Feeling nostalgic? KashmirVIII has just what you need to stand out in the crowd.
Artist/designer Kashmir Thompson, a recent transplant to Atlanta, started taking her art seriously in 2014 after completing design school in Cleveland. She started selling her paintings but couldn't keep up with the demand for her art, so she started selling prints. Expanding to merchandise seemed like the next step.
Thompson began selling t-shirts, bags, duvets and more. She would take some of her favorite classic Black films and TV shows and paint characters onto accessories. This expansion helped her grow even more through social media and word of mouth has been a great marketing tool for this designer.
"How often are you able to find a cute purse based off your favorite 90's show? If you're a 90's show buff, they're things you probably always wanted but were never able to find until now," says Thompson. If you love 1990's through early 2000's Black TV shows and movies, at least one of the items she sells will have you pulling out your credit card.
From classic sitcoms such as Living Single and A Different World, to cult Black films like Friday and Coming To America, you can get a clutch or coasters. Items range from $15-$200. Original or custom paintings start at $250.
Thompson tries to add at least one new item each month to her collection of nostalgic items. Most recently she added Juice starring 2Pac. You can even find Prince items she painted to commemorate the artist after his death which feature his favorite color, purple. She also designed two clutches in honor of Beyonce's Formation.
One of her best-sellers is the classic "You So Craaaazy" clutch with characters from the hit show Martin. Actress Tisha Campbell-Martin, Gina from Martin, was excited to meet Thompson who gifted her a clutch with her image recently in Atlanta. "It was an amazing feeling to know that someone I had loved and looked up to all these years also knew who I was and was a fan of my work,", says Thompson.
As an artist, KashmirIII is continuing to grow and be recognized. She was recently chosen as one of the '2016 Women of the Arts'. "It was such an amazing opportunity and I'm grateful to have been highlighted amongst such amazing women," she says.
She is currently in the process of trying to get her items in Atlanta area boutiques. For now, you can find her items online at KashmirVIII.com.
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