Press
What they say about Phade.
GQ Magazine: The Life of Urban Looney Tunes
by Brian Josephs, 2018
Streetwear imagery like the Tasmanian Devil in a gold chain, Wile E. Coyote in a mink, and Marvin Martian in a bandana can be traced back to the legendary Queens-based design crew, the Mighty Shirt Kings. Composed of Edwin "Phade" Sacasa, Rafael "Kasheme" Avery, and Clyde "Nike" Harewood, the group took the colorful aesthetics of '80s New York City graffiti and applied them to t-shirts. The Shirt Kings set up shop in Jamaica, Queens' Colosseum Mall, where they quickly became known for combining known cartoon figures (including a few from Disney and comic strips), caricatures, and fly boy flourishes like gold teeth. For Phade, the venture was a combination fanhood and obligation. "You got to remember: '84, '85, '86, that was when the crack era came out and was devastating communities and destroying families," Phade tells me. "We had almost a moral job to bring joy to people's lives—and you found joy when you were a child."
Shirt Kings' clothes became popular thanks to college kids wearing their designs outside New York and visits from then-hot Queens natives LL Cool J and Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay ("The minute Jay came down it was like, 'Oh, who is this guy having a superstar who's all over MTV come down to the Jamaica Coliseum with, like, 100 guys—all of them wearing Adidas—and they're all buying shirts.'"). While his mentor, fashion icon Dapper Dan, was infamously served a cease-and-desist from Gucci because of his "knock-ups," Phade was able to avoid any legal entanglements with Warner Bros. and other corporations. Instead, they overlooked Shirt Kings all together, with Phade noting that, before hip-hop objectively became the commercial behemoth it is today, "there was a vast space between urban and corporate."
Read more at https://www.gq.com/story/life-of-urban-looney-tunes
HypeBeast: Champion and Shirt King Phade Team Up on an Exciting Capsule Collection
by HB Staff, 2017
“Working with an iconic artistic pioneer like Phade felt like a natural fit for Champion.”
Champion, makers of the signature athletic apparel, has partnered up with graffiti artist Edwin Sacasa, better known as Shirt King Phade, for an exclusive capsule collection inspired by the brand’s classic silhouettes. With his unique airbrush creations, Phade transforms some of Champion’s most iconic pieces, such as the Reverse Weave and Mesh Jersey, into works of art.
Read more at https://hypebeast.com/2017/8/champion-shirt-king-phade-capsule-collection
Baller Status: Footaction Launches Graffiti-Laced Champion Capsule Collection
by BS Staff, 2017
Footaction has teamed up with Champion Athleticwear for this exclusive capsule collection, designed by graffiti artist Shirt King Phade.
For the offering, Phade transformed some of Champion’s most iconic pieces — including the Reverse Weave and Mesh Jerseys — into pieces seen through the lens of graffiti art.
“Champion is such an iconic brand that design inspiration was free-flowing once we started talking – the C-Patch Logo alone prompted so many creative ideas,” said Phade. “We also integrated various embellishment techniques – sublimation heat transfer, embroidery and glow in the dark trims – to make each piece in the collection truly unique and appealing to Footaction’s fashion-forward customer.”
Read more at https://www.ballerstatus.com/2017/08/16/footaction-launches-champion-capsule-collection/
The Hundreds: Kings of Custom - PHADE of Shirt Kings Talks About the New Generation of DIY
by Charlie Kane, 2016
Shirt Kings’ T-shirts became a trend and an important staple in hip-hop and streetwear culture. It has also transformed as vintage art pieces or a luxury commodity for rappers and artists. In retrospect, could you have forecasted that DIY type fashion like airbrush T-shirts would be trending today?
PHADE: I came into this game as an artist who loved to tag on trains in the NYC subway system. Attending the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan helped infuse and solidify that what I had was different from other writers and artists. For me, luxury is what me and my Shirt King partner, Mighty Nike, aspired to. Our school was located in Midtown, so we frequently went to the Gucci store on 5th Avenue and eventually purchased a pair of Gucci frames.
Once I got introduced to the airbrush by my graffiti partners George and Spank, I found my personal niche. I decided this is what I was gonna make money off of: My art. Anything you put your hand continuously will expand—so for me, it was never trending—it was a force of a natural evolution. When everyone gave up and strayed away from custom, I kept going.
Why do you think airbrush tees are trending? Do you think it’s fueled by designers, celebrities, or millennials who love customization?
To a creative, what you do is not trendy. A lot of our clients introduced The Shirt Kings history to their kids because we have a strong story and meaning behind us. But the list of Shirt King influencers are beyond merit. The Bell Biv Devoe outfits I did for New Edition brought back fond memories of a time when custom reigned. 50 Cent used to be a Shirt King. Jay Z was a Shirt King. Bizmarkie, too. Shirt Kings became a bridge and connector between generations and culture. No other streetwear brand does that.
Alexander Wang, Kanye, Jeremy Scott, Gucci, etc. see the value in our integrity. They follow suit then airbrush style becomes trending. I am flattered by it. These top designers help solidify my art in the world.
Read more at https://thehundreds.com/blogs/content/shirt-kings-phade-interview-custom-diy