Meet Joshua Moore and Odini Gogo of Res Ipsa in West Midtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Moore and Odini Gogo.

Joshua and Odini, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Res Ipsa was founded in Atlanta in 2013 by two Atlanta lawyers, Josh Moore & Odini Gogo. Originally, the brand was focused on neckwear. We could not find the kind of ties we wanted to wear to our law jobs, so we decided to make our own. We traveled the world sourcing the best fabrics–tartans from Scotland, wool challis from England, and grenadines from Italy–and made them by hand in New York. The more we traveled, the more we realized the dull uniformity of professional dress made us hunger for something unique. Because of our love for travel and sustainability, the brand has evolved to focus on globally-designed one-of-a-kind products made from vintage and repurposed materials.

Taking inspiration from our extensive legal background, we felt our brand and style could be summed up in two words: Res Ipsa. The Latin phrase, “res ipsa loquitur” literally translates to: “the thing speaks for itself.” In law, the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur was first used in the English court case Byrne v. Boadle (1863) and applies to self-evident facts.

Res Ipsa is inspired by our travels to the great cities of the world. We make new stuff out of old stuff. The result is responsibly-source global style. A signature product is our kilim loafers made from 50 to 100 year old Turkish kilim rugs. In our Marrakech factory, we weave our own fabrics–and only enough to suit our needs and reduce waste.

Today, Res Ipsa is the destination for premium handmade travel leisure goods. Our products are made entirely by hand, and with love. Res Ipsa opened its flagship retail store in Nantucket, Mass in 2018, followed by a store in Aspen, Colorado. The third Res Ipsa store opened in January in Los Angeles.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Our favorite definition of “entrepreneur” is “someone who makes a way.” However, there is joy in the journey. If you don’t experience the downs, you won’t appreciate the ups. Every day is different. The unexpected is the status quo (hello, COVID-19!). One of the constant struggles is finding good people. This business is very personal to us and we want employees who take it personally too. We are always searching for people who understand our vision and are willing to invest their time in something that is going grow to be something special. Another struggle is staying true to our vision. It’s tempting to listen to other people tell you how to do something. But every good thing that has happened to us occurred when we were brave enough to listen to that little voice inside that said “go for it!”

Res Ipsa – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We specialize in one-of-a-kind footwear and apparel for men and women. Our products are made primarily from repurposed materials. Our signature item is a loafer made from vintage Turkish kilim rugs. Another popular design is our repurposed vintage 501s that are reimagined with materials like vintage paint cloth, West African wax fabric, and old quilts.

What sets us apart is that everything we do is one-of-a-kind. There is nowhere else to buy our products. You can’t get them on Amazon or a department store. Everything is done with love, from the kilims we select to the handwritten note that we put in the box with every order.

We are proud of the fact that we have achieved international recognition purely on word of mouth. A few years ago, we were in Zürich, Switzerland. As we approached the train station, a woman came up to us and asked us if we made the shoes we were wearing. We told her that we did, and she turned to the man she was with and said, “I told you it was them!” Another time we were at a restaurant in Santa Monica and a guy came up to us with Res Ipsa’s Instagram account on his phone and said, “It’s you! I follow you on Instagram!”

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Josh: opening our first store, in Nantucket.

Odini: making shoes for Shaquille O’Neal

Pricing:

• African Mud Cloth Sneakers = $195
• Kilim Loafers = $255
• Moroccan Babouche slip-on = $125

Contact Info:

• Address: 541 10th St. NW #213
  Atlanta, GA 30318
• Website: www.resipsausa.com
• Phone: 470-210-4772
• Email: info@resipsausa.com
• Instagram: @resipsausa
• Facebook: facebook.com/resipsausa
• Twitter: @resipsausa

Image Credit:
Jason Hales Photography
A. Carlton Miller
Asiyami Gold

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