Rising Stars: Meet Gabe Stark

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabe Stark.

Hi Gabe, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Gabriel Stark and I’m the Best Jersey Designer in the world. I own a luxury sportswear brand, Rare Breed BX, where we specialize in fully stitched, custom jerseys. Our work has been featured on Showtime, Vh1, Whistle Sports, and festival stages around the world. Most notably, we’ve designed for H.E.R., Peedi Crakk, Freeway, Big Body Bes, comedian Sam Jay, The Girl Codee, and Blanco Brown.

My journey to this point was not direct, by any means. My career has taken a vast amount of twists and turns that range from Universal Motown A&R, Doc Ock, to directing social media teams at advertising agencies and leading strategy for Fortune 500 companies. Like most people, I had extra free time during the COVID-19 pandemic and birthed Rare Breed BX from a marketing campaign idea to rebrand the New York Knicks.

We’re now three years into business and hotter than ever. We recently collaborated with White Castle on an exclusive baseball jersey. We’re beginning our Jersey God Starkshops Tour – traveling the country teaching jersey design workshops – think Sip & Paint meets jersey design. Lastly, all of the artists that have supported Rare Breed BX are thriving – Girll Codee and Big Body Bes are working on their albums, Peedi Crakk and Freeway recently did an On The Radar freestyle, and Sam Jay is releasing her new comedy special, Salute Me or Shoot Me, on HBO.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing is ever smooth when you’re building something. There’s disappointment, rejection, loss, and lots of strategizing. Pivoting becomes your best friend when you’re determined to bring something to life. There’s a new challenge every week when you’re running your own business.

The biggest struggle we’ve faced since being in business is adjusting people’s views on jerseys. Naturally, everybody thinks of sports when they think of jerseys. At Rare Breed BX, we prioritize fashion over athletics, making sure our customers look great regardless of their size, favorite sport, or budget. Our customers are mostly non-sports related – wedding parties, fraternities, sororities, businesses, conferences – any group of people.

We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I’m the most proud of my ability to pivot. Growth is seldom linear and that’s something I can attest to. I wake up every day and have to make something out of nothing – turning ideas into reality and hunting for what I eat.

Creativity is a tentpole of my livelihood and a big piece of what keeps the business going. Continually learning what works and learning more about our customers and their interests allows us to accommodate and design according to their needs.

My history of building successful corporate structures sets me apart from others. Having done social media strategy for CVS Health, American Airlines, Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Google, amongst others, has given me the necessary experience to build a sturdy foundation and structure that will allow this business to continue long after me. Like Dame Dash said, “You can’t pass down a 9-5 to your children,” so the goal is always legacy.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Persistence, foresight, and enthusiasm are the most important characteristics of my success. You can’t sell anybody on anything if you’re not excited and enthusiastic about your idea. People gravitate to positivity and I have a very low tolerance for negativity and negative people because negative people never accomplish anything. Persistence has allowed me to create and close deals that never existed before me. It’s allowed me to dream and give people the opportunity to experience that dream with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rarebreedbx.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elguapobx/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElGuapoBx
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-Yqvy8T-MI

Image Credits
Los Paso