Rising Stars: Meet Kate Stump and Milos Ognjanovic

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Stump and Milos Ognjanovic. 

Hi Kate and Milos, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Grave Danger Clothing Company is the brainchild of two emo kids that really, really love going to concerts. The Grave Danger story began in New York during the Spring of 2018 when we first met and immediately bonded over a love for the raw New York City concert scene- the loud crowds, the music, and the messy clothing found in the wildest mosh pits. 

Above all else though, we bonded over a common appreciation of being different. The notion of being unique is what ultimately led to the formation of Grave Danger. Having traveled all across the United States just for concerts, we drew inspiration from the countless people we’ve met, the numerous mosh pits we’ve been in, and the distinctive sense of togetherness that only exists at a banger concert. 

In 2019, we had an 11-hour road trip planned to see The 1975 and wanted to bring something colorful, messy, and different with us to wear to the show. We had the idea to take something as classic, and as versatile as a denim jacket, and to make it into something that no one has seen before. Many hours of painting and distressing later, the first jackets were made. 

There was a hope that other people in the crowd would notice the jackets, but we never expected the response we actually received that night. Countless people stopped us to ask where we purchased our jackets, who painted them, and if there was an Instagram page they could follow to see more. Some people even took pictures of our jackets and posted them on their own social media. Both of us were truly humbled by this fanfare but were more importantly inspired by it. We realized that badass clothing shouldn’t cost thousands of dollars, and it should be accessible to anyone who just wants to look different. 

In 2020, we had planned to go to many shows across the United States, but with the COVID-19 Pandemic, we could not go through with these plans. 2020 turned out to be the darkest year that most of us have seen, and we took to art as an escape from all of the terrible things going on. We began painting more and more jackets, but also expanded our canvases to other forms of clothing, in order to truly capture the iconic outfits, one might see at a good New York City club show. And so, Grave Danger was born. 

Now in 2021, Grave Danger has taken off and we realized that we can no longer work 9-5s while giving the right level of attention to each piece of art that we create. We needed a bigger space, so we relocated to Scottsdale, AZ and we both quit our jobs and have gone all-in on our business. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Corporate America is not friendly towards artists, and people expressing themselves creatively. We have dealt with naysayers that believe that the “right” way to live is to work a steady 9-5 job, listen to your boss, take orders until you’re 65, and then have freedom for the short remainder of your life. We cannot stomach that idea and refuse to live that way. Humans are not designed to be work machines and need more color in their lives. We worked “regular” sales jobs and banking jobs, and those types of jobs can just drain every ounce of ambition and creativity out of people. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We specialize in custom, one-of-a-kind apparel. We design, distress, and hand paint denim/leather jackets, and also recently started offering custom flannels. Our clients come to us with a concept- and we come up with a design based around that concept. Designs range from distressing, to sewing things together, to putting on spikes and studs, to painting something intricate, or all of the above. Our apparel can be as ostentatious, or as subtle as our clients want. 

We’ve done a variety of custom artwork for people from all sorts of backgrounds, with all sorts of different ideas. We’ve worked with musicians, other artists, and clothing brands, but above all else, we’ve worked with countless regular individuals that just wanted something cool. 

We are mainly known for our custom denim jackets- people have come to us with ideas ranging from a Marilyn Monroe jacket to Bob Marley, Edgar Allan Poe, Frida Khalo, BTS, Guns N’ Roses- you name it, we’ve done it. What sets us apart is how much detail and attention gets devoted to each piece that we design. We recognize the uniqueness of each request- and as a result, take the necessary time to come up with a true one-of-a-kind design. For example, a client came to us and told us that they’d like a jacket based on a specific song. We spent a significant amount of time watching the music video to that song on repeat- just so that we could gather the necessary inspiration in order to create a piece worthy of our client. Each jacket gets this level of attention and commitment, and the possibilities for each jacket are endless 

What was your favorite childhood memory?
Kate- “My favorite childhood memory is art class, I always loved coming home and showing my mom what I created that day” Milos- “My favorite childhood memory is moving to the United States, and seeing New York City for the first time. I moved here from Serbia at the age of 8, and that was an incredible experience” 

Pricing:

• Custom Denim Jacket- $395
• Custom Leather Jacket- $795
• Custom Flannel- $150

Contact Info:

• Email: info@gravedangerco.com
• Website: gravedangerco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gravedangerco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gravedangerco