Rashod Stanley created “The Trenches” line.
Written by Tweety Elitou
Creativity cannot be stopped in a cage nor can talent be stifled behind bars! These words were inspired after social media was introduced to Rashod “2500 Shod” Stanley, an Atlanta-native who took his designer skills to create a fashion line—while being incarcerated.
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Recently, the 25-year-old inmate went viral after a video clip surfaced of him modeling clothing from his “The Trenches” line, which he made using prison uniforms and materials.
In the video, he proudly showed off his work while explaining how he took prison gear and the material from a prison mat to create his ensemble.
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“I would like to think I was the flyest guy in high school and on the streets,” Shod, who’s currently locked up on robbery charges, told The Shade Room.
According to a GoFundMe page, at the age of 19, Shod owned his very own store in Bankhead before getting caught up with the wrong crowd. Now he’s on a mission to share his story, create clothing and inspire others not to go down the wrong path.
“I want people to know my story because location doesn’t determine destination. I want to inspire others to make something out of nothing and reach their full potential without making excuses,” Shod said. “I want to be a mentor and public speaker to at-risk kids that’s following down the wrong path.”
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Although Shod currently sews his clothing using dental floss and a paper clip, his goal is to make his fashion line shopable for all.
“I want to make a name for myself as a fashion designer in the fashion community. I also want to start a nonprofit organization for low-income communities in Atlanta and eventually expand nationwide,” Shod said.
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“I want to inspire others to elevate their hustle,” Shod shared.
Going off his growing social media following, we think he may have did just that!
This article originally appeared on BET.