GRSartorialist sat down with local emerging artist and fashionista, Rosco Spears. Over a span of a few days we discussed numerous topics. As an aspiring stylist, Rosco’s life is driven by her desire to be creative through many different mediums. One of those being the internet, just over a year ago Rosco created a blog called Ill-AdvisedNonConformist and it is quickly becoming one of the most popular fashion/art sites in Grand Rapids.

GRSartorialist: What’s the site?

Rosco: http://illadvisednonconformist.blogspot.com/

GRS: What is the site about?

R: Majority fashion, a little bit of music here and there… Art, when we get around to it…

What inspired you to start the site?

So me and me (Lia) are on this website called Lookbook.nu, It’s a fashion based website that’s invite-only. Where you post your looks.

Is it invite only now?

It’s invite only, but you can get on there and hype looks. We ran into these two guys that were really dope, they were two of the most popular guys on Lookbook.

Who?

J.Kissi & Travis. We checked out their blog and we thought, “Hey we should make our own blog because we can produce dope shit too for other people to look at.”

So how long have you guys been doing this?

It’s been a year…. A year and maybe two months….

What’s your favorite Brand/Designer?

Jeremy Scott rocks my world…. He’s got and alien brain…  Phillip Lim. I don’t really have favorites; I like a little bit of everything.

What’s your favorite piece that you own right now?

*Points to red and black vintage varsity jacket*

Where did you get it from?

I got it from Imagination Creation. It’s right across the street from ACK. I also like all the plain sweatshirts that I have.

What about those shoes?

I got them from Goodwill, they were $6.

What are they?

I don’t know really.

They look like horse riding shoes.

Yeah maybe. But I really don’t know, and I think that’s why I like them.

Who are some of your favorite music artist?

India Arie…. What’s the dudes name? From Michigan, the white boy… he’s got a Motown sound…

Are you talking about Mayer Hawthorne?

Yeah.

Wow….

You don’t like him?! I LOVE him!

I don’t know… He kind of sounds like he’s the male version of Amy Winehouse.

Yeah, I’ve heard that.

But he’s better than Big Sean…

I like Big Sean!

I can’t really hate on Big Sean too much because he’s representing Michigan, and that’s what really matters.

Yeah definitely

What inspires you?

Everything inspires me…. Other artists, fashion, life…

Where do you want to be in 5 years?

Location wise I have no idea. But I would like to be getting paid for being me.

Just being you?

Yeah, I wanna be able to sit in my house and paint and make clothes. And be a recognized stylist.

Let’s talk about that art piece you did for All City Kicks (ACK).

That was my baby; it’s called Sneaker Freaker.  I got really cool with J (owner of ACK). I helped them out with picking their female lines. But we also have a relationship on a personal level. He helps me out when I’m looking for different gigs. They just look out for me all the time, so when I told him them I wanted to display my work in the store, they were down. But it had to come down because it was a week or two before Art Prize.

What was your idea behind it?

So my friend Reb owns this Art Gallery. And every time I would go in there he would ask, “When are we gonna collab on something?” So I went in there and started painting on this big board. But once I got started on it he decided that we shouldn’t collab and that I should just do it on my own. So I did the background… then I looked at some old Time Magazines and newspapers that he had. I was just coming across a bunch of random images. Like a… Piñata, a lady in Bikini in a Gas Mask, and I just cut them out. I love sneakers so I figured out a way to tie it altogether. I started cutting out other random images and put sneakers on everything.

Very Cool.

So what do you like about Grand Rapids?

The art. And the people, actually. In Detroit you’re only around Black people that have the same mindset as you. There’s a good little mix here, and I appreciate it a lot. About a year ago I was introduced to a couple different people in the Art Industry, and that has become a good portion of my life now. And I started going to Rob Bliss’s events, they’re always a good time.

The Zombie Walk was a good time.

I loved the zombie walk!  Did you go this year?

I did, but we got there late so I pretty much missed the whole thing.

What’s a trend in Grand Rapids that you see that you like? Or one that you don’t like?

Cazal glasses, they can die. Ray-Ban frames with no prescription, or fake Ray-Bans. They can die immediately, like last year really. Bright skinny jeans can die. The whole 80s era is done.

What about Dookie Chains? Haha

Yes…

I kind of liked those, even though I would never wear one.

When? Not right now.

Yeah, not now.

Exactly, I was kinda into them a few years back too. Liquid Leggings too.

Normal leggings are still cool.

Yeah, they have some Black Label Oak leggings that are $200. I want them bad. I would probably kill a cat for them

Haha

What are your top 3 sites that you visit?

Street Etiquette, OAK NYC, Selectisim. Selectisim has adorable men’s stuff.

You don’t go to any of the girl sites? Like HighSnobette?

I do like them, but sometimes they post a lot of bullshit…. Pixie Market! Is one of my favorite websites of all time for women clothing.

Lookbook?

I love Lookbook, but sometimes it makes me sad though.

Why?

Because sometimes people will have on total shit but just because they’re popular they get all the hype.

Haha

Well that’s about all the questions I have thanks for letting me interview you.

No problem.