Ke'an Hart aka KHANZO is a West Philly native who also is an entrepreneur, music producer, visual artist and member of a music collective known as LegendBound. KHANZO first started off creating logos and stickers for members of his group then branched off into his own original designs. Eventually, he started to get noticed for his work on social media and people started asking him for shirts with his designs on them. So that's what he did. After a lot of research, He came up with a strong selection of starter tees and it was history. In March of 2016, He officially launched his own clothing line titled Khanzo Collection and made his mark on the world. Ever since then the brand has been growing more and more everyday. Khanzo Collection takes influences from many of the popular brands today but still keeps it fresh, original, and fuego.
"Be proud of the things you create no matter
how little they may seem and don't be afraid to just get out there and show the
world your visions".- Ke'an Hart
Q) What
does your Brand represent?
A) To
sum up what Khanzo Collection represents is rather difficult. Khanzo Collection
is an extension of what's going on in my head and how what my heart feels
during times of inspiration. It also takes the idea of being unique and
outlandish and puts it as the figurehead of the brand itself. What other brands
do you know have a man with a pink wig on named "Yung Curly Sue"?
Q) What
are your creative influences?
A) My
creative influences are mostly my clique, LegendBound. We all drive each others
creative abilities and come together to create really amazing things. I would
not be where I am today without them helping me on the path to reaching my
fullest potential.
Q) What
brands do you like and admire/aspire to be like?
A) My
favorite street wear brands are: Supreme, Bape, Bored Teenager, Golf Wang, Off
White, VLONE, Billionaire Boys Club, Bad Perception, RocketFuture and Ice
Cream. My favorite designer brands are: Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Tommy
Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, and Maison Goyard. However, I don't aspire to be like
them. I want to stay one of a kind and true to the brand and myself and not be
just another "clone". I feel like a lot of people fixate on being
someone or something that they truly aren't and they often play themselves.
Q) Tell
us about Khanzo Collection's upcoming season. What's the general
direction?
A) I'm
honestly not too sure what I want this upcoming season's style to be because of
been experimenting with different things, but just know that it will be fuego.
Q) Whats
your ultimate goal with your brand?
A) My
ultimate goal for Khanzo Collection is simple. I just want to show the entire
world that it's cool to be different. As long as you are being you that's all
that matters. I want my merchandise to empower people with dope ideas to start
making their mark on the world as well just like how I am. I want aspiring
creators to look at my story and think "Oh if he can do it, I can
too". I want Khanzo Collection to help a bunch of random odd brands come
up and show the world their perspectives on fashion and design.
Q) How
do you feel about the fashion/street wear/Art scene in Philadelphia?
A) In
my opinion, I think that we are living in a cultural renaissance. Its so easy
to start a wave/movement, its unbelievable. I see a lot of young adults like me
from Philly who are creating so many unique styles and ideas. But as many
people would say, Philly can sometimes be a hard place to get yourself known
because it feels like everyone is competing against each other. But we're all
working on making it a better foundation for artists everyday. I believe that
this city has massive potential that is not yet realized or brought out.
Q) Collaboration
is also an important element in fashion. If you could work with anyone, who
would it be? Anybody local brands?
A) I am
very open to collaborations! I love sharing ideas with people and creating some
dope things. For example, not even a month after Khanzo Collection was
established, I was contacted by an Indonesia-based street wear brand called
"RocketFuture" about collaborating on some merchandise. Of course I
was down with it because I already vibed with them when I saw what they were
creating. So we did it, and now I've already left my mark on people who are
thousands of miles away from me. I also am in the process of collaborating with
a close friend of mine's brand called "Bad Perception". I feel like
both of our brands go hand in hand so I'm really looking forward to what kind
of fuego we can come up with. Oh, and I also would love to collaborate with the
artist Corpse Tits. I love her work on Instagram and I always try to keep up
with all of the stuff that she makes. I really like her dark, punk rock, style
and the fact that she creates exactly what she wants with no filter.
Q) How
can Khanzo Collection help push the culture forward?
A) I
believe that Khanzo Collection can help push cultural diversity. I think that
my brand can help create a new wave of strange among the youth.
Q) Any
advice for anybody wanting to start a Brand of their own?
A) My
advice for anyone looking to start something is simple. JUST DO IT! Start
something, anything, and don't stop being consistent, progressive, and hard
working. Be proud of the things you create no matter how little they may seem
and don't be afraid to just get out there and show the world your visions. You
can do anything you want if you really put your mind, heart, and soul into it
and I am one of the examples of that. You never know how far you can go unless
you try.
