Ohhdreamer created OHD Presents in the summer of 2023 and this brand has evolved into something much bigger. I sat down with Ohhdreamer today to talk about how the brand has evolved, the future, and what started this ambition to bridge underground music culture with alternative fashion.

[RG] Ohhdreamer, first, how have you been?

[OHD] I’ve been great bro! Staying busy. The good kinda busy though.

[RG] Right, right. Well what say we jump right into it?

[OHD] Hell yeah bro let’s get it!

[RG] OHD Presents has a very distinct “odd and curious” identity. What originally inspired the creation of the brand and what message were you trying to put into the world when it started?

• [OHD] Well first I want to say thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I know we’ve been friends for awhile but I just really think working in this capacity is awesome, so truly, thank you. Ok! So, OHD Presents was born from a love for the odd. My wife and I have a curiosity cabinet and I found great joy in sharing facts about the oddities we collect on social media. The idea behind the brand is expressing that enjoyment of the curious, the unknown, and the odd. I really wanted to create something new in the alternative clothing realm and lean into those very oddities that we collect.
  
  Moreso, I want to normalize enjoying these things. People may look at our human skull for example, some folks are weirded out by it, others are mesmerized. Both of those reactions are completely natural and ok! I want to promote that because I think it promotes deeper thinking and deeper awareness of what we call life. It’s incredibly fascinating. Thus, creating a visual representation of that very fascination.
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The brand blends music, alternative fashion, and underground culture. How important is music—especially heavy and experimental genres—to the DNA of OHD Presents?

• Well, as you know I’m a musician and really that’s also kind of how this brand became a thing, making my own merch and all. But the Artist Exclusives is a one-of-a-kind thing in the local music world. Merch at the table has become the primary point of income for local artists. It’s more important now than it ever was for artists to be self-sufficient and merch is such a big part of that. So we started this program to help local artists get high quality merchandise for their tables. We welcome serious artists into the program, they can contact us directly on our contact page. I personally think the experimental genres really connect with the core of OHDp. Making people think a little bit, I like that.

OHD Presents works with underground artists and exclusive collaborations. What do you look for in an artist before deciding to collaborate with them?

• So, we look at who’s serious and who’s not. At the end of the day the artists putting in the actual work, it shows. And we see it on their social feeds, we see the grind, and we see the people’s reactions. Furthermore, I personally listen to the music myself. I want to be clear on this as well, there’s a difference between liking the music an artist produces and having an appreciation for the artist. It’s not about what I listen to on the daily, it’s all about the artist and their craft, and that shows through. If they’re about it, we’re about it. Let’s go.

  A lot of your visuals lean into darker aesthetics—occult imagery, apocalyptic themes, and alternative symbolism. What influences shaped that creative direction?

• Well, it really comes from that sense of the mysterious unknown. I believe that science fiction becomes science fact in a matter of time. A lot of things that were once considered “magic” became simple science experiments in middle school. I think we can all agree that there is some primordial force kinda keeping us all together. We can surely talk about that rabbit hole at some time [laughs] but ya know, life is weird, science is weird, the universe is weird, all of these great things that exist are so strange, I think it would be more strange to think we don’t fall into that category. So all of these seemingly crazy or fringe ideas suddenly become fascinating when you look at them through a non-biased lens. That is precisely the art and symbolism I want to create. 

You’ve described the brand as helping people “express their inner oddity.” What does that phrase really mean to you?

• Truly being yourself and exploring that which you find fascinating. Think about the stigma surrounding UFO’s, or other paranormal experiences. Is it “weird” to find that fascinating? For so long it was! Or the satanic panic of the 80’s? [laughs] That was crazy sh*t to people! But that generational stigma persisted for quite awhile, even into today. But that stigma is fading and people are being more generous to themselves in acknowledging that the weird is interesting. And that they enjoy these niche subjects and can freely explore them and express their enjoyment without judgement. So this is the brand to express that inner craving to explore the unknown and promote that thought process. We want to be your guiding light of the inner oddity you enjoy. Feel free to contact us on our contact page with your ideas! It’s just me though so [laughs] take it easy on me.

How do you balance being both a clothing brand and a platform that highlights underground artists and creators?

• Simple processes. Easy for the artists to schedule time with me, scheduled releases. Yeah, it’s a whole ass process. BUT! I’ll tell ya, I have learned through trial and error so, yeah it’s always a work in progress. The goal is to have the easiest process in place for the artist and myself and that’s what we’ve built behind the scenes and will continue to improve upon.I will say, I find it a bit easier to balance having experience, obviously, with Ohhdreamer and really finding myself wanting to do more with clothing.

Events like Horns for Humanity limited release shows that the brand is also community focused. How important is giving back to the scene that supports you?

• It’s everything to me. Simple as that. I mean, this whole thing is really just an idea coming to life, but it’s up to the community whether or not this thrives. We are here for that very community to show up and provide an alternative brand so that they make express themselves freely. We exist for the community, and we exist to serve our community.I will say, our first ever Horns for Humanity charity event reached our goal thanks to this great community. All profits are donated to the Spirit of Children foundation by Spirit Halloween for our  annual limited edition releases. We did a bad ass jersey last year you got one [laughs] I did too bro! Filthy. And timeless man this is a part of our history. That means something ya know.

From a creative standpoint, what comes first for OHD Presents: the concept, the music inspiration, or the visual design?

• Well it really depends on what I’m working on. Lots of moving pieces at all times so I set up focus sessions to focus on a specific task. So I would say a lot of the design and conceptual ideas come from that. I do, however, keep a notepad to keep track of sporadic ideas so I don’t forget them. But then I’ll dive deeper into those when I have the time set aside for it. The music inspiration side is, always evolving [laughs] blending styles and trying new things. I get a lot of inspiration from art though. We can get into that another time [laughs] that’s a whole ass interview [laughs]

  What has been the biggest challenge in building an independent alternative brand in today’s fashion and music culture?

• Dang that’s a good question [laughs] Um, honestly I think it’s difficult to cut through the noise of social media as a small business. Now, I will say, we’re investing in some new processes that are gonna bring a lot more video activity, but again, we’re competing with the noise. And we thrive because the community backs us! They share our socials, we’re working with fantastic musicians, we have an incredible modeling team. So yeah, advertising is a challenge. It’s our main area of opportunity I think.

  Looking ahead, what is the long-term vision for OHD Presents—are you aiming to grow it into a full creative collective, label, or lifestyle movement?

• Ahh my friend [laughs] I’m conjuring up all kinds of ideas. Expect more community driven experiences and drops. Just you wait bro, it’s gonna be epic.