Today we’d like to introduce you to Abdul Munaf Ibrahim.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Abdul. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Hello, I’m from Ghana, West Africa. I am 29 and recently moved to ATL from NYC. I make t-shirts and I sell/customize sneakers and other apparel online. As a kid, I loved drawing but I was not much into sneakers or clothing till high school in 04. There was a kid in my class that always had on these unique pair of sneakers and I’ve always loved kicks so I knew we had to be cool (haha). He told me he hand-painted them himself and I was amazed and wanted parts. We hung out around Canal Street in Downtown NYC buying art materials and paint to customize our sneakers. I didn’t know much so he mostly did the work and I would just watch and take notes. Years went by, we graduated high school and lost contact. I went away to college around 09. I left out of college in 2011 and needed a job and I knew I did not want a job that I didn’t like. Growing up in a west African household, not going to college was not an option so my family didn’t really agree with me leaving college, also I had to make sure I always kept a job. I worked several jobs prior to finally settling at a family friend’s sneaker shop on 153rd st 3rd ave in Bronx, NY.
Working at the sneaker store gave me the opportunity to experience the sneaker business first hand. I was mainly in charge of sales and making sure the store was running accordingly. I got the chance to sell sneakers to a few up and coming underground rappers and few battle rappers around the hood. As time went on, I was starting to make a name for myself as the “shoe plug” and customizer. In 2015, I thought about the idea of painting a pair of some old af1 and put them on display at the store. I got a great reaction that the following week I went downtown, bought some paint and a fresh pair of af1. I customized it with green and gold and it sold two days after I put it on the shelf. After selling a couple of pairs, I convinced my boss to paint a few shoes on consignment because I couldn’t afford multiple pairs at the time to meet the demands. I decided to brand myself and trademark my company name LYF3 (LivYungFo3vA) and logo. I made and sold several t-shirts and snapback hats while selling customizing sneakers for a few prominent names. I ended up leaving the store and went solo. I sold sneakers out of my closet and did every possible gig I could find to support my new business while I worked part-time as a bouncer in a couple of night clubs in NY. LYF3 was well till things started happening and I felt I had to get out the toxic environment I was in at the time. Especially when you are living in the projects. I knew I had to get my self out of there if I wanted to make something of my self.
March 23, 2107, I packed a backpack with a few clothing and bought a 1-way ticket at the airport to ATL without any family out here in Atlanta. I’ve been living in Atlanta for two years now. I started an online sneaker/clothing store that is WWW.SHOPLYF3.COM. I have a few clients I customize sneakers for from time to time. I work part-time and in hopes of getting my business off the ground and properly put my self in a better position to grow, succeed and give back in the best way I know-how.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Education. Respect. Family. Growing up as a first-generation American, I didn’t have the option of being an artist. There wasn’t a vocabulary to describe my passions to the people I love. I found it difficult to be as creative as I needed to be. When I dropped out of college, the divided my family and I widened. I had an obligation to my family to finish higher education because my sister and brother did not. For my family that was unacceptable. Most importantly, for my father, that was unacceptable. To this day, my father and I have a strained, if not polite, relationship. I respect him. I love him.
Lost my job and I had to put my business on hold and focus on just surviving. I was in a dark place. I wouldn’t go out much; I completely isolated my self in order to try and get my head right. I also lost my Instagram account and didn’t have any connection to the social world. I had minor troubles with the law. I do everything on my own. I don’t have the pleasure of any likeminded individuals around me to motivate me sometimes. Lack of motivation and support from my loved ones created a negative space for me. I wondered if this was the path I needed to take as a man of my family. I had to have a mental block from all the negativity and make sacrifices to keep my faith and not give up on my self.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I customize and sell sneakers. That is the backbone of LivYungF03va. But I also create T-shirts, hats, and other apparel. If I had to pick a specialty, it would be customizing. I’m known for the more abstract, complex, geometrically modern aesthetic. I like clean lines and vivid colors. Recently I have been cultivating my signature style to make my company more recognizable. When individuals see my work, they automatically know my brand.
I’m most proud of how my business is able to rebrand overtime. I am constantly trying to make myself better in order to make LivYungF03va a better brand. Nothing has or will permanently stop my brand from becoming more than what it was last year or last month.
The goal is to stay original. My company is personal to me and once I start to follow the trends to make money, I lose who I am. And also, my brand isn’t just about painting shoes and making money. It’s also about giving back as well. I do some volunteer work in the community when I can and I have plans to start my non-prof organizations here in the US and back in Ghana. I’m not waiting for anyone’s approval. I know my talents. I know my value. I know my company’s value. I can see where we are going. I am willing to sacrifice to be innovative in this field.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up in Ghana was an experience that I didn’t appreciate much until I grew older. As the youngest of four, I didn’t lack. I was blessed with privileges that other kids due to the fact that my father is the Leader of our Tribe so my life was quite interesting even as a kid. I wasn’t allowed to do most things the other kids were doing but I still did them and got in trouble for it anyway. That created this rebellious mentality to just always go against the norm accord to the standard of the society I was growing up in. I remember almost losing my life around 10/11 years old due to my rebellious habits. I fell in a river as a result of me wanting to go use the restroom in the river like my friends did even though we had a fully functioning toilet at home. I got the ass-whooping of my life. Another time I refused to go to school because my dad wouldn’t give money for some silly things.
I am what one might consider as an old soul. IT was a huge transition for me coming to America at the young age of 12. I was exposed to a way of life completely different from what I was conditioned to sustain. It was challenging to try to find a balance between the two cultures. I struggle most in high school trying to identify with kids that didn’t know anywhere else besides America and didn’t have the privilege of living in a different society besides the ones they were born in. I grew up around people that were mostly older than me and that kind of set me apart from the other kids because I always felt like I was older than most of my peers. I often felt misunderstood due to the people’s perception of who I was versus when they actually get to know me. I’m serious when the need arises, but for the most part, I love goofing around so I mostly made friends with the funniest people because I loved to laugh. Laughter is therapy for me; it helps get through a lot without having to think too much about the harsh actuality of life for a moment. However, that is not the first impression of myself that projects on people until we develop and certain close relationship.
I wasn’t interested in much growing up besides making the people I love happy. I did like to draw and did artwork for the high school talent shows. I just love art and just being able to create something totally different. Art was a form of expression. I was also into sneakers. I would spend a check on some foam possibles. I had almost all the colorways that came out at one point. Sold most but still keep a few pairs around. When I was into something, like sneakers, it was an all-in approach. I became obsessed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shoplyf3.com
- Email: LYF3009@icloud.com
- Instagram: shoplyf3/
- Facebook: mvnaf
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