Daymond John (Finding Aid)

Daymond John

1969 -

Favorite Color: Black

Favorite Food: Fish

Favorite Time of Year: August

Favorite Vacation Spot: Mexico

Interview Length: 64 minutes

Interview Date(s): September 16, 2003

Interview Location(s): New York, New York

Abstract

Daymond John describes his parents' backgrounds and tells of how they met in Brooklyn, New York. John says his father is Trinidadian, and explains how his West Indian heritage has influenced his life. He also recalls summers spent in Trinidad during his childhood. John continues to discuss his childhood, sharing memories of growing up in Hollis, Queens and describing himself as being a young entrepreneur. After describing his elementary school experience, John recalls the first time he heard rap music and discusses the inherent appeal of rap music to urban youth. John then talks about his high school days, during which he continued to have an entrepreneurial spirit. He recalls participating in Bayside High School's co-op program, which allowed him to have a full-time job and attend school on an alternating weekly basis. John explains how the co-op experience helped him to learn about the working world. Daymond John tells the origin of FUBU, his clothing company, prefacing the story with more examples of his entrepreneurial nature. He says FUBU truly began when he started selling homemade hats and shirts with the brand name embroidered onto the clothing. John explains how he and his partners came up with the name FUBU, which means "for us, by us." John details the early days of the company, describing FUBU's success in selling products at fashion expositions and marketing to figures in the entertainment industry. He recalls the company's need to expand, saying that the company found a distributor after John's mother placed an enticing advertisement in 'The New York Times.' He discusses FUBU's relationship with its first distributor, Samsung America, and explains how widespread distribution allowed them to focus more on design and marketing. John then assesses the success of FUBU, citing major accomplishments and its impact on youth culture. Daymond John explains how he and the three other co-founders of FUBU are able to keep their friendship from interfering with their business partnership, citing delegation and independence as the keys to their success. John then discusses the impact hip-hop culture has had on society, and guesses that because of its natural relationship with youth, it will continue to be influential in the future. John hopes that FUBU will continue to be successful for decades to come. He says that while FUBU has grown from the back of a van into a global brand, the ideology behind the company, "for us, by us," has not changed and never will, thanks to the nature of youth culture.

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