Lifestyle and apparel brand (future music and media production company), West in Motion has officially launched after their kickstarter event this past weekend at the new Tin Roof in San Diego. The event featured local acts Nick Guy Gray, Okapi Sun and Tapes. The Pit had the chance to speak to cofounders, Jovon Miller, Alex Mendoza and Yaseman Pourhashemi about the event, the brand and what’s in store moving forward. WiM began as an idea Jovon Miller thought up while living in Portland, Oregon. The idea was to create an organization where musicians and artists could buy, sell and trade products and ideas with one another. Realizing that sites like Google, Amazon, Facebook, Reverbnation and Soundcloud already allowed for such concepts, he decided to take some time to regroup and figure out what the next course of action would be. He ultimately made the move to San Diego, where he met Alex and Yaseman, two like-minded individuals with a desire to create music, film and art.
They began designing “wearable art” in the form of shirts and other apparel as a way to eventually grow into the media and production company they are destined to become. They hope to set an example and be an inspiration for anybody, especially the younger generations who may be on the fence about what to do with themselves and whether they should pursue their goals, whatever they may be. They use social media sites to reach out and inspire people to be creative and share ideas with each other, so that all may grow in a “network of creativity” they hope will form as a result.
Their next project is something called “Get Lofty” where anybody with a loft who is interested in hosting an event can sign up and West in Motion will provide the music, provide the party and bring artists of all kinds together. These “pop up shops” help get the name out there and allows people to get to know the brand on a more intimate level as opposed to just blowing up a Facebook feed.
Their motto, “Blaze your own trail”, is a call for everybody to choose your own path and accept who you are. “If you’re a writer be a writer. If you’re a musician, be a musician. Live it to it’s fullest. It’s tough to second guess yourself” says Jovon. “You grow up and parents are telling you that you’re one thing when you know who you are inside the whole time. To unleash that is to blaze your own trail…Just go get it”.
“We don’t want to discriminate against any type of artwork because we’ve come in contact with so many different artists in their own true form” said Alex. “There’s no limit to what you want to do or how you want to display it through West in Motion”. “Just do what you want to do” added Yasemen.
In just a short time, West in Motion has developed some good buzz and a fan base in the San Diego area. They will be premiering a music video and launching their online store today. Some future plans include a Christmas charity event at orphanages on the Mexican side of the border as well as a “pop-up shop” tour around the US. For more information visit Westinmotion.com or follow them on Twitter and Instagram.
