Dave Jeff is a visionary who helped outline Chicago’s vogue DNA. As founder and proprietor of PHLI, he constructed a motion rooted in authenticity, group and magnificence. His work extends past clothes into sneaker tradition, the place he turned one of many first non-athletes and non-artists to collaborate with main footwear manufacturers. Jeff’s affect spans twenty years, shaping how Chicago’s South Facet aesthetic connects with international vogue developments.
What impressed you to construct PHLI as a model centered on satisfaction, love and id?
I used to be on tour because the host and voice for Sneaker Pimps, this nationwide sneaker tour. Being on the highway, all people’s screaming New York, Brooklyn, Brooklyn. I rock with New York, however Hyde Park, Chicago, South Facet by the lake, that was my factor. That was my imaginative and prescient of doing one thing for the crib. Town was residing vicariously by way of my area, me being on the highway with entertainers and bringing it again dwelling. My imaginative and prescient, as soon as I understood what this could possibly be, I needed my very own Hole. The whole lot in Hole was Hole, so I needed the whole lot PHLI. I needed PHLI underwear, PHLI socks, the whole lot. Glory be to God for placing me in each place and opening each door to permit these issues to occur and giving me the chance to stroll it out.
When do you know you had been going to press the button and launch PHLI?
I used to be working at this retailer referred to as Halftime after Tony Sports activities. A buddy of mine from New York owned it, and his previous type of caught up with him. He needed to go on a trip, and being his proper hand, lots of that stuff was left to me. A gentleman from Fila got here by way of with this massive initiative about city panorama, making Fila really feel cool. He introduced this large e-book from a hip-hop photographer who took the image of Biggie counting cash within the Coogi sweater, Slick Rick in a seersucker go well with with all his jewellery, Pac in camo gangbanging. These had been fly folks to me. This was the start of warmth press shirts, so I took these footage and branded them. Biggie was fly, Slick Rick was tremendous fly, Pac was a fly thug. That’s the way it began. The shop shut down, I liquidated the whole lot, had this chunk of cash and reinvested it myself. God opened up doorways, I used to be in the fitting place on the proper time, and the primary retailer was in Harper Court docket. Right here we’re 20 years later.
How has Chicago formed your method to vogue and storytelling?
We’ve this massive physique of water. I’m a Hyde Park child, South Facet by the lake all day. We make the most of that water like folks in LA play on the seashore. That was my calm, my imaginative and prescient, sitting at Promontory Level trying on the massive buildings downtown, realizing all the cash circulating by way of town. Hyde Park itself was a dope stability. You had Part 8 on one block, million-dollar properties on one other block, massive flats on this block. It was an amazing mixture of tradition that helped inform tales and put collectively a dope shade palette. I’ve a love for camouflage and attempt to make it fly. It goes with each sneaker, each shoe, the whole lot. The neighborhood is tradition. We went from drug dealing to skateboarding in the identical 5 minutes, then going to the Level, being on Lakeshore Drive, simply the imaginative and prescient of the water and the college. The combo of individuals strolling down the road, the professor, the thug, the artist, the chef, that’s Hyde Park.
What makes a sneaker timeless from a cultural and design standpoint?
The story behind it. I received my first PHLI sneaker in 2004, 2005, the PHLI Air Max 90. This was the start of sneaker tradition, and it was exceptional for somebody to have their very own shoe. Drew Greer received fired from Nike for doing collabs with footwear, and now that’s the norm. That’s how sure manufacturers push their merchandise, collaborating with influencers or folks of affect in sure markets. If you happen to do the homework on me, I had an Air Max 90, an Air Power 25, we labored on an Air Power One Excessive that received stolen. I used to be the primary individual to do something on a Okay-Swiss Traditional, that all-white traditional that was positively our look in Chicago. I did some stuff with Puma and Adidas, but it surely’s the story. Individuals gotta get into the story, the place it got here from. I used to be blessed to be one of many first. I wasn’t an artist or athlete, however I had the affect, and it was an amazing advertising and marketing transfer to push the tradition in Chicago by way of the PHLI lens.
What do you search for in collaborations?
If we’re on the identical web page, stand for a similar factor, have the identical push and finish purpose in thoughts, then we will align. My military turns into your military. Collaborating is nice. It has to suit, like some kind of marriage.
What shifts do you see coming in vogue and sneaker tradition?
Sneaker tradition is rarely dying. The sport is completely different on how folks purchase, promote and commerce. You gotta be extra progressive with silhouettes. Now you could have 3D printed stuff, biodegradable supplies. The athleisure factor is what it’s proper now. You may go anyplace and nonetheless be recent with out placing on a go well with and tie. It’s turning into massive enterprise. While you see main vogue homes moving into it, and people are the one issues actually transferring, you’re gonna see all varieties of stuff. I don’t wish to say there’s a pattern as a result of to me, vogue is to every his personal. Individuals have vogue sense and other people have fashion. I feel that traditional look is coming again, much less branding. The saggy factor isn’t going nowhere, not less than for some time.
What’s one piece each man ought to have in his closet?
A well-fitting white button-up. You may gown it up or gown it down. I can put it on with recent slacks and a few dope lemon pepper steppers, or with uncooked denim or designer denim, or recent khakis, or with some leather-based camo. You may’t go flawed with a dope-fitting white button-up.
What pattern must return instantly?
Deliver extra leather-based again. Get some good leather-based, some good suits and let’s rock. I’m not fearful of leather-based in any respect. I nonetheless have and can placed on leather-based parachute cargo pants tomorrow.
Dave Jeff will be discovered on Instagram at @davejeff. His manufacturers embrace PHLI at phliworldwide.com and BWS (Born With Soul), a footwear model he co-founded along with his barber Melo, beginning with the 92High boot, their model of a wallabee meets Timberland.
