B in the Spotlight...Chike Ozah

Give us your stats.

Name: Chike
Age: 31
Hometown: New Orleans, LA
Currently based: NY/LA
Profession: Director - Designer - Entrepreneur

How has creativity played a roll in your career path(s)?

Man, it has played the leading role in my career. I explore options in my career that give me 100% creative control because that's how important I feel creativity is. Now I'm not saying that I get 100% creative control all the time, but that's always the goal. As my career evolves I'm coming closer to achieving that goal.

NY or LA?

NY all day. I love the movement in New York and I'm constantly inspired by the streets, the people, the multitude of cultures, and the abundance of self expression that exists in the city.


Why did you the start Hot Air collection, and what's your role in the company?

Man, I was sitting around one day watching YouTube and I saw a time lapse clip of hundreds of balloons lifting towards the sky. The patterns on the balloons inspired me and I was like, wow those could translate well to clothing - after all, a hot air balloon is fabric just like a shirt. From there, I created a line of shirts and shared them with my boy, Bee Nyguen, who believed in the concept and brought it to his team Sound In Color, which was a music label at the time that was also dabbling in fashion. That's where another partner, Diego Carlin, got involved and took the brand far with his skills. Then Bee got his buddy Duke Wu involved, and he blessed us with the funding knowledge. Charlie Muff plays behind the scenes, and I'm about to blow his spot because you can't have a successful brand without Charlie...There are so many roles that make Hot Air a success, and I'm still not doing it justice. Without those key players, the line wouldn't be "soaring" the way it is. Just go to www.hotairbrand.com and you can find out who carries the collection.

Who are you designing for?

We design for the person that's not scared to try something new. For the person who loves attention.


What are most people surprised to learn about you?

Ha, is that a trick question? I really don't know. I have so many sides to me, so I guess it depends on how you meet me. If you meet me a little tipsy you might be be surprised to know I'm actually kinda of shy. If you meet me in the midst of an intellectual conversation, you might be surprised to learn I'm quite goofy. If you meet me in goofy mode, you will be surprised to know that I'm very spiritual and interested in the endless bounds of understanding and challenging my spirituality.

Any tips for a young person looking to express themselves when challenged by resources?
Yes - ask a lot of questions. Don't be scared to ask. There are too many resources available via the Internet to not be able to find out an answer to something. The road ahead is going to be very tough, so just embrace that, march ahead and never look back. And never worry about how long the road is.

What's next for you and Hot Air?

I'm working on a network called Creative Control with my directing partner, Coodie. It's an online network that will take television and "Urban" content to another level. For Hot Air, we're going to keep pushing the limits and explore new ideas. We have an incredible Spring 2010 collection coming out.

If you could "B" anything, what would it be?

B Creative...Creative Control, 'nuff said