Vintage Supply: A Staple in the AUC
Ronald Johnson (left) Rahmon Scruggs (right)
Photographer: Myles Colbert
Written By: Elainey Bass
HBCUs are known to have the flyest students. But, in the Atlanta University Center (AUC), “fly” would be an understatement. Most students from Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University show up to class every day as if they were attending a fashion show. So, you can imagine how fashion plays a big role in this wide community. With so many new streetwear brands on the rise, Vintage Supply is aiming to leave a lasting impression on the AUC by bringing out the old with the new.
Vintage Supply was created by Rahmon Scruggs; a Morehouse student majoring in Finance with a minor in Entrepreneurship. What started as a Buy/Sell/Trade venture for vintage clothing, expanded into something greater in a little under two years. “I don’t want to go down the path of corporate America, so I wanted to create something that’s for the people, by the people. I love fashion, and I love making clothes, so why not go down that path?” said Scruggs. As more ideas started to unfold, Rahmon called on one of his childhood best friends to assist him with adding a different element to the brand.
Ronald Johnson, a Mass Media student at Clark Atlanta, expanded on Scruggs’s vision of creating their own merchandise, just three months after the initial launch. Although they didn’t abandon their original Buy/Sell/Trade aspect, Rahmon wanted something more; a staple that all the students throughout the AUC would be able to recognize. So, Ronald stepped in and created the “Griselda Hoodie.” Johnson has always had a heavy interest in New York fashion, as well as the Buffalo-bred rap group Griselda. However, it was Ron's research on a woman named Griselda (the godmother of cocaine) that chartered his infamous newspaper design. His influences would soon create full-circle moments and eventually put Vintage Supply on the map.
Benny the Butcher in the “Griselda Hoodie”
Since 2022, Vintage Supply has been featured in the homecoming fashion show at Clark Atlanta and Spelhouse. But this year, the brand experienced a moment that they would never forget. While backstage during Clark Atlanta’s homecoming concert, Ronald ran into Benny The Butcher, one of the founding members of the rap group Griselda. Acting on impulse, Johnson took off his own hoodie that he was wearing and gave it to Benny. “A year later after designing the hoodie, Benny the Butcher was wearing it. After one conversation, now the entire Griselda Fashion Records knows about our brand,” Johnson stated. Scruggs added on by saying, “His manager has really been in contact with Ron, coming to pick up extra hoodies, and wearing it in video interviews.
Even with the major wins, Scruggs and Johnson still celebrate the small wins too. Their website was officially launched this year, and the duo has full control over screen printing the hoodies, designing, and even shipping out their own orders. “We literally screenprint out of our basement. We do all of the groundwork ourselves. I see a lot of people with clothing brands, but I don’t see a lot of people doing the work themselves,” Johnson said. Even seeing their peers in their design is a blessing in itself. “Walking to class and seeing people in our merch is really just a wholesome moment. Being able to walk throughout campus and seeing your art appreciated by others is a real big accomplishment for me.”
After graduation, Rahmon and Ronald envision themselves having a storefront for Vintage Supply in Atlanta and their hometown of Detroit, Michigan. “We want to use the platform that we've built to help other people win,” Scruggs simply stated.
Social(s): Instagram | Website