Street style label Eight Three had its first birthday in March, and the company isn’t likely to be slowing down any time soon.
Owner/ founder Jones Ratukore decided to take the plunge after his father passed away, and used the knowledge gained from previous jobs to launch the brand. “I used to do import/ export for Michael Hill jewellers, I did account managing with a promotional apparel company. I also come from a graphic design background as well,” Jones says.
“When the old man passed away I woke up to myself and wanted to put myself into something I was passionate about, something I really wanted to do. I launched the label last year, saved up all the coin myself and took the risk.”Jones developed his interest in fashion in high school, when his class had the task of inventing a label. Since then, the idea was in the back of his mind until he decided to go for it in 2013. “Once I'd decided to have a real go at it, I put my all into it. It's been pretty crazy over the past year-and-a-half.
"But it's good to see the label keeps stepping forward. Within the first six months I was able to get my shop in Combined, and I wasn't expecting the first couple of ranges to catch the interest of stores, and from that it spiralled out. I got into Trunk Streetstore in Ipswich, and a recent stockist is Bunker Records out at Toowoomba, they actually found the Facebook page and hit me up, rather than me chase them. So it's good that they actually found me and said they liked my stuff and what the label stood for. So it gives me that little pat on the back to keep going, like I'm actually doing something right.”
The aspiring designer also has a healthy interest in the music scene, having played in clubs across Brisbane. “I just dropped a 14-track free mixtape. A couple of tracks got played on 4ZZZ on Monday, and I think they're gonna play some more next Friday. I've always been involved in the nightclub scene. I MC with a lot of DJs. I've played all around Brissie, up the coast, down the coast, did Valley Fiesta a few years back. So that's another aspect of what I do, I'm this whole creative kind of bubble.”
Click here to check out the Eight Three range.
