Concept of DEFYE CLOTHING: To DEFine Your own Existence in life, we must be willing to DEFYE everything else around us at times.
In the 1500's, "DEFYE" was actually the correct spelling for the word known today as "defy".
I am an artist at the root. I love traveling, questioning society, and finding my own direction in life. I am behind the concept of DEFYE clothing 110%. I am also a writer, musician, and into industrial steel sculpture as well. I'm all about motorcycles and muscle cars too. Surfing when I'm living by the ocean, snowboarding, martial arts, being outdoors in general. I like fishing too, although I never seem to be able to catch the big one.
Music
Pearl Jam, STP, Temple of the Dog, Disturbed, Seether, Led Zeppelin, Leonard Skynard, Guns N Roses, Nirvana, The Doors, Kid Rock, U2, Coldplay, The Police.
Movies
Legends of the Fall, Count of Monte Cristo, The Doors, Blow, Jeramiah Johnson, Lean on Me, Big Trouble in Little China.
Television
Lost. Not a big television fan though. I can't stand Reality TV because it takes us away from our own lives.
Books
Any books by Ayn Rand, especially "The Fountain Head", and "Atlas Shrugged". Thoreau's Waldon Pond, The Philosophy of Nietzche and some of Plato, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Brave New World by Huxley, 1984, Count of Monte Cristo, The Razor's Edge, Ishmael. I like biographies too because they seem to be able to cut through a lot of the illusions of interpretation.
I traveled and lived all over for the past decade. I wanted to see the world, and I had a lot of questions that needed to be answered.
We get so caught up in progress and the pursuit of technology that we lose site of what life really is sometimes. I worked in mental hospitals and prisons, clubs in Hollywood, construction in the Bahamas, along with a lot of other extreme environments.
I moved into an RV while I was living in San Diego and traveled cross country in it. Some bizarre experiences in the middle of the Nevada desert. Books seem to have a lot of Truth in them, amongst the pages where people are writing down their deepest thoughts without any other influences.
When all said and done, I realized that life is a struggle for so many of us. One of the hardest things about it though is the feeling of isolation. The feeling that we are going through life on our own. So I left a PHD program and came up with a clothing label that would be an attempt to connect people through our struggles. I wanted to say that when the world tries to break you along your path towards individualism, DEFYE INSANITY every step of the way.
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Who I'd like to meet: I have met a lot of the celebrities when I lived out in Hollywood for a while. It was interesting how they are portrayed on TV, and what they are actually like in person. It made me realize that we live in a world where several realities actually exist.
I'd like to meet Jim Morrison, Ayn Rand, Paulo Coelho, Nietzche and Plato for sure. The lead singer for Seether, and the creator of Burton snowboards and Quicksilver.
Hey Mike, just wanted to let you know that Johns fighting again July 18th here in Lansing!! Its going to be an outside event at Hooters over by Celebration Cinemas... Let me know if you all can come
just dropping in to share some love! we're playing at the small planet wednesday night if you'd like to stop by for a bit. the show starts at 6 pm. next time we're in the mall, i'm going to buy one of your new flat bills my friend! :~)
Whats up Mike? Just thought I'd drop a line, havent seen you guys in awhile!!! We're heading out to Nevada early June for Justins fight, maybe we can all get together before then.. I'll hit you up soon
Mike, just wanted to say thanks and let you know that the team appreciated you all coming out to the fights... Hope you enjoyed yourselves, and we should see you guys tomorrow at Dublins for St. Patty's Day!!!!!