freedom of choice in fashion 

Founder, owner and CEO of Label Us Notorious, Thierry “Kapo” Gasana, started small with a line of hats and t-shirts. Word quickly spread about his love of fashion and eye for streetwear design. In 2019, he decided to start fresh, releasing his first full collection just six months later. The positive response gave him the boost he needed to keep going. 

Today, Gasana is preparing to drop his second collection, continuing his love of effortless, urban streetwear. Between attending global fashion shows and promoting a new line, Gasana connected with BLK OCEANS to share more about the genesis of the brand and his plans to rock the fashion world. 

I love the name, Label Us Notorious, what is the meaning or inspiration behind it?

As an African man, I’ve had my share of racial profiling, and I’ve witnessed people being labeled the worst things simply due to the way they express themselves through their style and clothing. I feel like if someone wants to wear a hooded sweater, that person should be able to wear it without being labeled a crook, a thief or convict. When I started brainstorming brand names, I decided to go with Label Us Notorious to kind of poke fun at the fact that some people actually label other people based on the way they dress, although we all know the biggest criminals wear suits and ties. My plan is to minimize the stigma. My goal is to make everyone feel like they can wear whatever they please without being labeled.

And how about the logo?

Following the name, I decided to go with the raven as my logo. I felt like the raven, which is a mysterious bird, went really well with the brand name and vision. The raven was seen at times as a guardian. It also has a reputation as a bird of ill-omen. Its harsh call and its presence at scenes of death made people look upon it with fear. The old collective noun for a group of ravens is an ‘unkindness’. With that being said, humans have projected their own fears (labeled it) onto this fascinating and beautiful bird. The raven after all is just out there surviving, thriving and doing its thing.

What need is Label Us Notorious filling in the streetwear marketplace right now? 

What sets us apart is that we’re able to offer high-end quality fabrics at an affordable price. You’ll see that the materials I source along with my rigorous production requirements are in accordance with high-end luxury fashion standards. Label Us Notorious embodies luxury quality and we definitely put our money where our mouth is. 

As an advocate for change, we believe in using our platform as a voice against social injustices and utilizing our influence in order to raise funds for non-profit organizations that help people in need. Furthermore, the brand is part of an initiative titled “Be the Change”@bethechngeofficial. This initiative focuses on gathering funds that will help people in need during COVID-19 in Rwanda. I’ve designed and produced a series of t-shirts for that movement and will be donating all proceeds to the cause. This movement, which was started by my cousin @naadi_ya and me, is just the tip of the iceberg for what I have planned in terms of philanthropic endeavors.

What are your best selling styles to date?

I’d say that t-shirts were our best seller for sure. We’re actually sold out. I’m very humbled by all the support. It’s inspired me to go back to the drawing board and I’m currently in the process of completing new t-shirt designs. You can expect to see some new styles on the website as early as the end of August to finish off the season just right. Although our t-shirts were our best sellers so far, I have to say that everything was quite well received.

What does the future look like for Label Us Notorious? 

My customers can expect to continue to see growth. I’m steadily growing as an entrepreneur and as a designer every day. I have a lot of exciting ventures I can’t currently speak on, but I’d definitely tell my audience to look out for new designs. They can expect more handcrafted cut and sewn items as well as a much larger second collection.  

Keep up with Label Us Notorious on Instagram.