Today we’d like to introduce you to Keooudone Inthirat.
Hi Keooudone, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Keooudone “Doe” Inthirat, and I am the founder of Timeless Classics LLC (Timeless Classics Threads) which is “shop” focused on providing the public with authentic and exclusive vintage and retro pieces to add to your style.
The “idea” came to life in 2015, but the vision has always been there for as long as I can remember. As a child, I loved pop culture; it is as American as it can it! Being a 1st generation immigrant from Laos, trying to assimilate into American culture was tough at times because you wanted to fit in as much as possible with the “American” kids. One of the ways that allowed me to feel a sense of belonging was immersing myself in pop culture. From knowing what the latest fads were or rocking a pair of the 1988 Jordan III’s or listening to “what the other kids were listening to” gave me a feeling that I belong. So, I became in awe of all the cool things that came out from the 1980s and 1990s era.
Then in the 2000s, as I became an adult, I fell in love with a lifestyle that many thoughts was dead since the 1980s known as bboying or also known as breakdancing. Bboying is one of the true elements of hip-hop, and now it’s on the main stage of the Olympics. In the culture of hip-hop and bboying, fashion was a huge thing. True hip-hop heads wanted to stand out with their attire. Bboys’ full ensemble had to be fresh! That is the bboy mentality. So as a bboy I decided to dress the part as my newfound bboy alter ego – doeboi fresh (dubois de l’fresh, diego del fresco, dugan von frise).
Bboying allowed me to find myself. It gave me the confidence to be me. I competed for years, and I decided my “thing” was to be “old-school!” Bboying inspired me to dig back into fashion; get back into vintage. I would frequent vintage stores, trades, or anything just to get that dope Nike Windbreaker Jacket! I collected so many items to accompany me on my bboying journey. Then the obsession became the madness!
Inspired by my better half, she insisted that I try to re-sell the items that I had accumulated throughout the years. As time passed, my body had a difficult time adjusting to the grit of being a bboy. As a way to give back to the bboy community, I began doing pop-ups partnering with a fellow bboy partner by the name of Carnage at local bboy events all over the southeast. Then I started doing online sales, but I was overwhelmed with the amount of pieces that were in the collection along with juggling my time as a middle school teacher. The collection became way too much for me to handle.
In 2021, networking with close friends and several nudges, Mother Lode in Avondale Estates decided to open up and give Timeless Classics LLC a home; a place to show the world our passion in vintage and pop culture. We have a booth there going on a year strong and beyond. It is a very nice place to allow for us to display our “art.” Recently, as of 2022, we have teamed up with a vintage shop in Tucker called My Vintage Home, and we now have a booth there as well. We are super excited for this adventure with both shops. Stop by both spots! You will definitely find some cool things.
All in all, Timeless Classics LLC is about providing the public with authentic vintage or retro pop culture pieces. Having the love, knowledge, and history for the pieces we present allows for us to showcase them as our art. We strive for authenticity and exclusivity. The majority of our items are hand-selected, carefully curated, and make you feel elated, giving you that sense of nostalgia. Timeless Classics LLC is your true sense of a “mom-and-pop,” run by myself and my better half, whom are both teachers, that love vintage and just want everyone to enjoy the same joy that we get with these beautiful pieces.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth? Struggle? I would say it’s been quite a journey. It’s almost as if I had prepared myself to do this venture, but I just did not know it was happening. The struggle is not knowing what lies ahead, but the smoothness is about enjoying the ride. It’s about us wanting to showcase our “eye.” Trends come and go, but style never dies. One of the struggles is staying true to what you believe in with what you’re trying to do. So we try to not follow trends per se, but it is more of us providing a sense of a lifestyle that is timeless. But loving vintage helps out. The struggle is always going to be there as a business, or small business, what have you, but I’m along for the ride. It gives me an outlet to express myself. I just hope people see what we see.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Timeless Classics LLC is its own entity; more of an extension of myself when it comes to my art. What I do as a professional career is I am a middle school teacher. I have been teaching for a little over 16 years. The two does not necessarily cross paths, but both are a huge part of my life.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was born in Laos in 1980 but immigrated to the United States in 1981, particularly Jonesboro, Georgia, where the foundation was slowly building. I truly was inspired by American pop culture growing up. I was into so many things. I rooted for the home teams. I can remember the 80’s where the Braves really had a tough decade, and you could catch the Braves almost every other evening on TBS at 7:05 pm (which every show aired at _:05 mark and I found “odd”). Then came the famous Sid Bream slide and I was hooked! I can remember the Atlanta Falcons reaching the Super Bowl in ’98-99 (along with the infamous heartbreak of 28 to 3). I can remember the Dominique, Spud, Augmon, Steve Smith-days of the Atlanta Hawks. I can remember when we had the Thrashers. Fulton County Stadium. The Dome. The OMNI. 1996 Atlanta Olympic Summer Games. So I hold our home team dearly. I became fascinated with sports. Therefore, that is where the sports comes in with Timeless Classics.
I was into learning about art; all types of art. I had an eclectic selection of music that ranged from Lao folk music to 80’s new wave to Hair/Heavy Metal to the beginnings of Grunge to Hip-Hop to Indie Rock to Southern Rock to even Country music. Growing up and only knowing Lao folk music as a child, and then to hear all of this great changed my life forever. So I dug, and I dug just wanting to hear more and more. Music is a huge part of my life.
Thankful for a French teacher in high school, she exposed me to learning about Impressionism. We learned about so many artists from that time period, and I was just in awe about the sheer genius of “that” being created centuries ago. Art comes in all forms; I simply love art.
In my decade of my 20s, bboying was a huge part of my life. I spent countless hours, days, and months dancing to 1960’s-1970’s funk, rock, soul, and 80’s-90’s hip-hop. I began to hear music differently, appreciate all dances respectively, and understand the concept of style. It was my coming of age. The birth of “doeboi fresh” sprung from the depths of freshness. I cherish this time period of my life quite a bit. This is where I started to incorporate fashion, street style, and vintage into my life. It was too fresh to not share with the world.
I am into all sorts of things. As you age, all of the little things that you’ve done, seen, and heard has made you who you are. We become nostalgic beings, and remembering allows for us to appreciate those moments because it has helped define you. Therefore, Timeless Classics LLC is my way of expressing the notion of how we can admire a lot of these items as art pieces.
We truly feel as our pieces are and can be timeless for all. Those who can remember or those who now have discovered these garments for the first time can appreciate and understand the beauty and rarity behind those pieces. That is one of our missions; just providing dope items! Almost aged like fine wine!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timeless.classics.threads/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timeless.classics.threads
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/doeboifreshRftA
Image Credits
Props goes out to all of the those that took a moment of their time to capture a moment in time.
