01x03 - The Mind of Omar Bailey, Inspiration from The Game

[bunniefuu]

I can tell you a
story about this guy.

This kid would sit
in the hallways,

stairways,

the lunchroom,

sitting for hours,
sketching in his sketchbook.

And it was clear to me,

at his youthful age,

he knew that his
sketchbook would evolve

into the businessman
he is today.

He has a gift. That's
why he does what he does.

He created a lot of
shoes for a lot of famous people.

A lot of his designs didn't
seem to be bound by normal...

the normal shoe things
we think about, you know?

Hmm.

Yeah, kind of
disguising the shoe.

Letting the exterior form.

You know, everyone's gonna have
an opinion about what you're doing.

Most of the time, it's
gonna be unsolicited.

You're gonna be like,
"Damn, another idea?"

Like, "God damn."

You know, but, like,
I ain't joking.

What you need to
do is, you know,

trust your gut, because it's you
that's gonna be falling on the sword.

We founded Arch Motorcycle
to challenge the perception

of what an American
motorcycle could be.

Our ambition is
to create a beautiful,

aesthetically interesting,

seductive ̨machine
that you can ride.

Curiosity has been our
lifeblood since the beginning.

And we're fueled by far more than just
a passion for designing motorcycles.

Arch is a mindset,

a lens through which
to see the world.

This is a quest
for inspiration.

To witness visionaries
pushing the bounds of innovation,

to understand why
inspiration strikes,

and where human
creativity comes from.

When we set out
to create a motorcycle,

how it looks is important.

But how it performs
is paramount.

It's a balance.

And the same is true in
the world of fashion.

The look, and the
make of both matter.

And it takes ingenuity
for a footwear designer

like Omar Bailey to revolutionize
the world of sneakers.

Early '90s, "Be like Mike"
commercials are all over television.

Sneakers are just kind of
bursting on to the scene.

Everyone is out
practicing their jump shot,

and that being the shoes, right?

Mike's flying in the
shoes, and seeing that,

and this was really
the first time

we had seen this as a culture,

as a society, lines
forming around corners.

Obviously, wanting those just like
every other kid around the country,

and wanting to know how I
can get my hands on them,

begging my parents, like, "Yo, I want
these Jordans. I want these shoes."

You know, unfortunately, wasn't
really able to... to get those.

I felt that if I couldn't
have them in physical form,

then being able to design
my own shoe in 2D on paper

was gonna be satisfactory
enough for me.

And that's where, I think, the
passion really started for...

for me wanting to
design the shoes.

Yeah, actually,
this one has a date.

So, this is '97, actually.

So, 6-3-1997, I drew this one.

See, here, I came
up with the name,

the price, sizes available,

the weight, 19.3 ounces.

That sounds too
heavy for a shoe,

but, like, I didn't know, I was...
I don't know, I was ten years old.

For me, I think it was about
the beauty of the shoe first.

It was about the...
the how, you know.

Little things like
the air bubbles,

and the way that the logo
treatment is on the outsole.

You know, just like everyone
else in the neighborhood,

we all had dreams
to be like Mike,

but I eventually grew
into having shoe dreams,

instead of hoop dreams.

One of the people that I
really resonated with the most,

who played for the New York
Knicks, was Allan Houston.

You know, they called him H2O,

because he was... he
was smooth as water.

He was one of the people
that I designed a shoe for.

And it's this shoe that I...
that I sketched up here.

I think I even
called it The H2O.

But this is the
original sketch for it,

which is... which
is pretty cool.

But what's so significant
about this story

is that...

I didn't know that I would end
up actually working with him

some 10 years later, right?

And actually designing
a shoe for him.

Because I feel like that
really kind of set the...

Set the tone for the... actually, I
guess, the beginning of my career.

Omar Bailey worked relentlessly
to turn those shoe dreams into reality.

Allan Houston, and other
athletes, opened the door,

and more than a decade after walking
through it and pushing boundaries,

his company, FCTRY Lab,

announced its arrival with the launch
of a boot that captivated the culture.

Um, what drew me to the boot is,

I mean, like, simply, like,
when you look at it, right?

Chrome Hearts socks, by the way.

Um... But, like,
when you look at it,

um, it has all the properties
that just sticks out.

And I think that's the most
important part about, you know,

as a creative, is just like, okay,
what pops, what really grabs the eye?

The way the Duck
Boot bursted onto the scene

is he was performing
at Rolling Loud,

here in Los Angeles.

We deliberately didn't put
a lot of information out about it.

It was just more like, "Just
put it on, let's wear it."

Let's get people asking the question,
"What is this big yellow thing?"

And then, the next day, we
ended up going to a Laker game,

where him and I sat
courtside at a Laker game,

wearing the Duck Boot.

The first day I posted,

I created a photo dump
of, like, ten photos.

Pretty much like me
going to the FCTRY Lab,

picking up the Boot,
heading in to the game.

Within the caption is where I feel
like it really drew people in.

And, um, I can read it to you.

I said, "Five years in,
still no shoe endorsement."

Dot, dot, dot.

I go, "But, I made
my own shoe, then."

And that was, like,
the official announcement.

It was unlike sorta your traditional,
you know, marketing campaign

that may feel a little
bit more forced.

Him and Kai Cenat, the
famous Twitch streamer.

I like how they go
over these, right here.

- Yes, sir.
- You actually swag these.

They sit with anything, bro.

And, you
know, Choppa and I

would continue to come
up with these ideas,

like the recreation of, like, the
David LaChapelle, Tupac photoshoot

of Tupac laying in the bathtub,

but we did it with
Choppa instead.

It felt organic. It felt real.

It felt relatable.

I think people really
resonated with that.

♪ Versace fabric uh ♪

♪ Unfazed blunt to the face ♪

♪ Run in front of
bullshit I'm first place ♪

♪ Like a dinner date ♪

♪ One thing for sure about it ♪

♪ Ain't nothing
that's shy about her ♪

The Duck Boot launch drew
more than 300 million views

across social media,

solidifying Omar's approach
to change the game.

He was
keeping me updated.

He was like, "Man, I
just wanna let you know,

in the independent shoe world,

what we have just done,
we just made history.

No one has had this type of
success from a shoe drop."

And then it was just, like,
rocket ship from there.

There's a couple
parts to FCTRY Lab.

There's the innovation side,

the way that we think
through products,

and our shoes, and the way we
build them, and bring them to life.

Then there's
the business side.

What's so unique and
disruptive about it

is that we're sharing in the
upside with our collaborators.

I think it's an
important distinction.

Traditionally, you know, endorsement
deals generally work one way.

You know, the really big stars may
get, like, a very small royalty.

But what we're doing is,
you know, we're giving 'em

a much bigger piece of that pie.

You know, we want these partners
to actually be owners with us.

We were able to
show the world that,

with NLE Choppa
and the Duck Boot.

- Hey, Omar.
- What's up, guys?

- Hey, hey. Welcome to the Lab.
- Good morning. Thanks.

- Yeah. How you feeling today?
- Very exciting.

- Great. This is a cool space.
- You good?

- It's a cool building.
- Thank you. Come on in,

- let me show you around.
- All right. Thank you.

This is my little sort
of shoe sanctuary.

This was my vision, so I was able to
sort of make this all come to life.

When I look at all these
variations on a shoe...

- Yep.
- ...the one thing they all have in common

is the human foot.

Yeah.

- And you can't really change the foot.
- No.

Are there things you have
to consider that are limitations?

My initial
answer is always no.

Sometimes if I can't just
kick the door down and go in,

I'll try and go in
through the chimney,

you know, figure out
a way to get it done.

But, um, and sometimes experience
is what gets me through

some of those...
those problems, right?

But I'm still
learning every day.

The shoe that I have on right
now is called The Night Runner.

What's this look like to you,
when you... when you see it?

I see something nautical.
Something automotive.

- Okay. Yeah.
- Uh... argh!

I didn't think it would
take you this long.

I don't know, I mean, it's...

I mean, I'm wondering,
I'm like, "A papaya?"

I don't know.

Yeah.

Well, you... you definitely
hit the nail on the head

with the aerodynamic
form, right?

That was the goal, was to try and
create something that felt like a car.

You know, you see sort of the
shape, and kind of the form.

And the first thing that
people say when they put it on

is how comfortable it is,

that it doesn't feel
the way that it looks.

And I love that reaction.

- I'm really proud of...
- Is it one piece? Or is this...

Single piece.
All... All one piece.

I'm 100 percent a "less
is more" type of designer.

I really try to just
focus on trying to create

an interesting composition around
the things that are needed,

and using that to
drive the design.

These are some miniatures,
just a little mini wall.

Every time we create a concept,
I want to make a little mini,

put it up on the wall.

- What's that one?
- Yeah, that's what I was...

That's actually just
a little, baby shoe last.

I love antiquing, and I always ask, "Do
you have any, like, old shoe things?"

So whether it's lasts, or
sewing machines, or whatever.

Are you a cobbler?

- Um, I wouldn't say...
- Is that part of the purview?

My dad was a cobbler.

- Really?
- I... Yes.

In Jamaica, when he was
a young lad growing up,

he worked for a shoe
repair shop in Jamaica.

And I didn't know this.
This whole story is crazy,

because I learned this about
ten years ago from him.

- That's it. Ten years ago?
- Ten years ago.

I'm 40.

One day, we were at his house,

and I know this is... I
know this is wild. Right?

And he... and he pulls
out a piece of paper.

I have the whole thing on video.

And he pulls out
a piece of paper,

and then he starts, like, drawing,
like, a shoe pattern on the paper.

Oh, wow.

I can't believe you did
this without a last.

- Yeah, I know.
- That's crazy.

And then I can
tape it up, when...

you tape it up, and turn
it around like this.

- And then... yeah.
- And then, there... there you go,

- that's your shoe right there.
- Wow.

- Did that like...
- oh yeah, 100 percent.

Totally blew my mind.

I was like, why am I just
now finding out about this?

I've been in the shoe business
for, like, 20 years at this point.

And you've not once, like,
mentioned this to me.

And when he did that first
sort of stroke of the line,

I was like, "Oh, sh*t."

Like, he...

Like they say, the apple doesn't
fall too far from the tree.

- And I learned it that day.
- Yeah.

- Wow.
- Yeah.

On this journey to understand
where creativity comes from,

many seem to look backward
to where it all began.

Omar's story started
here, in South Florida,

shaped by the example set
by his Jamaican parents.

When he was a kid, we
signed up Omar for baseball.

I have never seen
anything like that,

for all the months that
Omar go to baseball games.

His bat never able to
contact with the ball.

Not once.

We prayed every day to see the day
that Omar is gonna hit the ball.

I think he did one.
I think he did hit one time.

- One time.
- And that was it.

No, I think that first
time he ever drew a shoe,

it just must've took
off in your brain,

because he just did not stop.

He did not
stop with the shoe.

He go to school, and the teacher
called us in as his parents,

and said, "He has a problem."

The teacher hold up
the paper, and says,

"This is all he
draws. Sneakers."

I said, "Well, he wants to
draw, and he likes to draw,

and there's nothing
we can do about it."

He was born with that
thing inside of him.

It's in his blood.

Drawing the sneakers
kind of came into it

like, seven, eight years old,

when kids were getting jumped,

and I remember that, like,
scaring, like, Mommy and you,

- it was like, "Your shoes or your life."
- Yeah.

In the early '90s, you know,
kids were getting jumped,

and beat up, and even shot and k*lled,
you know, getting robbed for their shoes.

And that scared the hell
out of my parents, right?

They didn't want me to be a
victim of this type of violence.

There was chaos,
as Air Jordan retro shoes

went on sale Friday.

People were trampled, and
doors were ripped off hinges.

Kids were getting beat up, and
stripped the shoes from their feet.

And they're coming home
barefoot from school.

And that's when we said, no, he's
not going to a regular school.

We're sending him to art school.

This seemed a lot bigger
when I was...

When I went to school here.

This is a place where I
really got to express myself

from a creative standpoint, and just
sort of unapologetically be myself.

When I reflect back, and I think
on the school that I was at prior

to going to... to art school,

it was a very clear track
on where I could go,

where my options were.

It's also a good chance that, like,
you know, I could have ended up dead.

Like, like, not joke...
Right, like, you know?

I mean, I wasn't a bad kid,
but there's a lot of friends

who were great kids, who were just
in the wrong place at the wrong time,

and ended up getting hurt.

100 percent, that could
have been my path.

It was... it was,
uh...

Damn, I never do this.

Um, no, it's true, man.

Like, I could've... you know, life
could have been a lot different.

Like, for sure.

It's really cool.

This was the drawing lab.

This is where I spent,
like, so much of my time.

You were always
humble, and... and talented.

The two of them were just
so instrumental in, like,

in my development.

The thing about Omar, he
knew all along what he wanted to do.

And so, you just... We
just had to support him,

because I wanted him
to be successful.

You know, I wanted him to be able
to make that dream come true.

I was definitely
hellbent on just drawing shoes

and sneakers all the time.

And for the first time, I discovered
that there isn't actually a path

forward to becoming a designer.

I always knew
New York was the Mecca.

Early 2000s, I ended up
getting a job with Timberland.

A year later, they
had a huge re-org,

and they laid off,
like, a thousand people.

Everyone said that I took
the layoff really well,

but that was because I felt like
I was ready to take that big step

into independence,
and make that happen.

Right? It was just me.

I had a studio that
I was working out of,

but what people didn't know is that I
was living, actually, in that office.

You know, I was... I was
sleeping on the floor.

I was taking bird
baths in the bathroom,

and spraying down the place, you
know, before people would come up.

And while I was networking,

two people who I got connected
with were Allan Houston,

and Gary Sheffield, who ended
up becoming clients of mine.

I lived in my office
for three years.

And as difficult as it was,

I'm grateful that it happened.

A lot of my career
was international,

living and spending time
in China, and India,

and Brazil to really
understand supply chain A to Z,

and what it takes to make
something like this happen.

The thing with being
in the shoe business,

and I heard this a
lot when I was young,

was that you gotta go to Asia,
you gotta go into factories,

that's where
production is, right?

You need to, like, be a part of
that in order to be taken serious.

Like many things, I got hellbent
on, okay, I need to get to Asia.

And the Sheffield project brought me
there for the... for the first time.

You learn very quickly
that, like, when you sketch a shoe

on a piece of paper, that is
literally the tip of the iceberg.

There is so much more
going on behind the scenes.

The vendors have vendors, and those
vendors' vendors have vendors,

and the supply chain runs deep.

That was a critical time.

It led to me ultimately moving to
India, where I lived for three years.

I ran a shoe factory
and sample room

for an Italian sportswear
brand called Lotto.

What I was able to do
is connect the dots

between Chinese manufacturing,
and Indian distribution and sales.

In the end, I wanted to
work with bigger brands,

and because I had
relationships overseas,

I now brought in an additional
element to what I was offering,

which was the supply
chain piece to it.

And because I feel like I put
myself in those positions,

I was ready to take that
big step when, you know,

the brand gave me the
opportunity to do it.

The culture of the FCTRY Lab,

with your understanding
of ̨manufacturing,

and your entrepreneurialship,
you know,

you supporting other artists, or
people with artistic ambitions.

Right.

- And the lab being a part of that...
- Exactly.

...to help kind
of curate, guide.

Mm-hmm. Exactly. Exactly.

- You know, that's a culture.
- Yeah.

Let's do a thousand black.

I think it is smart
to go in with another color.

The big question here is when is
the right time to drop the black.

FCTRY Lab was founded to
disrupt the sneaker business,

to challenge an industry dominated
by big brands and mass releases.

Omar assembled an innovative
team to rethink everything.

I mean, back to school
is August and September, right?

You have the fashionable dad or
mom who's buying it for their kid,

who their kid wants
them to look like them.

But it's good to establish it
as in a mainstream fashion thing

and then get the kids. You don't
want it to become a kid's thing.

- No, for sure.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I would not call
Omar just a creative only.

The greatness is that
he's also the developer.

He likes to say he's a
producer who can also rap,

and I think that's
a fair analogy.

But the guy doesn't
have any ego.

I have not had a single
argument or fight with him.

His kindness, his demeanor is what made
me wanna build this company with him.

The way that I think
about creating a shoe,

you need to experiment and
sometimes try different things,

especially when you are
experimenting to create something

that hasn't been done before.

You need the freedom, you need
the flexibility, and you need the space

where you can fail and be able to try and
try and try again until you get it right.

So being able to use 3D printing and some
other techniques and combining that with,

like, traditional, you know, shoemaking
capabilities like we do with Satyan,

who's on my team, is
just so important.

If there's a way to kind of make this
a little more aesthetically pleasing...

Maybe it's also, like,
the opposite of that.

Celebrating the ugliness.

Making it, you know, so somebody sees it
and be like, "Oh, wow, this is unique."

So I've been working with Omar
for the last five to six years.

He'll show a presented idea,

and then I get to actually break it
down and see how it's gonna get made.

And then him and I kind of ping
back and forth and problem-solve.

It's a great way to create.

FCTRY Lab's unique approach
to collaboration with their clients

is aimed to create bespoke shoes that
they co-own and launch collectively.

It's an approach that has led them
to their next frontier, the NFL.

This is awesome. One of my favorite
projects that we've done recently.

Jalen Ramsey, Pro Bowl,
All-Pro cornerback.

Um, he wanted to have a cleat
that was engineered and built

specifically for him,
and asked me to do it.

Two years ago, I got
connected with Jalen Ramsey.

100%.

He had been signed
with multiple brands,

but felt like he needed something
that was meant and created for him.

Hot damn.

That's what's up.

And we were able to
do that with this.

So this is his foot, and we
molded his foot to create a last

that specifically highlighted
the details in his feet, right?

So that when we build the cleat around
it, it's going to fit him naturally.

Doesn't have a
conventional-looking foot, huh?

No. Well, you know, when you
look at a lot of these guys' feet,

they ain't pretty
to look at.

Even more reason why they
should have something custom

and not something
generic, right?

So did you manufacture this
for the public as well?

No, no. When you look at it, there's
no FCTRY Lab branding on this.

This is all Jalen
Ramsey's branding.

We are a manufacturer. We
are an enabler of footwear.

So, like, what we're doing is we're
allowing these guys to express themselves

through their brands and
build their own brands.

We're just the manufacturer simply
helping them create this product.

And we have no interest in
selling commercial cleats

and competing with
the big brands.

- So this is just his shoe?
- This is just his shoe.

This is a real opportunity
for them to have something

that is specifically for them.

When I'm collaborating
with someone,

I'm trying to capture something that I can
put into the shoe that represents them.

It could be as simple as words
that mean something to them,

or their family's name, or
something like that on the shoe.

It could also be an element. It
could be a shape. It could be a form.

Where the creative magic comes
in is how do you take that

and you actually incorporate
that into something

that they're gonna
be excited about.

When I look at this shoe,

it's almost like it's not
what we think of as a shoe,

but it's more of a mechanism
just to hold that on his foot.

- And the cool thing about this...
- This is such a cool material

and the way that
it's bonded to this.

The HF welded. This is
form and function, right?

So, like, although
it looks really cool,

but this is what provides the
reinforcement in the upper

so that he's not slipping and
the shoe is moving around.

It keeps him locked in.

I wanna get into the
NBA and basketball.

I wanna get into soccer.
Not just football cleats.

Hockey, skates. I
mean, it's endless.

But, like, I think being able to
custom-build footwear for elite athletes

is something that I think
we'll definitely continue to do

and grow and evolve
that business.

You're creating something that
enhances their performance.

Exactly, exactly. So it's a
really proud moment knowing that,

you know, we played a small role in
helping him being able to get out on field

and do the best
job that he can do.

I love hot chocolate. I do
not drink coffee at all.

I am not a coffee person.

Well, I'll tell Allison all the time
that I get my caffeine off of life.

Yeah, no, I love getting my
morning started out here.

Sort of get a little peace
and tranquility to myself.

Your brain never
really goes to sleep.

No, it doesn't. It doesn't.

I'm in love with him.
I knew what I was getting into.

I knew that shoe design and footwear
was always gonna be his first love.

Sometimes I will sort of wake up

and I'll hear, like, a
little sound, and it's Omar.

And he's sitting there
doing a digital rendering.

Sketching out all
night, every night.

Seems like it's always
9:00 a.m. somewhere.

So my phone is always ringing.

The wheels are
constantly turning.

The balance is important.

I mean, I'm getting better,
or trying to get better.

I can detach when I need to.

Keep on
telling yourself that.

All right. All right. Well, you know.

The mind of
someone who is always on

is always seeking opportunity
to flex its muscle.

Today, Omar offered to show us
his creative process up close,

collaborating with us to
design a boot inspired by Arch.

What I did was I
created this mood board.

I always found that creating a visual
or mood board is really helpful,

you know, keeping it tactile and
with images and material swatches.

And for me, it's always about, like,
the thing that just jumps out to you

and trying to incorporate
this into the process.

So what I was thinking we could do is
sort of, you know, we could have that

in the background as reference, but
then maybe sketch through some ideas.

So this is my trusty sketchbook.

Um, as you can see, there's some pretty
funky shapes and things kind of going on.

I see mountains. I feel like... I
mean, I don't know if you grew up...

You didn't... But I feel like there's,
like, a mountain kind of idea.

I mean, obviously just, you know, taken
by the beauty of Southern California,

and, you know, I drive the
long way to work every day

just so I can go
through the mountains...

- Oh, really?
- ...if we're coming into town.

You know, those things subconsciously,
I guess, inspire you two as well.

Sometimes I don't even know
why I might be drawing a shape.

Just drawing it
because that's what...

Maybe it is because, oh, like, there's
mountains around me all the time.

They just make me feel,
you know, really good.

Like, what's your
heart telling you about

wanting to create a
perfect riding boot?

I mean, for me, I
definitely like boots.

- Uh-huh.
- I love to be barefoot.

You want it to feel like
you have nothing on.

- Yeah.
- Right. Got you. Kind of like what we did

- for Jalen Ramsey with the cleats.
- This is also... I see asymmetric.

- Asymmetrical.
- You like the asymmetry. Yeah, yeah.

You know, like, this idea of
protection being on the outside.

'Cause oftentimes
when you're riding...

you know, your jeans, if you're doing
a longer ride, they move, they flap.

So maybe there's something modular
that goes on that your pants tuck into,

like a spat that
goes around here.

- Okay. All right.
- But then you could take off.

- That you could take off or something.
- But then what do you do with it?

- You hand it to someone.
- Oh, okay.

You check it at the
spat check station.

You leave it in the car, okay?

I like that idea.

We can get, like, there's a little bit
of a zipper there, but just a little one.

So, you know, we can
have something there.

- Inside or outside?
- Outside. Outside.

- Outside.
- And then it goes into your shorter lace.

- Or, well, three laces.
- Three. Let's do three. Three lace.

This pattern transitions
into your arch that's right here.

All right. I'm liking kind
of how clean this is looking.

This is your sort
of mud guard, right?

We could even put a little
texture in there like that.

Then we got a little bit of
arch happening right there too.

Yeah, let's do a little cut-out.

When I'm collaborating with
someone, I'm designing a shoe for them.

I'm trying to capture
something, that one thing,

that I can put into
the... into the shoe.

Like... And maybe it's about,
like, taking that detail

and incorporating it
into the sole, right?

And this goes back to me saying
that I'm a less-is-more designer.

So, like, for me, it's just about finding
one thing and incorporating that into it

as opposed to trying to squeeze,
like, ten million things.

But what's that one element
that I can incorporate into it?

And sometimes even
let that be a surprise

for the person that you're
creating it for, right?

Like, let them find
it on their own,

which sometimes ends up
being a really cool moment.

I really do like this.

I think there actually really
is something here that we got.

This is very cool, and I would
love to build this in 3D.

So the next thing you would
do is, like, model it?

- Yeah. I would 3D model it.
- So then you could look at it and...

Yep, exactly. Build that here,
and I could send you a file

that you could rotate and see, and
then we'll print it on our 3D printer.

So then do we need to get
rid of the zipper, right?

Yeah, I think so.
I think we've...

I think without saying, we've
gotten rid of the zipper, yeah.

- Well, now you're saying it.
- Okay, now I'm back to the party. Okay.

Okay. Cool.

- We're making a slip-on motorcycle boot.
- Yeah.

I think we're on to something.

What, you can't design
a shoe in seven minutes?

It's not printed yet, Omar?

Someone's not walking around the
corner, "You mean something like this?"

Omar. FCTRY Lab.

Yeah. Really, really cool.

It was cool to work
on a shoe. Boot.

- An Arch Motorcycle boot.
- Yeah. It was kind of fun.

Even the beginning napkin...

- Yeah.
- ...you know, drawings.

It's very kind of
him to do that.

Well, maybe it'll actually
happen. Who knows?

Might be our first
little dip of the toe

into the design world
water of Arch Design

that's not just motorcycle.

Yeah. Yeah, that
would be... Yeah.

I mean, I know that we've always
talked about jackets and, you know,

we've worked on t-shirts and
sweaters and hoodies and...

But yeah, footwear
was never really...

Maybe someday we'll be sitting on
our Arch couch in our Arch hoodie,

wearing our Arch shoes.

Reading a book by the
light of an Arch lamp.

Feeling cozy in the fall
weather with our Arch blanket.

Yes, and then reclining
against an Arch pillow.

- Yes. In the Arch chair.
- Yes.

And then going for a ride
on an Arch Motorcycle.

Well, there's... that's
always important.

Yeah.

Omar Bailey's unique approach to design
is one that undoubtedly inspires,

whether it be our approach
to re-imagining Arch

or a new generation of entrepreneurs
setting out to re-imagine what's possible.

As Bruce mentioned, I was born
in New York to Jamaican parents.

My pops is over there with the...
with the sunglasses on, looking cool.

And, um... first thing I wanna
say is congratulations to you graduates.

You know, you never know
what you're capable of doing

until you're sometimes
in that position.

And, you know, I would surprise
myself from time to time,

as you all will yourselves, you know, as
you embark on this... on this journey.

You know, when those W's come
and those opportunities come,

leverage it for the next thing,

continue to develop your craft.

You know, never lose sight
of what you're doing.

In other words, keep the
main thing the main thing.

So, you know, as you are...

Sometimes I'll
reflect and think back.

I'm just this, you know,
seven-year-old kid just sketching

and drawing shoes and being
able to live out my dream,

and seeing how far I've come, and this
is the scenario that I find myself in.

But, you know, I don't
wanna make it sound like

it was just all peaches
and cream all the time.

All those things that
you've gone through...

the failures, the wins...
it all kind of adds up.

And those things also
allowed me to grow.

You know, I take a lot
of pride in that, and...

Yeah. It just... it makes me really
happy when I think about just that,

when I reflect on that time, as
hard and as difficult as it was...

I'm grateful that it happened.