The Plug Clothes, Fashion Arlington, Tx

Racks of clothing line the walls as you enter the apartment, studio and workspace of local rapper Fume Stkz, and not considering his closet wouldn't fit the entirety of his baste. It's because his latest effort has placed him in a new field of artistry: fashion design.

The 29-year-onetime Plano native, who used to sit down in his room and write lyrics, now spends his time stacking clothing shipments with his freshly printed designs. Stkz has become a well-known Dallas music scene presence every bit a rapper, merely he recently entered the running with other multidimensional artists who dare take on the earth of fashion.

The road to Soda Plug, the clothing make he created last year, had many twists. In 2015, he was in jail over a weapon charge.

"The name of my last brand was stolen while I was locked up," Stkz says, shaking his caput and looking back on the many tribulations he faced since imprisonment.

One of these was the original spelling of his creative person proper noun, which he had to alter afterward his release. Though he first envisioned himself starting a clothing line in loftier schoolhouse, Stkz finally found a reason to bring his dreams to reality. He put together a plan of action and started from scratch.

"I started with an online website, where I put in the designs and ordered it, and information technology faded after each wash," he says of the article of clothing. "And so I said, 'Fuck information technology, I'll simply exercise it myself.' And it took off instantly."

When the quality of the clothing he first worked with turned out to be beneath standard, Stkz changed his approach and bought a heat press and professional printer. Now, he does all of his printing, cutting and pressing himself from his Dallas apartment.

Soda Plug is slowly picking up a clientele, sometimes through inadvertent advertisement.

"It was a pretty easy transition, 'cause I had a lot of people already, from making music." – Smoke Stkz
tweet this

"I was kind of surprised," the designer says. "I really went into Popeyes today and had three people place orders on the [matching] joggers and hoodie I'm wearing."

"Getting started was hardest," he explains, "figuring out materials, all that. There were a lot of fuck-ups. I wasted a lot of coin. But I got it where information technology needed to be."

The greatest investment required for starting a brand, notwithstanding, is time. And, equally Stkz says, "There's not enough time in the twenty-four hour period."

Of course, time costs money, and Stkz is now at the point of hiring staff to help him with the press process.

"It's absurd at present, 'cause I got control over the quality," he says. "It's that quality command, I got that. And before I transport information technology out, I review it. I make sure everything'south perfect."

The quality of his products is perhaps what keeps his customers coming back for more. But it's his catchy designs that accept caught the attending of buyers from the get-become. His notable emoji-style logo, adorned with his own face tattoos — a tear below i eye and cross between the brows — was originally designed past his graphic artist, Dash, whom he met a few years back in a recording studio. Stkz works direct with his blueprint artist, then adds on his ain touches forth the way.

The interconnected nature of music and fashion is function of what made his shift from music to way so seamless.

"Information technology was a pretty easy transition 'crusade I had a lot of people already, from making music," says the artist, who met his graphic designer, promotional team, legal directorate and a greater portion of his fan base for Soda Plug through his connections as a rap artist.

"I similar having a relationship with who I work with," he says.

Stkz reminisces on how far he's grown since he showtime started taking his music seriously more than v years ago. Since kickoff stepping into the scene, he's joined the roster of record label Mr. Lee's XMG Studio and become a part-owner in label Five Star Status Entertainment. But a search for the spotlight isn't what drives the creative person; the contempo nascence of his daughter brought him to reflect on the deeper issues he can solve with his work.

"I've been giving out face masks to the homeless," he says, going through the box of face up masks that he ordered with the intention to donate.

"That'south really what I desire to practise, is assistance people without opportunities," he says, looking back at his upbringing. "That was the worst matter virtually growing up in Plano. You know, everyone has all this overnice stuff, and my mom did the best she could, but I desire to do that with clothing ... make sure kids accept clothing. Clothes that are cool."

"And if I tin," he continues, "I'll make sure they take wearing apparel for the next twelvemonth, too."

click to enlarge Stkz posing with a design for his brand Soda Plug. - SMOKE STKZ