We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nick Bradley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nick, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

For me it was a day many of us know all to0 well. A day that is feared by all in the 9-5 corporate world. It all started on the Monday after the 4th of July. I had just finished up my lunch at the local coney island and was sitting in my car with the feeling that I wanted more. Not food or anything the Coney could offer, and not even something to help with the holiday hangover. What I wanted was something I cared about, professionally that is. At the ripe age of 21 years old I sat in the parking lot and had a quarter life crisis as I pondered the idea that the cubicle life was set to be the landscape of the next 44 years of my life. Frightening. That lunch break is what spurred me into action into eventually gathering the courage, as well as the discipline to start my own venture involving business and day to day work that I was actually intrested in. Naturally having grown up loving sports and having acquired more and more thirst for art as well as streetwear as I aged, creating my own sportswear line felt like a natural place to start. With hopes that it could be a replacement for a 9-5 someday, and a few ideas on how I could make that idea a reality, The 2nd String was born.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

The last question details, for the most part, why I started my brand. The reason I chose sportswear was because I had always felt there was a space that the giants in the space, such as Nike and Fanatics, had not tapped into. I felt that those big brands, whether it was because of their size they felt complacent, or simply not taking enough interest in the design aspect of sportswear, had started mailing in the artwork they were willing to put out for respective teams’ merchandise. As a fan of a handful of sports teams, and my alma mater, Michigan State University, I noticed more and more that the “newest and coolest” from Nike was simply that team’s logo and maybe the team’s name at the top of the shirt. Basic, bland, and most importantly boring. I wanted to change that. I wanted to create sportswear for my Detroit Lions, Michigan State Spartans etc. that got people excited. I wanted to make shirts that caught the eye and left people with no choice but to double take and ponder if they had ever seen anything like it before. And so, my journey creating graphic tees began.

I think a lot of what sets me apart, like I mentioned, is the fact that the art is so elaborate. I love the way vintage stuff looks and more specifically vintage sportswear. So that is what I gun for all the while putting my own spin on it. I think what I do is a sportswear and streetwear lovers paradise, there is nothing else like it. Especially if you’re from Detroit.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Just support them. If you like an artist, if you believe in an artist, support them. Especially in today’s day in age with the internet and all the ways fans can support artists directly, whether it’s buying merch, going to concerts, becoming a member of their patreon etc. Support artists because at the end of the day, we are nothing without support.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Replacing my full time job that I don’t really have any passion for, with something that I love and am excited to do every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: The2ndString.com
• Instagram: The.2nd.string
• Twitter: Nick2ndstring
• Youtube: Nick Bradley
• Other: TikTok: The.Detroiter

Image Credits
Nick Bradley