Hey Royals, 

The #RDDuffleBag tour is going on the road again. We will be hitting the DMV and this time we are going to be doing it BIG.

We will be hosting a Pop-Up Shop in Washington DC at an undisclosed location on April 28th, 2012 and we will release the location for the Shop on April 27th via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This is going to be an exclusive event and a percentage of the proceeds from your purchases will go to Yehri Wi Cry to help with their efforts in bringing awareness to the problem of maternal and infant mortality in Sierra Leone.  

Also, later on in the day Yehri Wi Cry and Royal Dynamite will be hosting an Art Auction at the GWB Ball for its current ongoing ArtForLife design contest. For more information check out the flyer below and Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

For those in DC, hit us up and we look forward to seeing you on April 28th. Until then, stay Royal-tee.

It has been almost a year since we delivered the last State of the Union address as it pertains to Royal Dynamite. Just the other day I was on Facebook and caught a video of President Obama encouraging the American people to attend a watch party for his State of the Union address. For all of our fans outside of the US that may not be familiar with this address, it is an annual speech given by the US president that addresses multiples issues including the current condition of the nation along with his legislative agenda for the rest of his term and national priorities. Royal Dynamite has mimicked this model and once a year, we release an article that lets all our royal fans know how things have been going, and what we plan on accomplishing in the months and years ahead.

Royal Dynamite co-founder and a great friend to me, Ralph Diesel, has been trying to get me to get out of my writing block funk so that I can begin the process of writing again. I always manage to give wimpy excuses, with my favorite being that I would write when it was time to put out RD’s annual State of the Union article. So without further ado, I present to you a succinct rundown of new and exciting things happening at the Royal Dynamite headquarters since our last address.

Brand Recognition

We are happy to report that Royal Dynamite’s popularity continues to grow and has become quite the household name of clothing lines within our circle of friends and family. A BIG THANK YOU to you all for continually being  believers and brand ambassadors for RD. You have helped in spreading the word to others and thus the royal lifestyle movement continues to grow. Our imminent plan is to take our growing popularity and expand it beyond the imaginable by reaching out to the masses on a more global scale. In order to accomplish this, we have outlined a detailed plan that involves a lot of hard work and patience but we are committed to the plan and are up for the challenge.

Website

Since we last updated you, the rollercoaster ride continues with thrilling and heart dropping moments intertwined. Adapting and evolving through an ever challenging and changing journey has allowed us a certain level of success and we hope that it continues on that trajectory. During our last address, we didn’t have a website but have since then launched our temporary site http://shop.royaldynamite.com. The photos that are plastered throughout the site are the result of 2 very successful photo shoots, thanks to a number of great photographers, make-up-artists, and models.

Online Ordering and Shipping

We have also updated our shipping process to become more automated and efficient. We hope this change has been reflected in how quickly RD threads are shipped out after submission of an online order.

Collaborations

We engaged in two separate cross-brand collaborations: The first involved The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, a brilliant and funny web series that has achieved much success and fame. During the summer months of 2011, we put out a Seth Brundle X Royal Dynamite Summer Collection - a partnership with LA celebrity stylist Seth Brundle on designing “Mrahaba” and “Nyumbani” racer back tank tops. We also had our first major feature in the Our Weekly Los Angeles.

Royal Dynamite, Inc.

On the business side of things, in late 2011 we dissolved our DBA (Doing Business As) and Incorporated the company to plan for upcoming growth, as well as to build a better infrastructure.

Events

Over the past year, we have hosted a number of events such as our first ever Lucky Strike Bowling Event and The SB X RD X ABG Launch party. We have also been privileged to be a part of the Ankara Fest, The Mocolate Fashion Show, and A Laced Affair; all the aforementioned events featured RD threads in one way or the other. We also began the RD Duffle Bag Tour series through numerous cities in DC and Maryland, as well as the Big Easy - New Orleans. On a grander scale, we took the tour globally to the UK, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

RD Goes Retail

We are excited to announce that we sealed a deal with our first retail store Lily and Star, a fashion boutique for women’s clothing at the Rosewood Mall in Roseville, Minnesota. Check out their website here: http://www.lilyandstar.com/

To put the past year in summary, Royal Dynamite has had its share of wins and losses and as we grow so do the challenges, however our future projects are so exciting that we can’t wait to get started and make all of you a part of it.

The Future

·      In the summer of 2012, we will be launching a more enhanced and integrated, user-friendly, e-commerce website that will be hosted under the domain name RoyalDynamite.com. This new site will have a smoother interface and be able to better handle our contests and collaboration platforms.

·      We will also début a program that is near and dear to our hearts and will be the focal point of our mission moving forward. The program entitled RDCares, will embrace the one-for-one concept; for every t-shirt bought from the company, we will donate an educational package (book bag, notebook, pen, pencil, eraser, and sharpener) to a child in need, starting with Sierra Leone and further expanding to other countries and regions. We believe that education is the key to a brighter future for the upcoming generation yet children across the world are being deprived of this fundamental right due to abject poverty. Royal Dynamite believes it is our responsibility to assist in changing the current status quo that many are subjected to due to failed governments and poverty, particularly in sub-Saharan African countries like Sierra Leone (our motherland). In the upcoming months, we will publicize more about the RDCares programs and how royal fans such as your self can help in meeting our one-for-one goals.

·      We are planning on launching a new and dynamic RD kids line that will address the numerous requests from royal fans for baby tees and onesies for their little ones. Stay tuned for more on the RD kids line in the months ahead.

·      Also on the RD agenda for 2012 is to engage and embrace the cross-branded collaboration model by bringing many creative partnerships to our platform, while keeping you, the RD fan at the forefront of the decision making process. We have also begun the process of getting more RD products sold in more retail store locations across the US. 

 As we have said in the past and we continue to reiterate, our passion and drive to attain success is second to none, however it is our commitment to serve you and leave the world better than we found that fuels our desire to accomplish great things. So once again, thanks for your support and may this New Year inspire us all to start something that matters, regardless of how little it might be. Viva Royal Dynamite!

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear in that we are powerful beyond measure “. – Nelson Mandela via Marianne Williamson

As we close out 2011 and gladly usher in a new year with new promise and purpose, I want to take this opportunity to thank all that have supported our blossoming venture, Royal Dynamite. With each year comes a combination of failures, successes and lessons, all of which we are grateful to have experienced. To list all of our wins and losses would be a never-ending story, however we are grateful for each and every single person and situation we encountered this past year. As we go into 2012, we know that we have very high expectations to live up to but I won’t make any promises, as life itself is not promised; neither will I make any New Years resolutions, as I am apt to fail at fulfilling them.  All I can say is in 2012, let’s start something that matters, regardless of how small it might be. Royal Dynamite is committed to launching RD Cares in 2012, our One for One giveback movement - more to come in the months ahead!  As we get older life gets tougher and 2012 will be no different, however let’s go into it with a clean slate and a positive mindset, focused on finding and living a purpose filled life. May we all do more and live better in the coming year than we did before. Close out 2011 with much gratitude and prayer, and enter 2012 with our heads held up high. Reach one and touch one! May this year bring you all wisdom, strength, peace, and life.

 From the Royal Dynamite family, I wish you all a happy New Year. GO GET’EM!

Hey Royals! On Friday 12/2 “Sneakerheads” and art enthusiasts from all over Los Angeles joined Royal Dynamite at BTNC in Downtown Fullerton to talk rare sneakers, appreciate great hand paintings and mixed media art by Arnold Randall, view dope framed photography by Edizon Flix, listen to Brutis Perux’s newly released album, and watched Akapela Jonz rock the mic with his superb lyrical talent as DJ Nick E. Nice spinned the beat ! We must say, AGOneENT matched RD’s creative force came full surface with this “Love Affair” event! Look out for more collaborative events with ALL of these creative brands!

To see more pictures Click HERE

We’ve been silent for far too long, working tirelessly towards the launch of our Fall/Winter cardigan collection. SHOP NOW It has been a learning experience to say the least and has further fueled our curiosity and artistic fire. Our goal is to continuously build on creative concepts that are the foundation on which Royal Dynamite was built, while establishing partnerships with creative,trendy, and original designers and artists. We are eager to share our latest and newest ongoing projects with you, fellow lifestylers and members of the RD family.

For the 2011 Fall/Winter launch, Royal Dynamite partnered with Edizon Flix for our Photoshoot and Krystle Rowry for some dope graphic designs! Edizon and Krystle are innovative and multi-talented forces to be reckon with, within their respective crafts. Krystle and Edizon also do some pretty cool and exciting work in the field of online visual marketing and music production/management respectively!

Special mention must be made of Royal fans and superstars: Daisy Oliver, Marcello Frazier, and Michelle Smith who without hesitation, opted to support our efforts and showcased their modeling talents in the line-up of Royal Dynamite’s Fall 2011 threads. We want to sincerely thank them for using Royal Dynamite as a platform to showcase their talents and broaden their portfolios.

Look out for more partnerships such as these, which stay true to the concept of embracing the community and making everyone a “walking art exhibition”. If you have ideas or concepts that you think will be great for you and Royal Dynamite, don’t hesitate to reach out to us <royaldynamitetees@gmail.com>.

RD and Krystle at the shoot!

Edison setting up those hot shots!

Recently one of the Co-Founders of Royal Dynamite, Cecil Williams got interviewed by Our Weekly Los Angeles’ Jasmyne Cannick. They talked about everything from immigration, education to dreams and of course Royal Dynamite. Check out the article and get to know more about how the journey started. http://ourweekly.com/issues-archive/dream-coming-america