OriginalFani®design is for the Culture

Influenced by skate culture and the vibrant captivation of anime, Fani creates a world of his own when designing, one where sustainability, family, and culture rule all. An embrace of logo-mania with a focus on inclusion, OriginalFani®design has succeeded in creating an identity that’s for everyone. As of late, Fani has re-imagined Levi denim, imprinting his logo throughout a pair of jeans and a jacket to match, launching May 13. With his hands in international markets, including Japan and China, where he draws inspiration, the talented designer is set on making a lasting impression.

In an exclusive interview with office, Fani details his design journey, the community he serves, and the importance of sustainability.

I want to take it back to the beginning, the origins of OriginalFani®design What was the process of creating this brand?

OriginalFani started as a blog, (OriginalFani.com), which was inspired by Illroots. The name "OriginalFani" comes from the Brand "OriginalFake," which no longer makes clothing, which was a collaboration between Medicom Japan (toy company) + KAWS (pop artist). I started making t-shirts with the "OriginalFani/OriginalFake logo flip as something to give my friends and family so they could represent the brand, whether it was the blog or the fact that I might've created some graphics for them.

At this time in my career, I was doing freelance graphic design, including flyers, cover art, t-shirt design, logos +, etc., for local artists and businesses to make a living.

How has the Atlanta community influenced your come-up and where you are now?

Atlanta has played a huge part in my come-up. I'm originally from Chicago; my mother moved us here when she started working at Spelman. I would say it's a small town with a big city mentality. Most of the relationships I made here have helped me maintain the brand. The most important was the rap collective Two-9, where I was doing creative direction and graphic design for.

Your designs have been seen on every major artist, from Young Thug to SZA, to name a few. Why do you think OriginalFani®design resonates with so many people?

I think the fact that we have a focus on accessories makes it easy to mix and match our items with pretty much anything. I also look at the brand as unisex our graphics and color choices are typically very simple. Another goal of mine was to make the brand almost synonymous with a place or location. Atlanta has played such a huge part in pop culture over the last decade, and I would say our brand has found quite the niche in that space. Another focus is to establish a love and respect for fashion in a place that isn't always represented in that conversation. I would say it's a lack of press and infrastructure which creates this void, but it's not an actuality. 

What inspirations do you pull from when you start designing?

Initially, my designs are purely based on my love for Japanese streetwear. The simplicity, use of minimal colors or repetitive branding, and also selective use of our monogram I take from a long list of Japanese brands. I also feel like these brands were the 1st to show me the importance of collaboration and sharing an audience while using them to make releases feel like they are a collectible. Other than that, I would say my use of color and repetition also comes from the likes of American streetwear brands like Stussy. I would also say I love how Supreme has a focus on telling a New York story; this too has inspired me to use and collaborate with brands that can establish the same feeling here in Atlanta. 

How did this denim design come to be, and do you see there being a whole denim collection in the future?

Our main focus is accessories, being that I feel that anytime we step out of our box, it's special. The pattern used on the denim is from our beginnings. I felt Levis would be the perfect brand to use to step into the realm of denim, seeing how they have such a long history. Ideally, the collaboration we do is to feel classic and not overthought. I love denim, so this was just what I felt was the best introduction we could have. We have also done denim accessories in the past. I definitely plan to continue to work with denim and continue to slowly add to the array of garments the brand releases.

You also run a physical space, Closette, where people can show up and buy your pieces and explore other streetwear brands. Can you speak to the process of creating Closette and how important it is to have your pieces seen in person?

Closette has been quite a blessing. The name was inspired by the discontinued Paris boutique Colette which I had the opportunity to visit once before they closed. Closette has played an important role in the brand as it allows me to test products and have a relationship with both consumers and creatives in the city of Atlanta. Another thing I feel is the most important is community; the store space works as a hub for that as we often bring in brands locally and globally. Having the ability to interact with either customers or peers helps to establish a personal feeling, something that has also been attached to my brand as its name contains my actual name. People like to know or feel like they know the designer. I think names like Anwar Carrots and Joe Fresh Goods are the perfect example of this phenomenon.

I want to talk about your relationship with Hip Hop. How has music been a pillar since exploring visual art and fashion design?

I've had the opportunity to work on countless projects with different artists because Atlanta is such a pillar in the Hip Hop culture. I would say I got my 10k hours of experience in multiple disciplines, including graphic design, styling, and creative direction, due to this. A lot of relationships I made because of this we really easy to transcend when I started taking the idea of actually running a brand/business seriously.

OriginalFani®design continues to grow and make an impression. Where do you see your brand in the future?

My main goal with OriginalFani®design is sustainability. Because my actual name is attached to it, everything done is calculated and also a true representation of my taste level, serving as artistic expression. We don't make clothing or accessories based on trends or temporary financial gain. Being this, I think the future holds a steady rise, but enhancement of our infrastructure plays a large role in the future of not only Atlanta culture but also what it means to have longevity as an African American designer.