Today we’d like to introduce you to London Basquiat.
Thanks for sharing your story with us London. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Before I started art, my life was completely hell. I grew up in homelessness, but I never thought I’d be dealing with it again as a teenager. When I was 17, my mom moved to Arizona leaving me and my brothers with an option to come or stay. Staying of course meant being homeless and nowhere to go, but the inner me had to find my own way. I’ve moved countless times my whole life, lost friends, houses, I’ve been outside. I was just did and tired and so I decided to stay. Living 2 -3 years homeless friends to friends, park to park, I started making art again.
When I started painting again I was still homeless and creating and it took a while for people to notice who I was or before people started to notice my work. I started canvases and sold the ones I made and so I made more and more. I painted a shoe one day and that led someone into telling me to make shoes, and so that started. That journey was another process I had to learn and master and it was a while before I got my first order. One order turned into 2 and 2 turned into more with the grace of God and hard work. I was also blessed to be able to work at a couple of shops that helped me learn inventory and stock and running a clothing brand.
My sneaker passion was the start of all of my hustle being as tho I didn’t have money I was selling sneakers so the sneaker community is a big supporter of what I am doing and it’s allowed me to gain more of an audience. I was vending at sneaker events all over and showcasing my work for more and more people to it. A little time after Waka Flocka the rapper FaceTimes me on Instagram for some work and that changed everything for me. My audience increased the love and support went up and since that day, I’ve worked with Tons of celebrities and am not working with a handful creating apparel for them.
It’s only been about 4-5 years now, and I’ve worked with Lancome / Macy’s, I’ve worked with NBA PLAYERS RAPPERS, Comedians, Sports payers, Dancers, Football players, I’ve taught classes for kids teaching how to paint, I’ve taken free flights I’ve never thought I’d take, I’ve worked in my community, murals in my community, orders for people all over the world, I customize apparel, sneakers, toys, games, caps, cars, walls, body painting, tattooing, music, and the sky is the limit. How I got to where I am today? Praying. God. Hope. Hard work and dedication. I work so hard on my craft, 24/7 and this is all I do on a daily basis. I will not stop till I perfect my craft, till I’m world-known until my art is all over the world. I’m nowhere where I want to be right now but thankful for the place I am, I could be in the street and lost. Art changed my life.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve been homeless, outside, lived in laundry mats, shelter homes, rooming homes, I’ve been hungry with no money or food, I’ve spent my last 100 on art supplies and could not eat food. My life has always been a struggle up until I started art. It changed everything for me. Today, the struggle is maintaining customer service, learning and growing myself in this society we live in, and continuing to try to better and teach and inspire my community. The struggles I go through and have gone through make the process worth every minute.
Please tell us about London Customs.
I just now, just about everything. My brand specializes in hand-painted 1 of 1 merch of any kind. Custom sneakers, custom shirts, hoodies, jeans and T-shirts. Custom clothing and accessories, custom caps, custom Toys for companies, custom wall murals, I do body painting, fashion shows to now adding tattooing and music as well.
I’d like to say I’m just about an all-around artist I can paint on anything and everything, I create on anything and everything and I have no ceiling when it comes to what I can paint on it what I can paint.
I’d say in most proud that I’ve done everything I’ve done up until this point by myself. Self-promotion, no help branding and I’ve hand-painted thousands of items myself with no mass production or my custom items. I sell products all over the world now and it started with a dream and a push from myself. I’m thankful and blessed.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I don’t think I would start over because starting over, you wouldn’t know where you would end up and I’m thankful of where I am today.
Pricing:
- Custom sneakers $200+
- Body painting / $100 hour
- Tattooing / $75 An hour
- Wall murals / inquiries
- Custom pops / $100 +
Contact Info:
- Website: 1londoncustoms.com
- Phone: 617 595 2248
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @londoncustoms_
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