Call Me EMO

In Call Me EMO, artist Caleb Keitt celebrates the official launch of his vibrant, whimsical clothing brand, Excuse My Optimism. His February show highlights a diverse mix of artwork, including paintings, posters, original apparel, and upcycled vintage clothing. Through his work, Keitt shares important stories and spreads positivity while designing colorful and unique pieces. 

Caleb Keitt has been pursuing the launch of his own apparel brand since 6th grade. In middle school, Keitt quickly came to the realization that his dream of professional skateboarding might not work out. Keitt liked the artistic style of skateboard brands, and he started developing a love for drawing, too. He was encouraged to look into graphic designing, and from then on Keitt was committed to telling people’s stories through art and design. Most recently, Keitt has been doing freelance graphic design under the name Kind Anchor Design, creating branding for a variety of companies. 

Call Me Emo showcases a delightful mix of artwork dealing with the interaction of Black culture, identity, and memory. The show leans heavily on fashion but includes a wide range of pieces, from paintings and apparel to textile banners and printed posters. Keitt’s favorite medium to work with is vintage clothing because of the unique stories and exciting possibility of renewal. Keitt intentionally reshapes each vintage piece to tell a new story, restoring it and then adding his own work. “I always wanted to be a graffiti artist, but the thread got my attention first, so I think of my work as tagging a jacket like a muralist would paint a wall,” Keitt explains.

As he looks to the future of his brand, Excuse My Optimism, Keitt first wants to get people wearing his apparel. The mission of his clothing brand is to promote positivity and creativity, but also to embrace the messy parts of life through colorful, thoughtful clothing design. Keitt hopes his clothing can create conversation about how people can treat others better and how the community can better care for the marginalized and misunderstood.