About us
Currently based in the heart of Orange County California in the city of Tustin, all of the design work is done by a single designer, which would be the owner/operator Jay Reed. Bringing over 20 years of design and illustration experience to the game, Styleuniversal brings a unique product to the market. Being born in the 70's and growing up in the 80's and 90's in California, a lot of my creative influences stem from that experience. From skateboarding and hiphop music, to surfing and the car culture, all of these things have been molded together to help create the design aesthetic that I bring to my products.
How it all started.
Having grown up in California as a kid in 80's and a teenager in the 90's I was exposed to a lot of different scenes and met people from all walks of life. Like many that grew up in the 80's as a youth I frequented arcades, roller rinks, mini golf, and skate parks so the sights and sounds of those experiences began to influence me in design aesthetic as well as Saturday morning cartoons, comic books, commercials for cereal and toy packaging.
In the 90's my main influences became Hiphop and Electronic music mixed in with some Alternative sounds and my discovery of 70's funk. As a teen MTV and Nick Toons helped to further refine my style as we approached the new millennium. Toward the end of the 90's when I was attending raves, breakdance tournaments, and concerts is when I began gaining an interest in t-shirt design. I noticed how people defined their place within the crowd by making a statement with their t-shirt choice. Sports logos, graffiti characters, skate brands, music artists, and often just random words became that person's identity for that moment and I wanted to be a part of that. As an artist I got my first taste of seeing one of my designs being worn at a rave in 1999. The feeling of pride that swept over me was overwhelming and I became addicted to it. I decided right then and there, in the middle of that crowd of people in San Bernadino, that I was going to build an apparel company that anyone can represent themselves with. Style for any and everybody.
Styleuniversal was created in 2002 in Anaheim California just a stone's throw away from Disneyland. It started as just a small operation selling stickers and iron-on transfer designs while I doing freelance work for small independent apparel shops in OC while attending college. As the Print on demand industry grew, technology improved, and I grew as an artist, I have brought my designs and products to the market for all to enjoy.
