a poser brand. fuck all of u Thrasher is sick.

If there’s anything I learned from engaging in my interview debut, through DMs but there’s still pride, it’s that Jonathan Melton of Ransom Clothing and a member of the booming youtube channel CUFBOYS knows there’s no reason to stride for the norm. Greatness comes from hard work, trust in the ones you love most and a personality that is no one else’s but your own. I messaged him for fifteen minutes and I already know there’s greatest coming from this young designer and entrepreneur. There’s no reign to a legend if there isn't an introductory.

TE: When did you start designing clothes?

JM: The first time I designed something was when I was a freshman. It was complete shit, but it was my first time dabbling with design.

TE: Who's your fashion inspiration?

JM: I have a massive variety of fashion inspiration. Tyler Grosso, Zac from FTP, Kevin Thatcher, and James Jebbia. but i also have a shitload of unlikely candidates. Kurt Cobain, Johnny Depp, Christofer Drew, Rivers Cuomo, and shoutout to Frankie Serka from Gunk. He's influenced me heavy and Gunk is doing big things... I could go on forever lol.

TE: One person you'd want to wear your clothing?

JM: One person I'd want to wear my clothing, 1000000% could never happen, but Kurt Cobain. if they could somehow find a way for Kurt to wear a Ransom shirt, I could then die happy.

TE: We looked back through your designs, what do you think has influenced these changes? From the hot pink ransom tee to the Ransom x Dickies and Devil button up.

JM: When Cameron, Landon and i first started the brand we kinda just made shit we thought would be cool, ya know. But after 2 drops, the pink logo tee and the Sopranos inspired tee, I just started doing whatever i wanted, and Ransom is just gonna start getting more and more weird :)

It wasn’t hard to tell that Jonathan is a man of many influences and passions. His fusion of Rock and Hip Hop influences melted and molded into Ransom Clothing, bringing his creativity to life. Then trickled into another one of his passions which he and his trendsetting peer and creator of CUFBOYS, Cameron Haller were able to venture out on, standing tall at over two hundred and forty thousand subscribers.

TE: We watched a few CUFBOYS videos, what's behind its creation and what would you like to see the channel become in the next three years?

JM: CUFBOYS IS THE GREATEST CHANNEL ON EARTH. I LOVE CAMERON AND LANDON. Whats behind it’s creation is the genius Cameron Haller. He made something out of nothing and I admire him so much for that. I wanna see him reach a million subs within the next 3 years.

TE: What kind of message do you want to send with the platform you've created?

JM: I want to send the message that you can wear whatever you want whenever you want.

Jonathan sets out to spread positivity and and advocates for expressing yourself and being open to any form of creativity. Music seems to be CUFBOYS' and Jonathan’s form of choice. Artists from XXXTENTACION to Kurt Cobain have been mentioned and featured on their popular Youtube channel, opening themselves and their audience to a variety of lyrical and musical influences. The group’s passions grew into Beitz Fest, a music festival in Southern Maryland featuring a number of local artists of multiple genres and creeds. Ransom Clothing cohosted the event spotlighting some of the budding talent of the area and the growing brand.

TE: With Beitzfest being a success and just recently being featured on No Jumper’s Streetwear Review, what’s next for you and similar forms of creative collaborations?

JM: Not entirely sure what’s next for Ransom as a brand. Always opportunities coming in, and I’m just going with the flow. It’s easier and much more enjoyable that way. Beitzfest was insane. shoutout to Billy and Checkmate. I love you. And being on the streetwear review was one thing, Adam wearing it in his vlog the next day was fucking sick. hahaha.

TE: Top 5 underrated artists from the DMV?

JM: Top 5 Underrated DMV artists:
-Landon Cube
-Savage Hands
-Dreemy LJ
-Joe Stewart

-Christopher Sean

The cup for hot DMV artists is running over with untapped, original talent.

TE: You rep Maryland pretty heavily. What importance do you think supporting the locals has on future creatives?

JM: supporting locals is very important. without supporting local artists, there will be no artistic scene, without an artistic scene, you’re fucked. I also love Maryland for being so boring. If MD wasnt such a boring shithole of a place, I wouldnt be so motivated to make it out.

It’s true, Maryland can be pretty boring nine times out of ten, but that one time that it’s not boring is usually do to people like Jonathan Melton and his trendsetting friends. All great creations have stemmed from need and Maryland has been overdue for quiet some time now. A new wave of rappers, stylists and influencers is nothing short of nurturing for the state. A visionary mindset is definitely necessary to push our area forward and make a mark in the industry. The Experience wants to showcase these visionaries, and we’re happy to have Jonathan as the first of many featured.

I closed off our virtual interview with a question we plan on asking all of our featured artists and influencers. You can probably see it coming.

TE: Finally, what do you do in your day to day life to "stop and smell the roses"?

JM: While stopping and smelling the roses, you can typically find me at band practice, skateboard with Cam and Landon (or doing some other dumb shit with them), and last but not least, hanging out with my beautiful girlfriend. Being with her takes all of my stress and pain away! LOVE U PAYTON :)

You gotta love the youth.