Zeal & Pristine

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Cloth Talk with General Public

If you have been reading Cloth Talk, then this clothing brand will be familiar to you. If not, then let us introduce you to General Public. A clothing brand coming from Ohio, they first caught my eye with their signature Alpha tee. It's a black outline of a Doberman, placed on a heather grey shirt. For a split second, it reminds you of the iconic Givenchy Rottweiler Tee, but this one is simple and more pristine. 

Visiting their site, I found other pieces to take a liking to. They even have a section for the girls it's called; Divas. Dresses, bathing suits, and as of recent, they made skirts. It's rare to see a clothing brand that has something for the men and women that makes GP even raw.  

"[I] use the word Diva because I felt we needed something to make the girls of our brand feel good, feel different." Says General Public owner Brandon when asked how he created the ladies' line. He also credits his girlfriend Renae for helping him develop divas "She wanted to make clothes, so I taught her how. She's really why GP has such a nice following of women." GP may be coming from the Midwest, a spot where it's tough for clothing to pop off, but the way the dogs stand on their tees and how their Divas shine, you will see why this brand is bound to become a staple in the game.  

How did General Public come about? I have been making clothes since I was young, like 13. My granny was a seamstress, GP is just my first brand as an adult.

What's General Public's main goal for the streetwear scene? To be a respected staple in culture, I want GP to be like Stussy or Supreme.

Your brand is from the Midwest. Was it hard to get it to pop off, seeing how most people look to the East and West Coast for fashion? Yeah, it's def harder being from the Midwest. That's really why we move around so frequently. 

I'm sure there may be some things you wish you did differently with the brand; if you were giving a redo button, what would you over? Nothing honestly GP still new it's so much I haven't even got to do yet.

It seems very rare nowadays to see streetwear brands showing love to the ladies but, you guys have a section for them. How did that come about? I always wanted to make women's clothing. I just never knew what to make. I guess then I met my girlfriend Renae, in 2017. She wanted to make clothes, so I taught her how. Renae’s really why GP has such a nice following of women. We did use the word diva because I felt we needed something to make the girls of our brand feel good to feel different. Not a typical city girl, bad bitch. Nah, just divas. It's a different standard ..

The thing that stands out to me is the dog on the uniform hoodies and the rug. Does the dog symbolize anything? Yeah, the dog symbolizes misunderstanding and unity. 

If General Public had the chance to work with any brand or celebrity, who would it be? We don't care about celebrities, really, but designers wish I could work with Telfar. He's a big inspiration.

Alot of people are making clothing lines. Do you think General Public has any competitors? Or is it safe to say GP is in its lane? We don't even look at people that way, always our lane for sure we just are doing us.

Before you know it, 2022 is going to be here. So what can people expect from the brand in the next few months as well as next year? More high-quality items and more storytelling GP is just my girlfriend expressing ourselves and me—the best way we know-how.