Hypebeast Community Center: THOMAS/ORITO
Jordan Nichollas and Kohei Orito discuss the art and artists that inspire their bespoke pieces, the importance of finding beauty in everyday objects and more.
Hypebeast Community Center: THOMAS/ORITO
Jordan Nichollas and Kohei Orito discuss the art and artists that inspire their bespoke pieces, the importance of finding beauty in everyday objects and more.
Hypebeast Community Center is a new series spotlighting emerging, indie and underground brands in street culture — giving them a platform to share their story and explain who they are/what they do.
The Five Ws
Who is wearing THOMAS/ORITO?
Kohei Orito: Friends, for sure.
What is THOMAS/ORITO’s main message?
Jordan Nichollas: THOMAS/ORITO is an ever-changing project between Kohei Orito and Jordan Nichollas influenced by New York City. Taking cues from artists like Stanley Whitney, David Smith and Wade Guyton, it plays with color, space and texture to create unique graphics, symbols and sayings.
KO: Beauty in imperfection.
When was THOMAS/ORITO launched?
JN: It’s tough to pinpoint an exact launch date, as we originally started the project to make things we could give to our friends. I wouldn’t say it was officially a “thing” until Nepenthes first approached us to begin working on a pop-up back in March 2022.
Where are people wearing THOMAS/ORITO?
JN: New York, mostly, and some friends in Japan are as well.
Why was THOMAS/ORITO created?
JN: So Kohei and I could have a way to think beyond graphics and words, and create something meaningful utilizing shape, color and space.
KO: To express ourselves.
“We believe that not every graphic has to be recognizable or relatable. Being able to create something outside of what’s deemed to be understandable means we can make goods that are open to interpretation — whatever it may be — by the people who wear them.”
About the Brand
How have your backgrounds influenced THOMAS/ORITO’s direction?
JN: Being born in New York, you tend to find beauty in things that are repulsive to others: a poorly-painted wall in random green or white hues, an old poster board with layers upon layers of ripped and replaced fliers. There’s beauty in it all.
KO: My background makes me see what we do as more of a creative outlet than a “brand,” but I understand that we have to brand the work. I’m originally from Japan, but have been in New York for a decade — seeing things from that alternate perspective and learning more about the people around me are my inspirations.
Art is a key piece of your ethos. How is the inspiration the brand draws from art translated into tangible, physical goods?
JN: Art is the philosophy behind what we’re doing. We spent a lot of time looking at David Smith’s spray-painted works and how he’d create shapes from industrial machine parts while he was working in a factory during World War II. He created beautiful things from objects and materials that were readily available, giving them a new life and a new context. Because we’re inspired by that, we believe that not every graphic has to be recognizable or relatable. Being able to create something outside of what’s deemed to be understandable means we can make goods that are open to interpretation — whatever it may be — by the people who wear them.
Michael Marquez
All pieces are hand-painted with spray cans. Where did that bespoke ethos come from, and what’s special about it?
JN: Stanley Whitney. His colorfield paintings are similar but all very unique. His style of painting all feels within the moment, a snapshot of time in which he painted it. We kind of approach each piece the same, all snapshots of a moment or feeling.
Outside of art, what style codes or eras inspires your creativity?
JN: The unknown future.
KO: Old New York.
THOMAS/ORITO has an “if you know, you know” vibe: you can’t buy the brand’s goods online, and even knowing how to get them in person requires a level of knowledge and expertise. How do you keep things word-of-mouth in the digital world, and what have the benefits of presenting the brand as such been?
JN: That’s not necessarily by design. We’re just two shy individuals who enjoy what we are doing. It’s not about the recognition or money for us. We just want to make something, and if people enjoy it that’s great.
Michael Marquez
As THOMAS/ORITO slowly but surely grows its word-of-mouth following, it’s taken on larger projects – recently a pop-up of bespoke tees at Nepenthes entitled “The Pulse of New York,” for example. How do you ensure the brand stays true to its ideals as it expands?
JN: Just continuing to do what we like, and trusting our gut. We filter a lot out if we feel the print or color is off.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned since launching?
JN: It’s not worth doing if it isn’t fun.
KO: Timing is everything.
What’s been the biggest challenge in building THOMAS/ORITO?
JN: Time
Michael Marquez
What does the future hold for THOMAS/ORITO?
JN: We have another project coming up soon with someone in NYC. Should be fun.
KO: And more stuff coming to 113 Madison St. You’ll have to stop by and see for yourself.
Why should people care about THOMAS/ORITO?
JN: Not too sure if they should or shouldn’t, it is what it is.
KO: Agreed
