Meet DUMBSMART NEW YORK

As someone who shops daily, brands always catch my eye. These brands either have a product I've never seen, or I'm intrigued by their story. On one of my usual virtual "shopping sprees" I came across a brand DUMBSMART NEW YORK. I purchased a tee and a super dope pair of pants from one of their collections. These pieces are my go-to for so many outfits. I wear them together or mix and match them with other items in my closet. I remember being so grateful that I stumbled upon this designer.

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Fast forward through the year and I set out on a mission to get to know the brains behind the brands I fall in love with. I had the pleasure to sit down with Walter who is the owner and creative behind DUMBSMART NEW YORK. The powerhouse that is Walter handles all business operations from graphic design, product development, marketing, to public relations.

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Located in Westchester, NY, the e-commerce, conceptual arts and streetwear brand, DUMBSMART NEW YORK was born from a passion of streetwear fashion. Growing up, Walter purchased many streetwear items from snapback hats to sneakers. One day he decided, like many of us, that he had the capability to design and develop items just as good if not better than the brands he was spending all his money on. He states, "I’m one of those people who acknowledges everyone as human and being equally capable of anything, so I’m never deterred from working towards something that I see is possible for someone else."

As someone with entrepreneurial tendencies he knew his business idea along with his love of art and drawing talent would develop into something powerful. The name of the brand bleeds New York. Walter explained, "Dumb Smart is popular within New York dialect and is slang I’ve used heavily amongst my peers growing up. Alike lingo such as “dumb far” and “mad hungry”, “dumb” is used to accentuate the severity of the adjective that follows it. In college, I championed myself and my peers as being “dumb smart” or extremely able intellectually." I love a brand name that gives you that "ah ha" moment. The name being an oxymoron makes you think deeper about what the designer is trying to convey.

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Along with the name, the graphics found on various tees and hoodies display what life is like living unconventionally through the designer's lens. Walter wants to depict his experience on the road to where he's going in real time by creating thought provoking pieces. The designer looks to "encourage the consumer to think rather than take a design at face value and influence those who seek a different path to step out of the comforts of tradition to strive to achieve success."

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After releasing the first t-shirt in 2012, Walter found himself at one point putting the brand on hold to work a 9-5 job to sustain his everyday life and only releasing pieces as he was able to. It was 2018 that the brand became his full-time job and focus. DUMBSMART NEW YORK has released "about 5-6 comprehensive collections (Hard to Kill, Pressure, Better pants Collection (FW19), 8 PCS (S20), Old Model) to date, with a few capsule releases in between."

The authenticity and relatability to Walter and the brand story of DUMBSMART NEW YORK was so inspiring to hear. I found myself taking many notes about how he managed to bring an idea to life no matter what life through at him. He never let go of his dream even when life forced him to take a break. We can all learn so much from sharing our "come up" stories with each other. We are all in various parts of our journey and although we are on different paths, we all share a common grind and determination to see our passions come to life. He inspired me to keep pushing and stick to my goal of sharing the creatives in fashion I discover to the masses.

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Going forward, Walter plans to continue creating and developing the brand for as long as he is allowed too. He states, "I want to show people that you don’t have to follow the blueprint set, 9-5, college, grad school, corporate America, to be accomplished." Now, that's what's good!

Let's be sure to support Walter and the DUMBSMART NEW YORK brand as he grows and turns his dreams into reality. Shop the collection on www.dumbsmartnewyork.com

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