Full Time Artists Web Log

Ryat Gear logo 1994

Riot Gear™ was one of the FTA crews original dreams. Back in the day when we were in High school almost everyone in the crew contributed artwork to the Riot Gear concept. The name was originally passed down to Rase from a writer named Wim One back in 1994. The name speaks for itself in the context of radical 90′s youth. The concept was to be the antithesis of the exploitive, corporate graffiti shirts that were around at the time. We wanted to print not just dope artwork but the real ideals of the street & of the youth. Feeling like something was being taken from us, we wanted to take it back.

Riot Gear RG logo circa 1995

In its early days Riot Gear™ was the creation of broke teenagers but we did print shirts right from the beginning. We had business cards, fliers etc.. We did the whole thing as best we could at the time. Riot Gear™ was an official  member business in an obscure but seminal organization called “the Good Life Conspiracy” or alternately “the Good Life Movement” created by the artists & fans centering around Project Blowed. Goodlife had started spreading roots to the bay & was attempting to create a network of businesses, crews & fans that would help to uplift the Hip-Hop community. We were just starting to really link up with all of the rest of the scene. This connection to the LA people would wind up being important in our musical efforts later but at the time it did not go anywhere. We continued to squeeze out a few shirts here & there & in 1997 Shae purchased a full screenprinting set-up. A 6 color press, drier, screens, everything you would need to start a shop. Over the next few years Shae printed a bunch of rare riot gear shirts & eventually the first “Outline” shirts.

One of the first shirts from Outline Clothing 2000

Outline Clothing® best known for the iconic “Killafornia®” line is also a product of FTA & has it’s origins in the Riot Gear™ brand. In the year 2000 Shae of FTA launched Outline Clothing®  & Riot Gear™ became a secondary concept. Although Outline quickly took over we have continued to print mens & womans garments, create graphics, do photoshoots, publish online & sell product under the Riot Gear name until today. From 2000 – 2007 as members of FTA specialized & developed individual careers & brands the originators of Riot Gear were still putting out just enough design & product to keep the line alive. Highround & various clients were the sole recipients of Riot Gears services until 2007 when the rare custom designed clothing line started to surface again. A small line is under development for 2011 release along with a re-release of a few old classics.