“I came up with the brand name RICCHEZZA while in high school selling vintage snapback hats but didn’t know I wanted it to be a clothing brand. I got my logo printed on 2 hoodies and 3 t-shirts and started to just wear them with everything. Peers started to take notice fast and ask about when i was going to start selling them.” It was at this time that he used his signature modus operandi: “as demand grew i still didn’t sell anything but just started to let a few select friends like Chance The Rapper wear it to parties and some of his first shows.”
That relationship would prove fruitful as he’d design and collaborate with Chance on his “10Day” Mixtape Merchandise. At this time, he’d started to clear out his trunk in Chicago with ease but it wouldn’t be a permanent thing as he was headed to College in Atlanta, Georgia where an entirely new world awaited him.
“when i got to ATL for college a couple of people noticed my brand and by me just being me, i started to meet a lot of them.” That energy would carry him into a great intro: “first couple of weeks i was able to link wit Jacquees through my bro. He pulled up to my dorm and instantly put it on and started wearing my clothing”
After continuing to design Jacquees’ Tour Merchandise for more than a year and a half, he launched his own namesake collection to a very strong response. YSL artists Young Thug & Gunna immediately took notice and Ropa was designing merchandise for them as he went on tour with Gunna for ASTROWORLD & DRIP OR DROWN 2 Tour.
The appeal in his aesthetic is obvious: he’s a bold designer able to deftly channel rare emotions into extremely wearable, new-age artefacts that clearly belong on rockstars’ backs. Most items on the RICCHEZZA website are sold out. If you’re lucky you might get a chance to pick something up but that’s been the point from jump: rarity is the ultimate currency, something that shows all over Ropa’s work. Follow him on Instagram to keep up-to-date with the latest from his world.
