Toby mentioned to me the other week that, actually, I am the original RNRK. This puts me at pause to share the story on how I think it really all started, at least how I remember - many summers ago.

In the early 1970s, when I was just three years old, my parents and I moved to New York for a couple of years from Switzerland, where my roots originate. There, in White Plains, I developed my love for American culture, whether it was Sesame Street (helped me learn English!), red fire engines or Walt Disney. But one thing I remember pretty well. I was always kinda adamant about what I wear. Sure there is the hideous sweater photo here and there, but overall I like to think that I knew early on what ‘cool’ is. As you can see in the photo above, I also thought it was ‘cool’ to pose on the hood of my folks’ Plymouth. Make no mistake, I clearly remember the clothes and kicks I wore in those days, especially in this photo. I loved that graphic tee, the shorts with a leather belt and big buckle and the Adidas sneakers. Well ok, so I didn’t become a fashion designer…

But let’s move the clock forward to my teen years. My mother was a professional seamstress, an important fact in this story. So growing up, I have many memories of my mom making a lot of her own clothing, be it pants, jackets or fancy ball gowns. I was fascinated by the concept of simply ‘making your own stuff.’ Wow. It was an enlightenment. Surely, I would ask my mother to sew me a winter jacket which I had personally designed. We went to the fabric store and she proceeded to cut and sew and all that until my design was done! Needless to say, I was quite proud to wear that jacket to school the following day. This was one of the pivotal times in my life, where I realized that if you put your mind towards something you can actually accomplish it. Sure, in this case, I got a ‘little’ help from mom but it definitely instilled a sense of individuality, a sense of thinking outside the box. I realized, that one does not always have to conform and accept what is available or given.

So flash forward many years later, after Toby and I met at Art Center College of Design, we started our design studio and now we are launching our own youth lifestyle brand. Funny, how long it took to come back to my original fascination with making my own things. But hey, why not. If not now, when? I can and I will, this time with some help from my wife...