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

James, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

It was in the fall of 2016 when the idea of selling vintage streetwear made sense. Years before that, in the late 2000s, my world was centered around rap music, graphic design, and fashion. The rap I enjoyed had a retro sound and aesthetic that was different than anything mainstream. It was all-encompassing of the 90s nostalgia. This is my initial brick.

In the summer of 2009, I got my first taste of the culture via a Cool Kids concert at St Andrews Hall in Detroit, Michigan. Gracing the stage along with them was Ro Spit, a Pontiac native who owns Burn Rubber, and the legendary Clipse. For that to have been my first concert, front row, I was spoiled.

I wanted in on this but I didn’t rap or make fashion. I was out of college for a year due to the Great Recession. Graphic design was my major, so I did the next best thing; learn from the internet. Each night I’d stay up late completing tutorials on graphics.

Fast-forward to 2016. By this point, I’m two years removed from college, graduated with my bachelor’s degree in visual communication and design but not utilizing it. I’m working at General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly and doing freelance on the side. Financially, I’m doing great however I’d been in a funk not doing the art I’d like to do, struggling with imposter syndrome, and being in a crappy relationship.

Earlier in the year, my sister Jasmyn, a more traditional artist, gifted me a Champion Reggie Miller Pacers jersey. She knew I’d always wanted one and that there was another brick. Late one night, I’m on YouTube and start to see videos on thrifting and sneaker content. Say less. The idea of looking cool on a budget seemed fun and soon became a challenge. The reward was finding quality garments for fractions of the price that were pre-loved and, in some cases, as old as me. How nice can I look without spending a grip or looking like everyone else?

In 2016 James’ Corner Store (JCS) was born with an urban convenience store aesthetic. Being from Detroit, the corner store was everything. You could walk in, grab what you wanted, and leave feeling like it was a good deal. You could get just about anything. I wanted to keep the same philosophy with my clothing.

The JCS brand is represented by a set of bricks. Like a brick wall, nothing is built in one moment. It takes time. Brick by brick.

The true leap of faith was taken when I found out about a Michigan-based sneaker show in Detroit, The Michigan Sneaker Xchange.

The Problem: I didn’t have many shoes people wanted at the time, but I had clothing to pair with them.

The Solution: Sell vintage clothing that’s less expensive than the sneakers, but compliments the kicks.

I wanted people to have the opportunity to leave with something meaningful or exciting. At the time, in 2016 the sneaker market was on fire and people got top dollar for them. Even then, I couldn’t justify spending that much on shoes. So I put myself in their shoes, no pun intended, of the buyer. A young teen to young adult would like their money to stretch at these events. Can I offer people the thrilling experience of finding something unique and negotiating for a deal?

It worked. So well that I took the show on the road to several events around the Midwest. The Michigan Sneaker Xchange was home for a while before taking on SneakerCon (2017) and Detroit’s Eastern Market (2018-2019). With online sales strong, post-Covid, I haven’t had time to revisit the live shows like I was.

Providing great customer service at these events meant sharing stories and helping them find those items. Seeing people light up and hearing their stories on how certain graphics took them back to better times in their lives was everything. I wasn’t selling items, rather it was nostalgia. There was something special about selling an article of clothing and watching them leave excited about their find.

Selling these vintage items also fed the appetite for design. Though I wasn’t printing anything during that time, I’d experiment daily by redesigning some of the vintage shirts that stood out and rebranded with the JCS aesthetic. As a graphic designer, whether on the computer or in my head, I’m constantly designing and improving upon existing designs.

In late 2023, a chance to introduce JCS to my union brothers and sisters of UAW Local 2209 presented itself. We went on strike. This proved to be a pivotal moment.

This situation brought on a bag of mixed emotions. One part is the uncertainty of it, like how many historical moments have we lived through over the last four years? The other part was excitement. Striking for as long as we did was historical.

This moment presented the right set of circumstances. Not just to make a shirt, but to capture the energy of this historical moment my Local 2209 was experiencing. “Truck Around and Find Out” (TAFO) is a play on a popular catchphrase. Without these trucks, a lot of business would not get done. The design of the smoking skull along with the TAFO catchphrase communicated our frustrations and eagerness to stand up.

Many of the older union workers and retirees can tell their stories with the shirts they’ve collected over the years. I wanted to be a part of that legacy. My designs reached more than 10% of my local union and still receive orders. It has been and continues to be humbling seeing people outfitted with my apparel daily. Knowing many had something to say and wanted my design to do the talking meant a great deal.

That step morphed into many new friendships and requests for personalized apparel. This opened the door for freelance opportunities.

James’ Corner Store started with vintage clothing and now transitioned to everything vintage from a to z. That’s a brick. This journey turned into doing graphics for others on the side. That’s another brick. Now it has shifted to outfitting proud blue-collar workers in Northeast Indiana. Each day, somebody gets to leave with something that speaks to them. Over the last eight years, a brick had been set each day. The wall isn’t complete, there’s still more to be laid. Brick by brick.

James, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was drawn into the world of graphic design by my high school teacher Ms. Pasternak of Lahser High at the time. The course was an elective and after designing a cover for a Zip disk, I fell in love. Without a doubt, that’s how the class knew whose disk belonged to whom. The feeling of it being mine. What else could I do with this creative power? A 15-year-old version of myself had no idea the now 34-year-old would still be in love with this field. This love and curiosity for it have sparked so many beautiful moments I’m experiencing daily.

The services I provide include graphic design, vintage clothing/nostalgic items, and apparel printing. What sets me apart is seeing someone’s idea and the ability to turn it around within a short window. When speaking with a potential client, I’m usually able to reference something that taps into their past and they trust me with the liberties to see it through. It’s important to note that I still feel like I’m getting started. So when people meet me there’s a genuine enthusiasm to bring the product to life because I want to see them happy. My name is on this and not going to short anyone. That makes me proud to achieve that. I’ve found that aiming to please often leads to the financial aspect taking care of itself. The clients I’ve had are happy to compensate me in return.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Real talk, seizing the moment. As corny as that may sound it’s real. I’ve dealt with imposter syndrome for a while after college. I had a lot going on and briefly lost the passion to create. I still acknowledged others but couldn’t see it for myself. Covid hit and as scary as that was for the world, I felt an energy. Something in me just said, “Let’s get to work.”

Restrictions during the pandemic gave me some time off. So I got to it. I was hitting my warehouse daily and drafting up listings at night. Long days as if I was still clocking into work.

The morning would start with me going to the warehouse, refolding, and organizing a shelf, and then itemizing it. I’d then return home and draft up the eBay listing. At night I would spend hours designing print-ready shirt graphics for any idea that came to mind. The next day would be spent photographing and color-correcting everything. Uploading the proper pics to the listing then going live on my account to sell. Rinse, wash, and repeat that cycle.

After getting this process down, I was then starting to implement making video content on my Facebook/Instagram. Brother James was my name and wanted to express ideas about what I saw out in the world. Usually advocating for nuanced thinking when the world seemed to be losing its mind at the time.

Brother James was fun and sparked some great dialogue and conversations with people I normally wouldn’t engage with but it was a little more time-consuming than I’d like. It did teach me to overcome a fear of public speaking and to not care if I didn’t receive the social media validation of a like or view. This experience taught me to stop caring what people think. What happened was people I thought highly of and strangers would reach out and appreciate my POV. Below is an idea I never got to post but fits now:

“With all the tragedy and fear COVID-19 has brought, I’m excited to hear about the successes that emerged out of this. Somebody sees this time as a moment to hustle and make it happen. Tragedy breeds creativity. Was this a time to reflect and learn to mentally conquer obstacles? Did your business suddenly boom? Did you stay afloat?”

Without going all into it, I did just that. Covid was a blessing. It was a rare time when everyone had the same amount of time and many of their needs were cared for…what did you do?

Now that James’ Corner Store was up and running, it gave me the chance to return to regular work life once restrictions lifted. This experience taught me how to put in extreme hours and keep it going. Some days I don’t know what I’ll be doing but I know it requires a lot of me. I didn’t have that before.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Spend the damn money if it makes life easier.

For me I needed space. I was working out of several storage units that were too small to work in before the pandemic. Getting a warehouse cost a bit more initially but turned into savings once I moved everything over to one larger unit. Over the last few years, I’ve been able to run James’ Corner Store more efficiently and not feel like the walls are closing in on me. This has afforded me space to screen print shirts and become somewhat of a studio. One space is now being used for two revenue streams for the same price.

Penny pinching is necessary at times but you have to invest. It will cost you more of your time, energy, and, eventually, money.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/jamesfarr3?utm_source=qr_code
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesfarr3/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesfarr3/
• Other: https://www.ebay.com/str/jamescornerstore https://www.ebay.com/usr/jamescornerstorevtg https://jamesfarrportfolio.tumblr.com/

Image Credits
Rachel Von Art