Today we’d like to introduce you to Felix Milton.
Felix, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
R.O.P.E.S. Clothing is operated by designer Felix Milton. ROPES is an acronym for Respect Other People’s Edgy Styles.
“Growing up, I always had my own style. I never much cared about what people thought or said about what I was wearing. I wore the shit because I liked the way it looked and, in turn, how it made me feel. I started out grabbing clothes from Goodwill or just any second-hand shop I could find. I would, then, take a jacket apart and add things to it. I knew I wanted to look fly and I didn’t have much money, so I made whatever I found look like I may have paid at least 100 dollars for it. That was my thought every time I bought something new. How can I make this look dope and expensive?! I have always wanted my style to say something. Being an expressive streetwear designer, I stuck with that thought of making sure whatever I create said something. It has never been about creating a cool design when it came to ROPES. I always want to either teach through my designs and/or Re-shape a person’s mind for the greater good of themselves or humanity.
I’m an Arkansas native who eventually dropped everything and moved across the country to follow my dreams of being a world-renowned designer. Over the years, I’ve overcome many obstacles and situations, which all have gotten me so far. I can’t really say much has changed over the years, but business is better than ever. I enjoy the limited pieces I drop. Being the really private person that I am, when I put out a piece, I feel like I’m giving a bit of myself away. It’s a roller-coaster for real!
Stay inspired people!” – F. Milton
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Point out the person who claims to have had a smooth road and I’ll show you what a liar looks like. I believe with anything worth having comes some type of difficulties, uncertainties, or discomfort. The road I traveled to get to where I am today is still unpaved and I’m at the point in life where I’m actually ok with that. I’m no longer naive toward business in the fashion arena. Over the years, I’ve gained knowledge from failures and shortfalls. I’ve found peace and understanding in uncomfortable situations.
The biggest struggle for me to this date was packing my bags and moving across the country to chase something bigger than myself having to leave family behind in Arkansas. See in order to understand how close I am with my family. Just imagine having a family reunion nearly every weekend, I’m talking about extended family over at my mom’s house on Sundays to break bread with each other. I’m talking 30+ family members that I would get to see religiously. Aside from having to leave family, I would have to say that getting into the fashion crowd of Los Angeles was difficult in the beginning but I soon figured out how to use social media to my advantage to meet some cool people. Thank you, Hashtags!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about ROPES – what should we know?
R.O.P.E.S. Clothing is operated by designer Felix Milton. ROPES is an acronym for Respect Other People’s Edgy Styles.
I started this company a little over ten years ago. In the beginning, it was just hobby then it turned into “Can you alter this for me? Can you do something with my denim jacket? Can I pay you to design?” Eventually, I had enough people asking me to do custom pieces that I realized I could actually probably make a little extra cash doing this so I opened up shop.
When I get asked the question of what sets me apart from other brands or designers. I honestly can never understand that question because I believe art is just a form of expression. The fact that I am ME and you are YOU is enough to set us apart from each other. I’m no greater than the next designer. I’m just here creating art and the best thing about that is no one can tell me that I am doing “my art” wrong. Just think about that for a second, do you think we would ever know if Picasso’s famous paintings were exactly what he was going for?
I design with the intent to ruffle a couple feathers and spark conversations. I’m well known for my stance against Social inequalities and Promoting positivity. I use the following to text in a lot of my designs “Don’t Let That S#%t Ruin You” | “F#%K Racism” | Selfish. All which mean something to my life. I have all the breakdowns of the designs on my website (www.Ropesclothing.com) if you want to dig deep into my thought process when I’m creating something new.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Being that I’m consistent, resilient, and Truthful. I as an artist, believe that it is my duty to as honest and raw in my art as possible. When you see my designs, I want you to feel something.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Ropesclothing.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whoizfelix/?hl=en
Image Credit:
Saif Rehman, Jasmine Ryland
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