Hello to all my friends new and old,
I’d like to personally welcome you to the Rapteez blog! My name is Konstantinos Raptis (Kosta for short) and I’m taking this opportunity to formally introduce myself as the creator of Rapteez® Clothing. First of all, if you’ve already purchased a Rapteez piece, I want to say thank you. I know you’ve got bills and a whole lot of other things you could’ve spent that money on but you chose to cop one of my pieces and support my business. I’m grateful for every single one of you for doing that. If you haven’t purchased anything, no pressure! I’m flattered that you’d like to get to know me and the brand a little better.
This blog will be a collection of many things: Rapteez updates, my thoughts, and decisions, history lessons about D.C. fashion, etc. I’m a little camera shy and focus a lot on the grind, so I’m excited for you guys to get a glimpse at the man behind the brand. Here’s some quick background info about me and Rapteez:
Konstantinos “Kosta” Raptis founded Rapteez® Clothing in 2010 to create a streetwear brand steeped in the soul of the District (D.C.). He was born and raised in the DC suburb of Silver Spring and heavily influenced by the DMV’s unique sense of style, hip-hop culture, and spirit. His Greek parents immigrated to the United States in the late '70s. After getting married in Greece, they came back to the DMV to start a family and begin making their dreams a reality.
Rapteez® Clothing is not your regular streetwear brand, its D.C. roots and Greek heritage are echoed in every piece. The logo itself is inspired by the D.C. flag, featuring the recognizable stars and bars in the ‘R’. And the Rapteez name? It was practically fate: Kosta’s last name Raptis (pronounced Rap-teez) means ́ 'tailor' in Greek. The meaning of his last name combined with his love of streetwear fashion are destiny, not coincidence. From a young age, Kosta loved clothes and shoes and dreamt of making his own clothes and wearing his designs.
I grew up loving brands like Adidas, Nike, and Champion. The 80s, 90s, and hip hop culture shaped the style I have today. And I learned early on in life that it is better to stand out than to fit in. Rapteez is a mesh of hip hop swag and European fashionable sensibility. I remember coming from Greece one summer, wearing jeans with holes at the knees and others would look at me all weird like I was poor or something. I just had too much swag for my own good and a unique way of looking at the world.
In late 2013, I left the district to go back to school and finish my business degree. It was really hard to leave D.C. and step away from the brand, but progress isn’t a straight line. Completing my degree in 2016 put a lot of things into perspective and I realized my actions needed to match my ambitions in order to excel in doing what I love.
After stepping back for school, I returned to Rapteez in the summer of 2017. DC has never been known as a fashion capital like New York, or LA, but it should be. We have an undeniable style that’s always evolving and a rich history that very few know about. Living in the district is beautiful, it’s a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures that you can’t find anywhere else. The relationships and friendships I’ve built here can’t be beat. Outside of politics, I think it’s one of the most exciting places to be and I’m cised to see us make our mark on the fashion world. While a sense of style varies from person to person, I vow that Rapteez will remain true to its origins, and always keep it a buck. I can’t wait to see what you do with it.
Much love,
Kosta
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