Get The Staxk (GTS) Apparel is a Black-owned, Brooklyn-born clothing line created by 17-year-old Kamari Allah. With guidance from his older cousin, support from his older brother, and encouragement from his friends, Allah first officially established his brand in January of 2020. On his newly launched website, his brand statement states the primary goal of the collective as follows: “to express themselves and their love for fashion and chasing the bag.”
While he has always been keenly interested in fashion, Allah finally decided to take steps towards launching GTS when he received avid encouragement from friends in response to a t-shirt he had designed for a school event. “I realized how much money I was actually spending on clothes and making other people richer,” Allah explained, “So why not invest in myself and get rich?”
What exactly does it mean to invest in oneself? This simple adage can look different for everyone; it could be as simple as merely dedicating some time to one’s own passions. But for Allah, investing in his creative pursuits also means investing in his future: “Investing in myself is me trying to make a product that will sell and help me succeed in life—something that will set me up in life to be living comfortably.”
As his teacher, I can speak from personal experience when I say that Kamari is a persistently clever kid. For example, I once promised to buy him Chick-fil-A if he earned the highest score on the physics exam; he doubled his previous exam score, and sure enough, he had a well-earned spicy chicken deluxe in his hands the very next day. This is all to say—Kamari Allah is no stranger to the hustle. If he wants to accomplish something, he’ll certainly find a way to do it.
But while his own personal success is an important goal for Allah, it’s not the only one that keeps him dedicated day-in and day-out. Get The Staxk has evolved to serve as a source of inspiration in his life: “It has pushed me to embrace my inner self. It helps to show me how much I love fashion and what actually makes me happy — making money and selling clothes.”
Kamari will begin his freshman year this fall at Baruch College—with nothing other than a full scholarship, of course. He hopes that GTS will continue to grow as he takes this next leap in life, his main goal being to one day open a storefront in the city.
Instagram: @g.t.s._apparel
Kamari: @mari_billz
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