Back in the day I working on the Nike White Label re-issue of the iconic art tees for the AirMax 180 relaunch. I wanted to do an update using a contemporary artist. As fate would have it, I met Devon Turnbull, aka “@devonojas,” of Brooklyn streetwear mecca Nom de Guerre, at a Wieden and Kennedy event where he had just painted a mural at the Rudy’s barber shop. He agreed to do a graphic for the new collection, we did a tee and a shoe colorway, and of course the whole thing was a smashing success (see below). Then I lost touch with Devon.Â
Fast forward to the Fall of 2022 — I took a gig as brand Art Director at Sound United, who own high-end audiophile brands Bowers & Wilkins, Polk Audio and Denon. Not my usual wheelhouse of streetwear/tennis, but the brands had really cool stories, and I was up for the pivot.Â
Shortly after I got there I read a New York Times article about how Devon was now pursuing his true passion and building these seriously geeky bespoke, high-end audio systems for people you’ve heard of: Virgil Abloh. Tom Sachs. Tyler, the Creator. He did the sound systems for all the Supreme shops. So that’s what he’s doing now. Hahaha. Me too... kinda sorta.
Then, earlier last year I hear from our Brand Director that we’re doing a collab with some guy “with a weird name no one’s ever heard of… OJAS.” The hell. 15 years after the AM 180 relaunch and I’m the AD on the Denon campaign. Turns out Devon had a “Bob Smith” folder on his laptop for years where he kept the scans from a Dover art book I loaned him that he had been using for his art.Â
Just goes to show you never really know where this road is going, which isn’t always a bad thing.
Fast forward to the Fall of 2022 — I took a gig as brand Art Director at Sound United, who own high-end audiophile brands Bowers & Wilkins, Polk Audio and Denon. Not my usual wheelhouse of streetwear/tennis, but the brands had really cool stories, and I was up for the pivot.Â
Shortly after I got there I read a New York Times article about how Devon was now pursuing his true passion and building these seriously geeky bespoke, high-end audio systems for people you’ve heard of: Virgil Abloh. Tom Sachs. Tyler, the Creator. He did the sound systems for all the Supreme shops. So that’s what he’s doing now. Hahaha. Me too... kinda sorta.
Then, earlier last year I hear from our Brand Director that we’re doing a collab with some guy “with a weird name no one’s ever heard of… OJAS.” The hell. 15 years after the AM 180 relaunch and I’m the AD on the Denon campaign. Turns out Devon had a “Bob Smith” folder on his laptop for years where he kept the scans from a Dover art book I loaned him that he had been using for his art.Â
Just goes to show you never really know where this road is going, which isn’t always a bad thing.
