Don’t GO Hollywood Is Revolutionizing Streetwear Fashion by Merging Authenticity, Quality, and Ingenuity

Faye Lavine
3 min readApr 17, 2021

Nowadays, it’s common for people to sell out to maintain an image amidst the smoke and mirrors of pop culture. Fame, money, and peer pressure play a significant role in the cultural pandemic, and many fashion and lifestyle brands pull on their strings. Amidst the sell-out culture, one brand is out to promote authenticity. The brand’s name is Don’t GO Hollywood, a streetwear label that’s out to sell an ideology through fashion products.

The apparel line goes against the grain by offering a brand that stands for an uncanny message. In these times, organizations and societal clusters would rather have people stick to the status quo, Don’t GO Hollywood encourages people to embrace their true selves. The apparel brand has grown organically in the past few months after people rushed to their shop to pick up their own batch of merchandise, solidifying their case that their message connects with audiences today.

Don’t GO Hollywood is the brainchild of Dan Walker, a New York-based creative whose passion is creating wearable art that sends a strong message. His co-founder, Torland Greene Jr, is another artist who is also the CEO of Ars Media Arts Group, a company that aims to revolutionize contemporary art by blazing the trail for up-and-coming design trends. As the two creative heavyweights put their minds and hearts together to form this project with a powerful message, the outcome has been nothing short of spectacular.

Dan Walker brings a dark and sophisticated theme to the brand, pulling from the successes of his past work in the streetwear retail industry and the fine arts and gallery avenue. Torland Greene has the discerning perspective of a creative consultant who has seen and worked with some of the region’s biggest creative brands.

The streetwear brand is a play of words that puts a twist to the common phrase, “going Hollywood,” which often refers to a person losing a sense of control and identity to the dramas and rollercoasters of life. Don’t GO Hollywood counters that culture by projecting an image of a community who isn’t afraid to be their authentic selves, encouraging artists and non-artists to stay true to their beliefs and respecting one another.

As an independent brand, Dan and Torland’s team does all designing and production in-house to maintain quality and ingenuity. The two designers pull together inspirations from their respective roots, Dan basing his concepts from the Big Apple and Torland drawing from Virginia-based inspirations. Putting these two seemingly opposite templates into one seamless mesh sets the brand apart from other fashion industry labels.

Don’t GO Hollywood’s latest collection features a line of merchandise and streetwear that feature a nineties-inspired, almost vintage-like style. Their statement wear provides a satirical twist to today’s pop culture, challenging wearers and audiences to think outside the box and reject the “one-size-fits-all” ideology that most fashion brands today might force upon the masses.

Soon, Dan and Torland hope to forge partnerships with more small brands and budding entrepreneurs to showcase rising talent that has gone unnoticed for the most part. Dan and Torland also aspire to one day build their own creative hub and shop to feature the work of other next-generation artists from the East coast.

To learn more about Don’t GO Hollywood, visit its online shop.

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