Emeka Obi | 10 Deep
Posted by Greg Weinstein | Filed under Clothing, Feature, Features, News
We sat down wit Emeka Obi of 10 Deep and he let us in on some information. If you always wondered about 10 Deep and what its all about, Emeka covers it from 10 to deep. The brand has been around for 14 years and that is only because of good dudes like Emeka and his team. Look out for big things from 10 Deep in the future, but for now , checkout what Emeka has to say about it all.
Expect to see 10 Deep making its mark in places that you wouldn’t expect us to be. Thats what’s next.
CS: What was the direction you were taking 10 deep in for the Fall?
The fall collection entitled “proud to be a problem” is a dedication to all those willing to shake up the system, for better or for worse. All the misanthropes and iconoclasts who’s individuality forced everyone around them to either adjust or follow suit. It’s not just about being controversial for the sake of controversy but about wholeheartedly believing in your own lunacy. Clothing Wise we bring you what you’re used to from us solid tees, button ups, crews, hoodies and outerwear that get progressively better every season.
CS: How did 10 Deep come about? how was it formed?
Ten deep was the brainchild of Scott Sasso who is still actively head designer, creative director, shot caller and check signer. 10 deep was essentially born of boredom in his Vassar College dorm room back in 95 as a creative outlet for his normally boring studies and spawned into the beast that you see before you.
How did you get on the 10 Deep team?
Happenstance. Just from being out and about in the downtown scene i would run into Scott and Josh, who were essentially the makeup of 10 deep at the time, at parties and events. We talked the time and one day they just called me into the office.They thought i had good ideas and a good knowledge of the burgeoning downtown scene and a connection to the people in it. At the time i was unemployed, just quit a job that i hated. So they took a chance on an unproven kid with zero marketing experience and made me marketing manager. They probably regret that decision to this day.
Does 10 Deep ever want to dive into the footwear industry?
Not on our own accord. If we do something we would want to have some expertise in it and knowing Scott, before we got into making shoes he would take a 4 year course in shoe-making and study leather working with a 150 year old Sherpa in the Appalachian mountains. I don’t think we would survive his hiatus.
You guys recently did a Kid Cudi collaboration. Any other collaborations coming up?
We just did a mixtape with the up and coming rapper Donnis which was a smash seems to be headed in the same direction as the last two mixes we did with Wale and Kid Cudi. As for music collabs, there’s nothing planned, just waiting till I hear some good music that we think our public will appreciate. Outside of music our list of collaborations is sparse but we have some partnerships coming in near future that will open up the range of what we usually offer to our fans and solidify our reputation of putting out quality product.
10 Deep has been around for 14 years. What are you most proud of?
We’re most proud of being around for 14 years. That’s not a accomplishment to take light of. For us to say that we are most proud of any one thing is to say that we are content with living in our past, our past is one thing that we are not willing or able to recreate to fit in the context of what we want for our future. Im definitely proud of some accomplishment but the pride ultimately takes a backseat to progress.
What’s next?
Next is just getting bigger, Growing, becoming a more formidable component in all the world in which we have our hands. As a lifestyle brand we have to encompass a lifestyle creating goods that not only fit into the different components of the culture but creations which outlive the lifespan of the season in which they fall. Expect to see 10 Deep making its mark in places that you wouldn’t expect us to be. Thats what’s next.
Check out more on Emeka’s Blog. Dont forget to follow him on twitter.
