“I just wanna be a cool guy, that’s known for doing cool stuff that looks cool while I’m doing it.” -Nubie Simpson
By | Aniyah Davies
In the fashion industry, we have seen many beacons rise from the ashes with creations that were made at a young age like Kenneth Ize, Maisie Schloss, Supriya Lele, etc. While some of those amazing designers have brands that discuss their culture, there is a designer in Ohio who centered his brand around the art of hustling and pushing people in his community to do things outside of societal norms and that is Greg “Nubie” Simpson. Nubie created the brand, Hustler Society, a vigilante streetwear brand that represents not only who he is, but his values.
We got the opportunity to sit down with Nubie and ask him questions about his brand and about his experience at Kent State. Recently, Nubie participated in the 53rd Renaissance Ball hosted by Black United Students and showcased his brand to the world with his very own fashion show!
How was your experience as a contestant in Renaissance Ball?
“It was really good, it was a lot, to be honest. It was a lot more commitment than I thought it was going to be. The process was a lot longer than I thought it was going to be, but I think it was worth it. If I had to do it again, I definitely would without hesitation.”
What have you gained since Renaissance Ball?
“After Renaissance Ball, I gained a lot of opportunities, a lot of new relationships, and everything just kind of expanded for me after Renaissance Ball. That was my first fashion show, and that was my first introduction of the brand to the Kent State campus, I got really good feedback. Everyone seems to like it so now everywhere that I go people are like ‘omg I want a hat’ or ‘omg how can we work together’ or ‘omg your the guy that did that at Renaissance Ball’, so I gained a lot of different things from Renaissanc Ball for sure.”
Tell me about your brand.
“Hustler Society is a vigilante streetwear brand created on the whole ideology of thinking freely. A lot of the time people tend to generalize what it means to be a hustler, tend to try and put the word and the person attached to it into a box. You have to look a certain way or do certain things and I wanted to create something that would allow people to break out of the mold that the world tries to put us in. A lot of us, from the moment were born were put into a box that we don’t even get to see. You know like based on where you come from or who your parents are, different things that you don’t have control over, kind of just in up in a box and you may not realize it. I wanted to create something that would open people’s eyes to that box if they weren’t privy to it and give them ways to get out of it.”
How did you get started in the fashion industry? Has fashion always been a significant aspect of your life?
“My journey to fashion is definitely untraditional. I didn’t have the most bread growing up. I spent a lot of time shopping at Citi Trends, Forever 21, and Rue 21 that is where I was getting most of my clothes from, it wasn’t super crazy. But then as I got older, my uncle had this brand in Columbus called Queens Get Me Money and he was getting some traction with that. I watched him build it over two to three years and then my junior year of high school I went to the Career Center for Interactive Media Design. I was like ok what am I going to do with this and for the longest I was like I wanna make clothes but I don’t know how I’m going to do it. So, after watching him do what he was doing, he was like I can put you in contact with these people and just take it from here. Then, I did a fashion internship the summer of 2021 with the Columbus Fashion Alliance. Shoutout to them because they definitely helped mold me into who I am and where I am now. And ever since then, fashion has been a key part of my life.”
What inspired you to create Hustler Society?
“Where I’m from, West Side of Columbus, a lot of people go through the same stuff. You know you go your whole life living on the West side not really expanding outside of that area of the city, grow up, go to high school, play sports in high school- may be good, may not be good (depending on what school you go to)- then you graduate. Then you might mess around and have a kid or work at McDonald’s up the street and that’s it. I wanted to create something that would allow people from my side of the city to understand that there is more out there like you can do more stuff than play sports or just stop after high school- you can keep going.”
How has it been seeing the evolution of your brand? What are some ways that you try to set your brand apart from others?
“I feel like Hustler Society is always evolving. I started the brand two years ago and spent a good chunk of a year just planning how I wanted everything to look. I try to tie a lot of messages and different stuff like that into my clothes. I spent that year figuring out how I can fit a whole bunch of messages into clothes and what that was going to look like. That was my driving force like how is this going to be different? Nowadays, it’s not that hard to get into the clothing industry, all you need is an iPad and pro-create and you can make clothes and have a brand. There are a lot of people who make clothes, but don’t have a brand, so I wanted to make sure that I took time out to build up Huster Society for everything that it is so I could have a brand. I wanted to have that foundation and make sure that there are good values, so it could flourish over time. Hustler Society’s whole thing is breaking down systematic oppressions that the Black community experiences without tackling them head-on.”
What are some of the hardships that come with being an entrepreneur? What has your experience been like?
“You gotta work every day as an entrepreneur. A lot of people think that you get to be your own boss and work on your own schedule, but that lack of stability or set foundation can be the cause of a lot of people’s downfall. Me, personally, I struggle with procrastination and imposter syndrome, like should I be here or is this what I’m supposed to be doing? Being an entrepreneur, you have to answer a lot of those questions by yourself. And yeah you can lean on people around you but at the end of the day you have to find those answers within yourself and use that to keep going.”
Do you feel that owning a business has been rewarding in ways other than financial?
“Yes. I think owning a business has provided me with a platform that I could have attained by just being me, but by me having a business and a physical product, it allows that platform to be so much more real and allows the conversations that I want to have to be a lot easier because they are attached to something physical that people can hold. A lot of the messages that go into my clothes I’m able to talk about them after the fact and build a deeper connection with people down the line.”
Do you think that being a Black or person of color as a creative has made you think about you’re brand differently?
“Yes. I think within the fashion space, like over the last few years, we’ve seen a certain standard for black designers and creators that I aspire to reach. For example, Telfar, Brandon Blackwood, Hanifa, etc. There’s a lot of Black expression that goes within the fashion industry that I feel as a Black creative, I kind of have the opportunity to tap into. I have a different perspective being a Black creative, as young as I am trying to tackle at such a young age. Just being Black while doing that enhances the idea that I know what I’m talking about and trying to impact the community in a positive way rather than if I was white it’d be cultural appropriation, but because I’m Black it sticks harder and it influences people to think differently.”
What are some of your biggest accomplishments while owning a brand?
"I think the connections that I’ve been able to make with people. Owning a brand puts you in a different category and class of people. I don’t mean that like I’m better than anyone or anything, but it allows you to connect with people on a different level because if someone buys a shirt from me, they’re essentially investing in me and what I have to say. So, with that being said, there’s an automatic connection right there. One of the biggest parts of my brand, Members Only, I understand what I’m trying to do isn’t for everyone, but for those who feel the need to support and want to invest, I want to see that through and build those relationships.”
Do you have any advice for people who want to start their own clothing brand or want to create/design clothing?
“I would say if you’re looking to get into clothes, first off, make sure that you’re really serious about it. A lot of the time now, making clothes or being a clothing designer seems so accessible and people think it’s very easy and it’s not. I would say take the time out and make sure this is something you really wanna do because the industry is only getting more and more saturated, so if you come into the industry thinking you’re going to be the next Hellstar and your brand is going to crazy in the next years because of TikToks- it’s getting harder and harder to do that. Then, if you are trying to be a creative just start. I know a lot of times creatives go through that phase of not knowing what they want to create, but the best advice I could give is to just throw it out there and allow your idea to progress over time. Take small steps, take it one day at a time, and that idea will grow in front of you.”
You can shop the brand here: https://hvstlersociety.com
Sources
Davies, A. S. (2023, November 15). Interview with Greg Simpson. personal.
Photography by Milan McMichael
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