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

Hi Reuben, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The Oxblood Zebra is a community that sits at the intersection of sartorial storytelling, intentional design, and self expression. Through heritage, clear dedication to family values, principled design, and lifelong commitment to creative exploration we are sustaining the next generation of renegade creatives. Oxblood Zebra is not a question of what I’m going to wear today, but “WHO” am I going to be today?

Developing the mission of our company meant that we had to look at creative spaces and communities different from our own with an open and non-judgmental point of view. We needed to understand to put ourselves in the shoes of others and try to understand the motivations behind their “why”. By doing this it challenged us to think outside of the way what we were used to thinking and really hold a mirror up to ourselves and ask the question, “am i really doing this for right reason?”

I begin to take a look at around at the various creative spaces particularly in the US and the one thing I noticed is that the “community” often dictates who and what is acceptable in terms of invitation. I begin a to notice a singular hive-like personality that did not allow for much self-expression within said community. By contrast, as I traveled more and came into contact with more diverse people not from the States I found that creatives simply did things because they genuinely loved what they were doing and wanted as many people as possible to share. But there was also a willingness and curiosity to explore new experiences and extend that invitation to new people outside the community.

At The Oxblood Zebra, even though we are a Menswear fashion brand and creative service we never wanted to be the brand with the “velvet rope” to entry, but rather the open door to renegade creatives! We don’t get stuck on aesthetics but instead focus on passion for the creative process, storytelling, and family values.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am self taught menswear designer and tailor. I have been in the fashion industry going on 15 years with the majority of my time being spent in Bespoke and Made To Measure suiting for men and women. My inspiration to design clothing comes from my mother who was a phenomenal seamstress and dressmaker, seeing her create for others and the joy it bought others was always something i admired and wanted to do. When I began to explore my own personal style and the confidence I gained from it, I wanted to give that same feeling to others. I started Oxblood Zebra in 2021 and ever since then creatively It was like having a supercharger in my mind because now I can explore all my creative desires and share them with the world. I have had the most awesome experience of being able to present runway collections during New York Fashion Week 2 years in a row, and a most recent invitation to present during London Fashion Week. While we still create beautiful tailored garments we have expanded our offering to footwear and more creative interpretations on classic tailoring. The aim is not just to create beautiful one of a kind clothing, but to bring to life the characters of your imagination. We are eager to work with stylists, celebrities, film/tv production, but our true joy comes in helping our clients to see themselves as they have always dreamed, whatever that may be.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

There are so many times where I have wanted to quit and give up. So many times where I looked at my bank account and wondered to myself “why are doing this to yourself?” Those can be some dark times as a creative and entrepreneur, and often times you may not have anyone close to you that can fully understand the mental and emotional turmoil you are experiencing so it can feel lonely. But the thing that drives me is the potential for me to ultimately be in control of my time so I can spend more time with my family and friends. This journey is my way to creative freedom and independence and the goal at the end makes it all worth it.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I think I echo the sentiments of most creatives when I say I wish had more educational resources regarding business, specifically the financial aspect of business and setting up a good infrastructure. For me personally, the creative part is the most fun and rewarding but having your administrative and financials rock solid is the thing that really propels your business. It would have been nice to learn these things ahead of time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.theoxbloodzebra.com
• Instagram: @theoxbloodzebra

Image Credits

Photography By:

Aubrey Thomas
IG: A_RT_Michael