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Chris 'Spanto' Printup, Founder Of LA Streetwear Brand Born x Raised, Has Died
Chris "Spanto" Printup attends 1800 Tequila’s VIP dinner presented by the Los Angeles Rams and SoFi on Feb. 12 2022
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Topline:
Chris “Spanto” Printup, a homegrown Angeleno who built a loyal following through his clothing label Born x Raised, died Wednesday morning after a fatal car collision in New Mexico, according to a statement posted on the brand’s Instagram page.
The official statement:
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Online tributes: Alex “2Tone” Edermann, who co-founded Born x Raised with Spanto, also posted the brand’s statement online Wednesday afternoon with this caption: “To everyone who has been a part of this story, and there are a lot of you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you’ve done, big and small. You’re all a part of Spanto’s legacy.”
Fabian Guerrero, a photographer and friend of Spanto's, posted tributes about his memory and noted how he glued the L.A. community together. "You really brought ppl together in every situation and I met so many people through you that also became family you really showed the real Venice," he wrote on Instagram.
The backstory: Born x Raised was founded in 2013 and quickly grew to be an iconic streetwear brand in Los Angeles. Its inception started while Spanto was incarcerated, something he previously shared on social media. Throughout the years, the label’s collections have highlighted the people of L.A. and its culture. Spanto and the label’s work have been highlighted in Vogue, The New York Times and the L.A. Times. The brand collaborated with big names like Levi’s, Nike, LAFC and the Dodgers.
“I grew up in Los Angeles in the ’80s and ’90s, when the way you dressed was a very loud statement,” Spanto told Vogue this June. “We wore our clothing like a suit of armor and a badge of courage. I keep and carry the same energy with me when I design my collections.”
At the end of 2022, Spanto posted a reflection on Instagram in which he noted his battle with cancer that started in 2013. “I’m cancer free, I’m not incarcerated and my family has a house to live in and want to look back at all that has happened and say THANK YOU,” he wrote in the post.
Spanto leaves behind his wife Anna and three children.
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