Norblack Norwhite and our trip to India
Wear Many Hats World Tour began in India with friends and guest of the show, Scott Ross and Naeem Juwan (Spank Rock)
In 2015, we took a trip to Mumbai, India (Bombay) and how we scored our flights was by way of hacking flights. I was patiently waiting for error flights that had us each spending $390 on round trip tickets. I was living in Philly at the time and had graduated college. I met my best friends, Scott Ross and Naeem Juwan, at a BMX streetwear shop where I was the menswear buyer and merchandiser. Every weekend, we would go to Making Time which was the biggest party scene in Philly and pop into their house like it was Friends. Scott connected me a frequent collaborator of his, Hassan Rahim, for my first studio space in Philly. I ran a hat business that threw parties and gallery openings with the shop I work at but when we took a break from it, and moved to NYC, I converted it to a creative advertising agency, Dahsar. Other things I wish I did more of when I lived in Philly was open up my own coffee shop, buy bitcoin, and perform more in the music and comedy scene.
These three folks that no longer live in Philly, shared so much culture to me that meets the eye.
The Upside by Spank Rock got me through college. Iconic.
Now on to our trip to India.
When we bought our error flights to Mumbai, we didn’t think it was real. We flew out on a shoestring budget but made it happen. I got routine vaccines for India as well as being prescribed hydroxychloroquine to treat malaria. The only thing I was prepared for but as soon as we arrived, we were winging it. While Dahsar was still a hat brand, one of my main objection of the trip was to go hunting for dyed fabrics and fabric manufacturers so we could make hats in India. The scenery felt eerily similar to me before since I went to Malaysia when I was younger, but for Scott and Naeem it was new.
We stayed at nice hostels that brought us together. I’ve taken the most beautiful iPhone photos although I wish I brought a film camera. After Mumbai, we took a wild sleeper train car to Jaipur where I found the ikat fabrics, then Jodhpur, known as the ‘Blue City’ where we stayed in spaces that felt like we were princes. The sights had the locals make me take photos of Scott and Naeem like they were celebs and they made me feel like I was a one of the locals. Honestly, I got the spirit. Drinking chai, pinkies up.
We couldn’t make it to the Taj Mahal because it closes on Fridays and our schedule was pretty tight so we made it back down to Mumbai. On the last leg of the trip is when we started meeting new friends. We met Ilana Millner on a boat ride. A film photographer, producer for podcasts, and now going to Fordham Law School to study entertainment law but there isn’t anything she can’t do. Then got connected with Actress, Priyanka Bose, and hung out at her house. We talked about movies and I dripped her in Dahsar hats. Finally we met Amrit Kumar of Norblack Norwhite and checked out their studio. At the time, NBNW was styling my favorite DJ trio of the time, Major Lazer, for their music video ‘Lean On’.
We styled ourselves in the studio, dripped in Norblack Norwhite, and had never wore so much color in my life. We partied for awhile, drank beers, had crushes for everyone and was hungover for days. Drank chai and my throat was clogged up because I thought it was something I ate. It was because I was allergic to the hydroxychloroquine I was taking. I couldn’t breathe and thought I was going to die. When I stopped taking it of course I could breathe again. Why do I always get myself into these close calls?
We kept in touch with everyone since but obviously time slips up and we get caught up. I would catch Amrit when she’s in NYC doing a pop up for NBNW. Later I would meet her business partner, Mriga Kapadiya, at NBNW pop ups in the states.
Norblack Norwhite was at Padmores in Bedstuy, Brooklyn and I thought I’d surprise Amrit but no dice. It was good to reconnect with Mriga again.