Every weekend, the local kids and teenybopper mallrats return to the Shirtique store in Newpark Mall in Newark like the swallows of Capistrano. They file toward the entrance, clutching coke-white tees and impeccable Air Force Ones, hoping to catch a real celebrity amongst the popular airbrushed recreations. “Is Mistah F.A.B. gonna be here today?” they ask the paint-splattered young man with a protective mask over his mouth. When he shakes his head, they are slightly disappointed but excited to create their own street couture in the process. As long as blank white tee canvases abound, there will always be a chance of celebrity sightings for the kiddies.

Behind the gun (airbrush, that is) is Prospect, 29, of 510 Airbrush. Despite the endless line of little league coaches, wedding parties and promoters looking to jazz up their stale digs, he is all smiles about the prosperity of his craft.

“I’m at a point where I’m blessed with all the business, but I only have two arms,” Prospect says.
After 14 years of being an artist, the last three professional, he is the go-to guy if you want to get your own face airbrushed on the back of a shirt.

Local urban couture is taking the Bay Area by storm with young hip hop-influenced entrepreneurs such as Prospect. With the Bay creating buzz across the nation in the music mainstream, local designers are showcasing their custom creations on the Bay’s top rap artists, as well as nationwide acts. Due to the rise in popularity of Bay Area music, these designers are in high-demand among the local scene and upper echelon of fashion. But Prospect’s two hands can only do so much to keep up with the demand.

“I’ve been drawing since I was 9, but I was at a point that I knew I wanted to be an artist for the rest of my life, but I didn’t know what medium I would take,” Prospect recollects. In the summer of 1991, he stayed with a friend in Fresno who introduced him to airbrushing. At the same time, frequent trips to Psycho City on Market Street and the local graffiti scene inspired Prospect to use his talents to embrace the culture, finally giving the young artist an outlet for his creativity.

“At that age I didn’t know how to express myself,” he says. “I really represent the demographic that I choose, because I’m a part of this culture. Not many artists represent their culture and express it through the way I do it.”

Although Prospect has never been a graffiti artist, the discipline of graf writing has always been a template to his connection to the art form.

“Some graffiti writers see airbrush art as trying to capitalize on the graf, because it’s a similar medium. There’s a fine line between airbrush and graffiti writing, but it’s similar in its fluidity and no rules bound,” he explains.

The difference, however, is that his vivid creations need to fit on a space the size of a sneaker, not a desolate brick wall on private property.

Nathan Kohrs, 27, the business visionary and CEO of Cerbae Street Couture, also sees an exponential growth in demand for his one-of-a-kind urban pieces. At first glance, his long, ash-brown cornrows and baritone hood-inflected swagger do not exactly scream “high fashion executive.” But the line he created speaks for itself, using mixed media such as embroidery, screens, transfers and even hand-painting. The name, Cerbae, also holds a deeper meaning than taken at absolute face value.

“‘Sir’ is a term of respect, and the Bay is where I’m from. So it means ‘Respect the Bay,’” Kohrs elaborates.

Taking the characteristics of his native region and integrating it into his clothing has been the formula for his success.

“The Bay has been an underdog in pretty much all facets in terms of music, sports and fashion. At the same time, it’s one of the strongest regions in terms of expanding thought process, ideas and context,” he says. “It’s such a diverse community. There’s a lot of outspoken people, from the Black Panthers to the hippies, to technology. Everybody is really innovative and I respect that and I incorporate that.”

His shirts are a direct reflection of that, with iconic emblems such as Freddie Hampton and The Lion of Judah on a background profusion of colors, textures and intricate detail. The spokesmodels he uses also are in direct contrast with the norms of high-fashion. Rail-thin waifs are replaced by stylish ruffians ice-grilling the camera. Although Kohrs is also inspired by hip hop in his design, he’d like to move more toward artistically inspired pieces to keep his line as innovative as his origins.

“We’re always coming up with new ways, things a normal clothing line wouldn’t usually do,” he says.

According to both Prospect’s and Kohr’s diverse clientele, they are definitely on to something. The last two years have been monumental for Kohrs with his designs appearing on everyone from R&B sensations Chris Brown and Ne-Yo, to rapper Mos Def, MTV’s hometown hero VJ Sway, and the pinnacle being the 2006 Oscars with the first-ever hip hop group to win the little gold statue, Three 6 Mafia, rocking his couture on the red carpet. At that moment, hip hop gave the middle finger to an industry that doubted its influence, and Cerbae stood as a champion amongst the Louis Vuitton and Gucci-clad crowd.

But to Prospect, it’s all in a day’s work, and he now serves his clients on a personal basis, which keep his creations close to home. “ F.A.B said [to me] that the difference between you and some of these other artists is like the difference between a fundamentally good basketball player, and an And1 baller. With my approach and vision and how to make it stand out, I stretch myself to the limit and a lot of people like that. This is a one-of-a-kind thing. A lot of people get way more than what they pay for,” he shares.

David Canales, 21, just commissioned Prospect to do a shirt with all five covers of the magazine he works for.

“You look at his clientele list and see that he’s the best. Why buy a t-shirt off the rack with 10 shirts exactly like it behind it? I didn’t make it but I helped him create it and gave him my ideas. That’s how I know that nobody else anywhere will have the same thing,” Canales says.

(Make sure you check out www.510Airbrush.com and www.cerbae.com to get your custom-made steez on! Prices vary depending on customization, while Cerbae’s mens shirts are $120 a pop).

CONTACT DE LEON AT KRISHDEL@SFSU.EDU