The Born x Raised Co-founder Chris Printup, also known as "Spanto," unfortunately passed away on June 28. Spanto made a big impact on the streetwear and fashion scenes as the creator of Born x Raised. A number of prominent figures in fashion and hip-hop—including Bun B—have started to pay homage to the designer, parent, and prolific collaborator.
Cause of Death:
Chris Printup's untimely passing shocked the business as well as his wide-ranging network of friends, partners, and fans. He passed away in a horrific car accident. Specifics regarding the same were not made available online at the time of writing this article. His influence on numerous people's lives is evidenced by the outpouring of grief on social media.
Chris Printup’s Journey:
A month after he launched Born x Raised in 2013, Printup recieved a fatal cancer diagnosis. He was said to have been cancer-free in 2018. A meaningful post on his health and experience was shared by Printup on Instagram barely six months ago.
“I just want to take a moment to take a long, hard look back and what has happened over the last ten years. I think if you would take a peek at my instagram and see the highlight reel and think it might’ve been easy - but.. from where I've started (like in the early years of my life).. growing up my dad was homeless and my mom was mentally ill - I spent a lot of time in and out of the system from an early age from central juvenile hall to many years spent in the county - I decided to create a clothing brand while the last time I was incarcerated - I cooked up bxr while I was in the hole at supermax (idk if anyone who is reading this has been there but if you’ve ever eaten juke balls for a month you know the deal),” Printup wrote. A couple years after working on bxr we started moving, things were great and one month after we launched with union I was diagnosed with terminal cancer (YES, TERMINAL) so from 2013 until now I’ve been battling cancer, did 4 years of chemo lost 100 lbs and my hair numerous times - what I’m getting at is life is hard for everyone and I want anyone to know, that if you’re feeling discouraged or like life has given you too many handicaps - ITS OKAY."
"..you’re going to be fine things will get better,” he continued. “I’m cancer free, I’m not incarcerated and my family has a house to live in and I want to look back at all that has happened and say THANK YOU - because just 5 years ago I was in the worst place in life I’ve ever been and just this last week I’ve been in Vogue, NY Times and a bunch of other places that I am extremely grateful for. If you would have told me 10 years ago I would be hosting a dinner with Nike on the roof of Soho house for 100 of my friends I would’ve never believed you,” he added, thanking some special people in his life."
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He was renowned for his altruism and commitment to his native Los Angeles in addition to his creative endeavors. Spanto's influence extended beyond fashion and was known for his charismatic demeanor and distinctive sense of style. He has recently shown his kindness and dedication to his community by giving his future Nike SB partnership to the entire Venice High School graduating class. He was also looking forward to his first-ever Nike SB collaboration, which would highlight his expanding prominence in the field.
This month, Born x Raised teamed with Levi’s for a project paying homage to Spanto's late father Butch, who died this year. “I found this Levi’s denim jacket that he used to wear a lot when I was a kid and immediately knew I wanted to dedicate a project to my father’s memory”. The final trucker jacket arrived with the words “In Loving Memory” across the back.