Our Favorite Instagrammers – @kc_runner
Name: Tim
Instagram Name: @kc_runner
Amount of followers: 1312
Age: 32
Residence: Kansas City
Occupation: Teacher/Graduate Student
Hey guys! So, I knew early on that I could not be the kind of person that has just one full time job. I split my time between my various passions including teaching, performing, biochemistry, and of course taking (very amateurish) photos for Instagram. I started playing piano at 6 years old and have been very fortunate to make a living off of music for the past 14 years. My other interests include cold brew coffee, record collecting, baseball, and sneakers. Oh, I’ve also run 8 marathons. Hence the Instagram name.
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Why do you share your outfits? And why Instagram?
I started sharing my outfits after entering the Railcar Fine Goods RDCX013 contest in 2013. You might be able to still find some of the finalists’ photos on Railcar’s site. Instagram provides a convienience that no other app has quite matched. I’ve learned so much about raw denim just from surfing #rawdenim and checking out recommended users. Reddit’s r/rawdenim is probably second on my go to list for raw denim information and photo surfing. I also started the #365daysofraw hashtag during the 3sixteen r/rawdenim contest as a challenge to post a raw denim related photo every day on Instagram. The hashtag currently has almost 13,000 photos tagged!
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What makes your Instagram feed so special?
In a word, sneakers. I follow a lot of guys that are passionate about sneakers or raw denim. Most sneakerheads I’ve found are more interested in fit over fabric. Rarely do you find guys that are in to both sneaker collecting and raw denim. I can see why though since many of my sneakers have been absolutely wrecked by indigo bleeding from my denim.
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Where does your inspiration come from?
Jason Sudeikis is one of my fashion heros. Seriously, check out some of his outfits. That guy is the epitome of “wear what you want” fashion culture. He wears a lot of Baldwin Denim inspired outfits matched with his vast Jordan collection. I also get a lot of inspiration from the guys I follow on Instagram and the bi-weekly “What are you fading today” threads on r/rawdenim.
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Where does your love for denim come from? When did it start?
My love of raw denim started with the Railcar Fine Goods fade contest in 2013. The contest inspired me to check out various online raw denim forums such as r/rawdenim, sufu’s superdenim, and of course Instagram. We should really all cherish what an awesome and welcoming community we have online.
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Your top 3 favorite (denim)brands?
Ok, so one of my favorite things about raw denim is how accessible the brand owners are, especially the MiUSA brands. You can honestly see a reflection of each owner in the products that they produce.
1). Railcar Fine Goods: Steven Dang is truly the epitome of the American Dream. He quit his full time job at the railway to pursue his passion for raw denim. I think this guy is seriously working 10 hour shifts every day of the week. Follow him on Instagram and be prepared to be inspired.
2). 3sixteen: Again, another set of amazing owners. Andrew and Johan are examples of what it means to be a community focused brand. These guys are out answering questions on Instagram and r/rawdenim every because they care about people, not about making sales. Both guys are very active on Instagram as well. I highly recommend Andrew’s page if you want to learn how to dress your kids in some dope outfits.
3). ONI Denim: What can I say? I just picked up the ONI 606-id17 indigo/indigo model and it’s the most interesting raw denim fabric I have ever felt. The origin of this brand is a little more mysterious than the other two but that doesn’t stop me from loving them any less.
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What is your favorite accessory?
My favorite accessory is probably my Ewing Dry Goods natural vegetable tan wallet. I’ve got some good progress photos up on Instagram. I also have an Orion natural vegetable tan belt that has aged nicely over the past couple years. Raw denim and aged leather are the perfect pair don’t you think?
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Which items do you wear most at the moment?
Right now I’ve been wearing my ONI Denim pretty much daily. They’re really starting to hit their stride as far as fading goes. Usually that happens about 6-8 months in for me. The fit is extremely tapered but has plenty of room in the top block to still be comfortable for daily wear. My favorite sneakers of the past year have to be my NMD Tri-color primeknits. I find myself going for them almost every day. They’re probably the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn.
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What is your favorite shop? And what is your favorite webstore?
We unfortunately don’t have a lot of options around where I live. For brick and mortar I usually call up East + West St. Louis. For online shopping I like Blue Owl Workshop, Snake Oil Provisions, and Denimio. Again, it’s all about customer service for me. I have personally chatted with the owners of all these companies. In my experience they’re all about the customer first, not the sale. That’s what makes the difference for me.
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Do you care about the production process?
Absolutely. You buy a pair of denim from Railcar Fine Goods and you know Steven has been involved in every single step of the construction process. You know about the hours he spent fixing and learning how to mainting the vintage sewing equipment in his workshop. Or, take for example the guys at 3sixteen who spend years developing relationships with Japanese companies to engineer custom propriety fabrics unique to their brand. For me, this is the kind of dedication that justifies the price.
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What are your dreams for the future?
I just want to learn to be as cool as Swissjeansfreak.
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