history | NXDICE

the history of

originated in America around the early 20th century when gambling was illegal in several states,

forcing gamblers to hide their dice or even swallow them if challenged by authorities.

Courts would often throw cases out if no dice were in evidence,

but that phrase quickly became slag for 'no chance' or to refuse a request.

/ nō • dīs /

Since the age of 13, I’ve been passionately blending fashion, art, pop culture, photography, and music as forms of self-expression, creating designs that reflect my individuality

and perspective on the world.

What began as a personal project, writing on my blog as a kid,

always taking pictures, experimenting with fashion, and creating custom t-shirts

quickly evolved into something much bigger.

At the time, I didn’t even have a name for it, just "ARN Clothing" and a vision.

My father, Ace, played a pivotal role in turning my passion into a serious pursuit when he gifted me my first sewing machine. With this new tool, I started reworking thrifted shirts, flannels, vintage crewnecks, and painting my unique designs onto them.

These pieces became the foundation of what would eventually grow into nxdice.

my first creation with my sewing machine

a nike sweater base, cut the arms off and sewed on a freehand patch of a lion screaming ARN clothing.

wore it every day for

about three months

my sewing desk.

- A℞N pill patch using sharpies

sewed on white bandana

& added vintage pillsbury patch

to the front

one of my favorites

hand painted joker + andy banana

with patches i made from old graphic tees

A℞N on a Orange tag

1960's Levi jacket

bleached it first, with sharpie artwork

smelled like bleach everytime I wore it LOL

Although many of my creations were initially made for myself, since I couldn’t find anything that matched my style, I also began selling custom shirts &

backpacks during the passing periods in middle school.

In high school, I took my creativity further by painting and sewing on vintage Levi’s denim jackets or vests that I would either find at thrift stores or in my own garage. This marked the beginning of my deeper exploration into customization, which further fueled my interest in collage work, something that’s now present in much of my art, fashion,

and even the way I edit my photography.

got detention + dress code writeups for these :

After I graduated, I continued creating.

I’d wear them to college, where they would often catch people’s attention.

But I grew frustrated with my answer when asked :

"What’s the name of your brand?" or "Where can I buy your shirts?"

I found myself bullshitting answers because I hadn’t yet taken the time to fully flesh out my ideas. I got myself a blank sketchbook that day and start drawing.

While in college, I took a film history class where we studied cinematic legends like

Fritz Lang and Billy Wilder, analyzing their films shot by shot. One week we analyzed the iconic TV series The Twilight Zone. At the time, I had never seen a full season, was overly excited to dive in. *E 22 of S1, "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street,"

there's a moment after a strange flying craft appears in the sky, causing all power and electricity to go out. A woman asks her husband "Does your car start?",

and his response “No Dice!” in that moment I mentally left and saw the entire brand at once: the name, the fonts, colors, collections, photoshoots ... it all clicked.

and just like that, nxdice was the name.

I remember painting this a couple days

before camp flog gnaw 2016

spider lady, never finished

but I like wearing it this way

front spiderweb

made this shorty after hence why

NO DICE is without a ' X '

shadow me in memeory canyon

done with color pencils + black paint

didnt last a day :( will execute soon.

white paint on denim

designed my 1st font

designed my 3nd font

inspired by comic books

another font

"HIGH" school drama

acrylic on school merch

acrylic on cotton

acrylic on GAP jeans turned into shorts

Over the years, I’ve kept the same sketchbook filled with ideas and graphics,

plans that I’ll eventually bring to life beyond my mind’s eye.

My dad has been the only person to glimpse inside that book... until now.

If you explore this website and click on any product, you’ll get a small peek at some of the names, logos, concepts, and even website designs that have been taking shape over time.

Just keep an eye out when you see the background; there's more to discover.

shop nxdice

In 2022, my dad further supported the vision by covering the cost of my website’s first year, giving me a boost in building nxdice’s online presence after him seeing the last year’s success of my Valentine’s art collection, Clownhearts .

Once I perfected my website, I began releasing the Perfect Pair Clownheart art vinyl stickers and older artwork, they sold out overnight.

I also launched a photo blog, the archive & designed a page for my chalkboard murals .

Ace passed away early the next month, just before my birthday & as my website was starting to gain real momentum. I took a step back from creating for a while, focusing solely on making shirts for family and creating memorial pieces in his honor. I poured all my energy + savings into film for my Polaroid camera, shooting throughout the year and posting regularly on the archive .