Today we’d like to introduce you to Don “De.aR” Robinson
Hi Don “De.aR”, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Free Few was established in December of 2011. At that time, I was newly into music. One day wile sitting in my friend’s living room in Destrahan Louisiana, I decided I needed a brand behind my artistry. Inspired by other artist’s brands such as J. Cole’s dreamville or Drake’s OvO, I decided to create one for myself. I knew I wanted it to be based around the idea of freedom, so I borrowed a notebook and started jotting down as many combinations using the word “Free” or “Freedom” as I possibly could. After a few pages of writing down lists of possibilities, I finally ran out of ideas but nothing stood out. Then the idea hit me, “only a few people at any given time in life are deliberately living out their dreams”. The word “few” stood out to me in that statement. I put Few & Free together and decided that they sounded better the other way around and also made more sense as well. I did all the research I possibly could to see if it existed and realized it was nowhere to be found. I knew then I had something on my hands. Immediately I began drawing up a logo. A few weeks later, I put in a order at a local printing company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for my first box of t-shirts that I gave out for free on Southern University’s campus where I attended school at the time. Fast forward, the logo has changed several times since then, and I’ve moved my company from Louisiana to Atlanta and am now making a huge impact in the fashion industry here in Los Angeles with many social influencers and celebrities seen wearing Free Few.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road at all. In fact, business itself is a struggle. Sometimes the road runs out and you find yourself standing in the middle of a jungle with no clear path on which way to go. As a kid with just an idea to promote his music, I had no clue as to what it would take to break into the fashion industry, let alone anything about running a business. There was so much I didn’t know and even more that I didn’t know I didn’t know. I had no background in fashion or business and no one I could call on for help. I literally learned everything I know from trial and error. Even til this day. And things are always changing so I’m always learning and applying new things to grow and maintain my business.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Free Few?
Personally, I’m mostly known as music artist and songwriter who goes by the name “De.aR”. The thing that sets me apart is my ability to learn and see things from different angles that set a bit unorthodox in comparison to the mold most people fit in. I had no structure when building this company so finding ways to make something out of nothing is a fortunate specialty of mine. I’m mostly proud of the people Free Few has inspired beyond even myself. Without me having to give a briefing of what Free Few stands for or how it came about, people typically come up with their own definition which happens to be in alignment with my own. As time passed, it has become this entity that eveyone philosophies about. Also, my latest collection called “God Got Me” has brought me the most success of any other design before it. It has opened so many doors and presented plenty of opportunities for me. Recently I was able to gift Issa Rae and Jay Ellis of Insecure some t-shirts from that line which fulfilled a dream pocket for me given how big of a fan of the show I was. Although, Free Few started as just a brand to push my music, since then, it has become a bonafide staple in the fashion industry here in Los Angeles. Throughout the year, my company partners with huge events such as Black Market Flea, Black On The Block, Hot Water Cornbread and many other social events here in Los Angeles where many influencers and celebrities come out to support local businesses. We also host our own events called Free Few Funday where we further spread brand awareness to local communities throughout the city promoting health & wellness and allowing individuals to network and build genuine connections. Outside of music and fashion, Free Few has also grown to be a multi media company. All of our media is created in-house, tying my personal music endeavors together along with the brand itself. Free Few has become a self sustaining ecosystem of music, fashion, film, photography, and entertainment as a whole. In the near future, we plan to establish the Free Few Foundation to further give back to communities in a bigger, more positive way on a massive scale in order to continue to promote the brands identity of heath, wellness, mindfulness, motivation and self mastery.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important thing I’ve learned along this journey is to not complain, never give up, and be quick on your feet. Things are always changing, Therefore, running into an unpredictable situation is inevitable. After a few years of complaining you realize it’s the same song and dance so don’t waste your personal energy crying about the inevitable. Also, giving up is not an option. The only way to fail is to stop. And if you become complacent, you will become a hamster on a wheel so always be learning. The only way to progress is to make adjustments as the environment around you changes. That too is inevitable so you have to be willing to adjust often. Pretty soon, you become the trailblazer and set the rules of how the game goes.
Pricing:
- Free Few – God Got Me – Tees – $30
- Free Few – God Got Me – Hoodies – $50
- Free Few – God Got Me – Jerseys – $60
- Free Few – Sweats – $40
- Free Few – shorts – $30
Contact Info:
- Website: https://freefew.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopfreefew
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopfreefew
- Other: https://linktr.ee/De.arangel
