This Trans-Owned Small Business Has Eye-Catching Designs & Gives Back to the LGBTQ Community
Tags: Small Business, Transgender, Merch, LGBTQ, Design

Ryan Cassata: Before we start, please share how you both identify.

Abel Killian: Identify as a straight male but I get my testosterone from a 10ml vial. He/Him/Hey there.

Alex Asero: I also identify as a straight male. He/Him.

RC: When did OTR start? What gave you the idea?

AK: Art was something that I’ve done my whole life but tattooing was the art form that made it. I’ve been at it for over 12 years now, so once my clientele grew I began thinking of other ways to push art out that wasn’t just on skin. Designing apparel would be a way for me to draw tattoos that someone could accessorize or change themselves. I was given the opportunity draw up a shop shirt for Lucky 13 Tattoo’s LGBTQIA+ Pride a few years back and the feeling I had watching all of our allies and community rock this design was unreal. The only thing that really held me back from continuing the process was that juggling tattooing and a clothing company would mean one or the other wasn’t going to be getting all of my focus and neither deserve that. Fast forward to about a year and some change later, when my best friend, Alex — the Man of Opportunity, came into the shop talking about creating a clothing company based around Pride. He said he would handle the business side, and I would draw and do the designs based on a tattooers perspective. Pride gear that him and I would actually wear? Hell yes!

OTR took off last June which was perfect because it was Pride month, and Alex and I never planned on it happening exactly in June but it couldn’t have worked out better. The name came from a lot of brainstorming. Ideas bouncing back and forth from each other. The idea was to think beyond the Rainbow since the bravery, pain, and self love needed to be who you are is not always vibrant colors, sometimes it just is what it is and that’s as authentic as we can get. Over The Rainbow is catchy, classic, and made to force you to see beyond the glitter and glamour.

AA: OTR officially started in June 2019. Abel and I always kind of had this idea that we should market his art, but we didn’t want to do it “just because”, you know? We had talked about it a few times of the course of our 10 year friendship, but it just never materialized. We both had other focuses whenever it was discussed, so it never really became a priority. Earlier in 2019, I had started dabbling in marketing, graphic design, and website development — things I actually went to school for and had enjoyed as a little hobby every now and then. I actually started a small online-only company selling a bunch of random stuff in April. I quickly realized if there was no passion behind it, I was wasting my time and I knew that if I wasn’t in the business of actually enhancing other people’s lives I was doing myself a disservice. I then approached Abel about REALLY going for getting his art out there, but with a cause. The timing was perfect, and things just kind of fell into place from there.

RC: Many trans people are creating clothing brands. What makes yours stand out?

AK: What makes us stand out is that it is something that you haven’t seen before. They’re not based on quotes, or just plain bold text. It’s like a dreamers vs. the realists conversation. Each design encompasses a certain darkness and a certain meaning which is something that no one really ever admits that they have in common when it comes to pride. These designs are drawn from a tattooers perspective so each line in the fabric was hand drawn and put together as if it were about to go on skin, instead, it lays above it like armor.

AA: We understand that there are many trans*-owned clothing brands popping up, but we still had never really found a brand that stuck with us. It was difficult to find “Pride” merch that was our style; both of us have a wardrobe of very neutral, muted colors and that speaks to our personalities. I’ve always been a HUGE fan of graphic tees, band tees, etc., and not so much the super bright and colorful clothing people tend to associate with pride gear. As Abel and I are approaching our tenth year of medical transition, we were reflecting on how much we actually had to overcome to get to where we are today. It’s something you don’t really think about on a day-to-day basis, and truthfully, I think we sort of lost sight of the struggle because our transitions are almost on autopilot now — the huge milestones you look forward to when you start hormones and go through surgeries (if that’s your path) are now just fond memories. The last thing I wanted was to lose touch with where I came from, the people that supported me, and the blood, sweat and tears I shed to get to where I am now. We wanted to create not only a style that we would enjoy wearing ourselves, but a style that can scream “proud” from the mountaintops or be completely subtle. I don’t typically see allies showing their support with bold rainbow clothing in predominantly LGBTQIA+ spaces, but it’s important for us as a community to know that they’re there. One of our brand ambassadors made the statement, “It’s like a secret handshake for the LGBTQIA+ community”, and I think that is the PERFECT way to describe Over The Rainbow Apparel.

RC: Can you share more about the creation of the designs? Who comes up with the artwork? Who comes up with the quotes that you feature on the shirts? Have you tattooed these specific designs on anyone yet?

AK: Trying to describe the process of creating, for creators, is almost impossible. I feel like it’s like having a box full of objects, knowing you have to put something together but not quite knowing what it is, or what it will do to you or anyone around you. As the artist, I am responsible for every aspect of the design you see on the clothing so sometimes the quotes come first and sometimes the image does. I haven’t figured out why just yet, I suppose it’s just brain stuff. As far as the designs for tattoos, I have had a hand full of people inquire about getting them done and so far, two people have actually made their armor permanent! The first one I ever did from our brand was about a 5x5 outline of the bear head on our “Bear Hugs” shirt right in the middle of a man’s chest. The second we did from a raffle winner who got one of the branches from the “We Never Sleep” design. SOLDIERS FOREVER.

RC: What’s your favorite design that you have put out? What’s been the most popular?

AK: It’s truly hard to pick a favorite for me, but I if I had to I would say ::drum roll:: “See You On The Other Side”! Not only is it the design I personally relate to most because of the transition aspect, but it also was hell to line up those faces to make it look the way it does! I spent a lot of time going back and forth adding and taking away ideas to finally get it where I wanted it.

AA: I agree with Abel, it really is difficult to pick a favorite. They each have their own meaning to me, and that’s really the special thing about Abel’s art and the message behind our brand. Each design can mean something completely different to the next person, akin to what song lyrics mean to a songwriter and what their fans can translate that to. However, if I HAD to choose, my favorite shirt so far is our take-off tee, “What Hurts You Hurts Me”.

This one is special to me because it was the shirt that started the movement, but I also think of my mom. After I came out to her as transgender, she definitely understood the changes that myself and my family would undergo. It was difficult on many fronts at first, but I remember her visiting me and we went to dinner. Through tears, she told me that she worried about how I would be treated by society and people who didn’t fully grasp the concept of the life-altering experience I was undertaking, and that was the most difficult part about the whole thing for her. She didn’t say verbatim, “What Hurts You Hurts Me”, but the sentiment was very clear. Aside from Abel, my mom has definitely been my rock and biggest fan. I wish I could share my mom with the world — everybody deserves the type of love I receive from her.