DONOTFEARDEATH: A Jason Trent Original Clothing Brand
Written by Macy Abernathy, photos by Greta Cross.
“We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, but to create something that will.” – Chuck Palahnuik
There exists a spectrum of fear in humans; on one end are those sprinting through life in a rush of adrenaline, then others who float through a deliberately peaceful routine. As it goes, death is the most ordinary and certain thing in our lives on this Earth. It is with this essence of risk and fearlessness that Jason Trent developed his clothing brand, Do Not Fear Death. DNFD is a carefully concocted collection of original, handmade, one of a kind designs by Jason himself, a Springfield local.
Growing up in the Midwest sometimes means limited forms of entertainment, but for naturally artistic people this can be the catalyst to producing a well-attuned mind to all things creative. Jason’s grandfather was an oil painter, and Jason recounts his childhood hands constantly grasping pencils, markers, and paints. At 8 years old, the arts became fashioned with an additional creative and active outlet, a skateboard. Skateboarding is a discipline unlike many others. When you fall, you fall HARD — but when you make it, you can ride that high for a while. This self-inspired routine presented an opportunity for Jason to build confidence in every aspect of his life. Art, like skating, offers its creator many challenges to face, and the only person he was looking to for approval was himself. It was at this point in early adulthood that he explored photography, videography, fashion, and his personal identity.
THE BEGINNING
While the COVID-19 pandemic put a stint in life as we know it, imaginative and eccentric brains like Jason’s used this solitary time to their advantage. Taking cues from social media, skate culture, and personal influences, Jason honed in on his individual style during the 2020 lockdowns. One-year prior is when Jason says his artwork began shifting towards a darker direction, and this edge is a dominant theme in his brand. As a young 23-year-old creative with a fresh eye for style and a need to create, he started making his own clothing designs at home using a silk-screening process and blank garments.
THE PROCESS
Jason explains that his first collection, Capsule 00, involved what felt like more work than he’d ever put into a project, but he ended up not selling any pieces for a long time. This initial struggle is familiar to virtually all new or up-and-coming artists releasing their first work for sale, and most of them know that trial and error is a necessary part of executing the desired final product. This first drop was not a flop at all, despite the time it took for his brand to take off. Jason was able to see what early designs were more popular, along with becoming familiar with who would become DNFD’s loyal supporters. After growing social media exposure and word of mouth hype, Jason started gaining more traction. From humble beginnings in traditional drawing mediums and graffiti to graphic design and video work, Jason is now reaching a bigger audience than he expected with DNFD.
THE FUTURE
After the success of his latest fashion show in January of 2022, Jason plans on continuing to release capsules. The latest release was being teased on his brand’s Instagram account @donotfeardeath with peeks at upcoming one-off designs, which are now for sale as of February 2022. The current collection of items on his Instagram page feature balaclavas, jeans, and vintage knit sweaters clad with hand drawn graffiti-esque designs in black, white, and red. Jason is continuing to commission graphic designs on his Instagram account @jasonthaboiii333, produce skate and personal content on @jason_tha_boiii, showcase film photography on @jason_tha_boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, and be himself around the local Springfield scene.