Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christopher Scott. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Christopher, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

As an artist, one can find inspiration purely from your surroundings, and at times, to find a solution to an immediate trial that life can present. For example, when I began wood work, it was based off of the necessity to furnish my first apartment. After visiting all the major furniture stores, noticing my taste was outside of my budget, I began drafting and creating my own pieces that fit my liking. When I began photography, I saw a opportunity to capture moments and explore the self gratification I experienced when I delivered a finished product to a client. Moreover, recently, I’ve found a passion in tie dye, or as I like to refer to it as, Dye Art. Beginning with the admiration of a brand and a purchase, I wanted to explore what my own iteration of the artform would look like. Beginning with purchasing white t-shirts from Walmart, to now ordering in bulk in my favorite brands, utilizing various techniques, and applications in various colors. It’s been a labor of love from the beginning and continues to develop into a passion I’m further exploring. By researching traditional methods, dye applications, to experimenting with patterns and ultimately making each aspect, my own. It’s been a gratifying experience in observing the results of an idea, a vision perhaps, and seeing what once existed in my imagination to now the idea developed into fruition.

Christopher, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My creative journey began when I initially moved to South Carolina, from Brooklyn, New York. When I settled into my first apartment, not only did the furniture I came across not match my style, but it was also out of my price range. I therefore began to experiment with different projects beginning with making my own TV-Stand, Bedframe, and eventually making other pieces, like coffee tables and accent chairs. I was later fortunate enough to join a team of woodworkers here in Columbia, creating custom pieces for clients that ranged from dining tables, credenzas, end tables and even live edge coffee tables. I learned alot about what I didn’t know when it came to craftsmanship, and truly appreciated the experience, as it’s continued to be a part of my journey and growth in multifaceted forms of artistry. Seemingly, while learning woodworking, I reignited my passion for photography through capturing moments with couples, weddings, and ultimately portraits of clients’ families during a variety of special occasions. As fulfilling as both photography and woodworking were, I still sought fulfillment in expression through art. Such forward thinking led me to a project that has simply created the opportunity for me to stand out from many artists. Through the ageless artform of Tie-Dye, I have created Dyes Effx, a modern retrospective approach to tie-dye, like no one has seen before. Inspired by streetwear brands, Hip-Hop, and my own personal style, Dyes Effx is a brand that introduces non-traditional forms of tie-dye, which I prefer to refer to as Artwear. Utilizing various clothing silhouettes, including Hoodies, T-shirts, and Workwear, etc., essentially giving them a unique dye treatment that breathes a new life into the garments. Created as a brand that allows us to witness the strength of what results when artists collaborate with one another, Dyes Effx has easily taken on a life of its own. The reactions each piece garners, inspires my imagination and ultimately motivates me to continue to push to witness the brand to continue to grow. Recently, meeting the acquaintance of another artist in Columbia, Jifunzah ‘Jah’ Johnson, we’ve united our brands to tell a story of unity and respect for self-taught artistry. In doing so, we’ve entered our brands, Dyes Effx and T.O.S. (Teaching One Self) into Columbia Fashion Week, and have begun on a journey that allows us to create beautiful dyed pieces, new and upcycled items, as well as entering the realm of canvas art. And so, this dream of Chris Scott PXD, is growing, it’s created a lane for another fellow artist ‘Jah’ Johnson, to pursue her dreams, beyond being Columbia South Carolina’s Top Model in 2022, a feat not to be taken lightly. We are moving forward with the idea of using creativity to unite other artists, and encourage collaborative efforts, and ultimately bring awareness to the incredible talent in Columbia S.C., and most of all ourselves as individuals.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Having started my path to becoming an artist at an early age, it has always been my mission to express myself through art. I’ve always appreciated when someone admires the completed work, can take something away from the end result, and overall inspire. One main goal is to promote the idea of collaboration, perhaps evoke the experience of an emotion in the moment, and beyond. Like a favorite song, sometimes you can discover a lyric or perhaps the understanding of a metaphor alternatively, just by listening at a later point in time. This ideal is what propelled my journey into photography, woodworking and of course Dyed Artwear. A client’s response during a session, a guest’s reaction to a centerpiece in your living room, or simply a stranger’s reaction or compliment when they notice you tie dye hoodie you put on. To provoke inspiration, and motivate through art in various forms is what keeps me growing creatively. Overall, you know you’ve accomplished a goal when you’ve satisfied a client. Similarly, in my approach to furniture, I want the consumer to find a connection to the project, enabling the opportunity of telling a story, a conversation piece if you will. It’s the opportunity to experience an individual’s gratitude and or appreciation for an idea you’ve placed your creative energy into. Though it may be seemingly self-indulgent, the creative journey itself can lead one to know who you are as an individual, without you having to explain or in some cases, to reveal who you actually are. Take fashion for an example. A suit can express the type of man you want to be perceived as, just as that lovely black dress a lady loves to put on when she steps out. It’s a window to an individual’s personality, and my mission is to drop hints in the form of my creative prowess.The latest extension of my expression, Dyes Effx Artwear, is an example of when artistic expression meets style, and culture. The mission for Dyes Effx, has extended beyond traditional T-shirts and Hoodies, to now encompass various garments, and even canvas art. It offers myself and my clients the opportunity to stand out by being dawned in their favorite color pallette, a selected pattern, in their choice garment. The brand Dyes Effx simply can allow an introvert to scream in a room ‘I’m here’, without having whispered a word. It’s attractive, it’s bold, and ultimately, it’s individualized as each piece is created with the intention of being distinguished from any other.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Having been creatively on my own since the beginning of my journey, I have been making it a point to network with a purpose. Given the fact that I’m originally from Brooklyn, New York, and moved to South Carolina, it’s been imperative that I establish myself as an artist here in Columbia. In doing so, I have been intentionally making sure to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. By nature, I’m an introvert, and therefore bask in the comfort of my own company, however, I realized in order for my business to thrive I have to be willing to take the steps necessary in order to do so. Moreover, I have been fortunate enough to meet some great people within the artist community. In fact, there was an evening I was invited to a performance by an incredible modern blues artist, ‘The Dubber’. During the intermission of this event, I noticed a familiar face in the audience, one that I had only interacted with via social media, as a follower. Given my goal was and still is, to have like-minded and stylish individuals model my brand Dyes Effx, and knowing this individual as a model based out of Columbia, I was compelled to introduce myself. Within the first few mins of my introduction, I of course shared my name, Chris Scott, and instantly advised I knew of hers as, Jiffy the Model. Seemingly poised, I knew her name yet intrigued, I shared with her that I was the creator of Dyes Effx, and as fate would have it, not only was she familiar with the brand, but she also expressed an interest in a collaboration. An artist to the core, much like myself we began to discuss colors and concepts, to which I found green is her favorite color. In search of a deeper connection, as Dyes Effx a brand I hold dearly, I began to inquire about her background, including where she’s from. In doing so, I was able to discover, not only was she from Brooklyn, but the adjacent neighborhood I was born and raised in, East New York. We eventually scheduled a meeting, and what began as an attempt to simply have one of the top models in Columbia to wear a Dyes Effx piece in a photo shoot, has blossomed into a partnership, inclusive of several artistic mediums. We now intend to increase our individual brand footprint in Columbia, as well as promote our collaborative efforts as well. In fact, we recently featured our first brand collaboration between her brand T.O.S. (Teaching One Self), and my brand Dyes Effx during Columbia Fashion Week. The combination of the two simply stole the show in my opinion. Composed of her modern take on crochet silhouettes, and tye die, in addition to my streetwear approach to tie dye, left the audience applauding our efforts, leaving us both astonished at the reactions. With intent to display our grasp for other mediums, namely canvas art, we’re sure to continue to blossom both as individuals, and as collaboratively.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chrisscottpxd.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/dyeseffx
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/dyeseffx