SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Jon Stan is the hottest fashion designer in Utah right now.
Both literally and figuratively.
While hosting a pop-up shop slash Black History Month celebration at Medium Studio in Sugar House on Friday night, Stan was sweating – yet smiling – while working the crowd.
Not only was he showing off his latest self-designed collection of hats, sweatshirts, and jackets, he was taking the microphone from the DJ booth, screaming his gratitude into the room, while dancing and taking the time to meet every one of the dozens of locals who turned out to support him.
All in a night’s work, his wife and business partner, Sam, laughs.
“Jon is a people person, I’m more like, you know, laid back,” she explains to ABC4.com “So I just knew people would gravitate towards him but I’m really surprised about this turnout, honestly. It’s amazing.”
The couple has only been together in Utah since November, but it’s taken no time at all for the Brooklyn native to make his mark on the state. His clothing line, Jon Stan NYC, has already become a hit in streetwear circles and has gotten plenty of attention on social media.
You may not know who Jon Stan is yet, but chances are, your favorite rapper or NBA player knows who he is. His clothing – especially his signature collection of hats with large oversized angels on each side, has been seen on Fabolous, Meek Mill, Donovan Mitchell, and Jordan Clarkson, among others. Usher recently sent him a DM, asking Stan if he could put his design on an Atlanta Braves hat for him.
The Stans have an incredibly popular brand on their hands, and they’re running it all from their home in Utah.
“It’s messy, it’s really messy,” Sam says with a smile, describing piles of clothing, hats, boxes, and shipping labels in their house. “When it’s time to sell, he sells. But when it’s time to package and give the items I normally do that part. And it’s extremely chaotic.”
Typically, Jon Stan’s collections are dropped on his Shopify-web store that Sam runs, once they’ve built up a new set of designs and styles. After announcing the drop on his Instagram, which has tens of thousands of followers, Stan’s items usually sell out in less than an hour.
Unless you can grab a hat right at the drop, or at an event like Friday’s, you can’t get a Jon Stan hat anywhere else. Unless, you’re a superstar musician like Usher, of course.
“I save a lot of money, but then you reach more people,” Stan says of his online-only approach to building his brand. “I can reach a lot of people worldwide and I just went out met people not just locally but worldwide with social media. I utilize Instagram to the max.”
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Stan. Not only did he put on his own pop-up on Friday but he was also a featured collaborator for a Black Experience Month presentation put on at Fice Gallery by the Utah Jazz last week.
Stan says he has even more cooking for the future, including more pop-up shows, parties, and celebrations. He’s made a priority to work with more up-and-coming designers in the area, including Tim Horton, who designs and runs Koda’Fe Clothing all by himself, and Zaire Wade, who plays for the Salt Lake City Stars and is the son of Jazz part-owner Dwyane Wade.
“Utah done messed up by letting a Brooklyn guy in here,” Stan says, calling it his catchphrase.
While he’s off to a great start, standing outside his event – in Timberland-style boots, true to form for a New Yorker – where he sold plenty of hats and had the entire room chanting his name at one point, Stan’s goal is to build Utah into a fashion and culture hub.
“I’m honored and I’m scared,” he admits. “The reason why I’m scared right now is because I don’t feel like it’s about me right now. It’s now about putting a culture on my back…I’m ready for that responsibility. And I’m built for this.”
