Comme What May

The man behind the Comme des F***down streetwear, Rusland Karablin, is so Zen (check out the mantra emblazoned on his swag), he doesn’t mind that everyone from Bugis to Bangkok is bootlegging his stuff.

8 DAYS: You moved from Ukraine to New York when you were five. What was your childhood like?

RUSLAN KARABLIN: It was a culture shock coming from Ukraine to a big city like New York. My mother was a single parent and didn’t have much money. We lived in a low-income, predominantly black neighbourhood. It was like growing up in the ’hood anywhere. It sucks! We weren’t privileged, so I wore cheap sneakers. But I never felt like I was worse off than the other kids. Life was still pretty good, even if it got tough sometimes.

Did you have to work for your pocket money?

My mother gave me pocket money, but I had to earn it by cleaning the house every Saturday. When I had extra money, I’d go to the movies or get some pizza. I started buying clothes only later, when I became interested in fashion at around 14. I got a part-time job, and with the money I earned and a little help from my mum, I could buy better sneakers. (Laughs) My very first job was being a pizza delivery boy. I also went around people’s houses asking if they wanted newspaper delivery. When I was about 18, I landed a buyer job at a designer clothing store. That was where I learnt more about fashion by keeping their showroom looking nice.

Did you spend a lot on clothes?