Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamarrius Belcher.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born on March 12, 1995. Born and raised in Covington, Ga. I moved around a lot throughout the heart of Covington, spending my childhood years in the Green Acres community. Growing up in Green Acres, I figured that as long as I stayed out of trouble and got a plant job, that would be a good enough life for me. Not only that, but I have 11 siblings younger than me, so I wanted to set a good example. I started playing basketball in middle school until early in my senior year of high school when my uncle was killed. After that, I transferred from Alcovy High back to Newton High to graduate.After I graduated, I decided to go into the work field because I didn’t know anything or anyone who could guide me through the college process. I worked at Kroger for six months bagging groceries until I found a better paying job at Continental. I started there as a temporary worker until three years later becoming a shift supervisor. After that, I started working too much. I was working 6-7 day work schedules from 11pm-7am, started gaining too much weight, diagnosed with hypersomnia, and I was feeling like my life had no purpose. It got to the point where I couldn’t drive to and from work without falling asleep at the wheel. That’s when I decided that I had tolerated enough. I put in a five-day notice, quit my job of 4 years, and cashed out on my 401K to start my business and keep my bills paid. I worked with Neato cleaning service cleaning car dealerships to keep loose change in my pockets. After I couldn’t afford to invest any money into my hoodie project, my younger brother Yvng Heavy used his dirt bike for racing to help me purchase the hoodies I needed to get started. Ever since then, things have been going up.
Please tell us about your art.
I have my own clothing line named Fetiche Apparel. The name Fetiche is just Spanish for “Fetish.” I brainstorm on different designs that I know people from all backgrounds can relate to. The one design I’m pushing right now is €urr£nc¥. The unique symbols used in the designs are currency symbols for Euro, British Pound, & Yen. My main goal was to create a brand that could offer trendy clothing at an affordable price. I know that in this world, people get judged on brands they can’t afford. So I wanted to be able to change that narrative and show people how to get more bang for their bucks.
What do you think about the conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I feel like artist today have it easier now than ever before simply because social media makes this world smaller than we think. A retweet or repost can change your life instantly, especially if you connect with a wide range of people in different areas. I think it would be great if there was a place in Atlanta, specifically where artists could pay a monthly fee to sell their product or work on projects. That type of atmosphere would breed new ideas and allow entrepreneurs to be more driven.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My work is always displayed on Instagram @feticheapparel, where I post pictures/vids of people wearing the brand.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.feticheapparel.bigcartel.com
- Email: feticheapparel@gmail.com
- Instagram: @feticheapparel
- Facebook: @feticheapparel
Image Credit:
@fergfocals
@shotbydessy
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