CAVE Dwellers
It was a hot summer afternoon and Ricardo, Eric, and Chris were sitting in a garage. Door open, drinks in hand, music on, computers whizzing, ideas exploding in these young minds like tiny Big Bangs forming self-contained universes. From a distance, they look like nothing more than a group of good friends hanging out and having a good time. That’s what I thought, at least. I got closer and a grin found itself upon my face. I was watching the brainstorming process for something truly magnificent, for something more than a simple clothing line.
Ricardo Pelayo and Eric Politron began CAVE Clothing in 2011 as not only a clothing line but as a mechanism for change on a global scale. Many may wonder how such young minds can engineer that level of change, but to Pelayo, age is nothing but a number. Anyone can better the world around them, regardless of age, ethnicity, or background. In Politron’s own words, “our purpose is to bring something new and original to Bakersfield while doing the things we love.” It is as simple as that. These young men have always been very organic and genuine in their endeavors, as evidenced by CAVE’s medical trip to Ghana in 2011.
Both Pelayo and Politron agree on the idea that CAVE is an enigmatic ideal, something ever-changing. It takes on a different meaning for every single person who encounters it, and that is exactly what the dynamic duo was counting on. They want their company to represent multiple ideas and perspectives and points of view. I asked Ricardo what he hoped to achieve through this undertaking, and he suggested that I “google” DONDA by Kanye West. I’ll save you the trouble. For those unfamiliar with the self-proclaimed Steve Jobs of this day and age, DONDA was named after West’s late mother and is a collective focused on design, culture, fashion, and so much more. Despite Pelayo’s opinion that West’s venture will undoubtedly fail (while some may say it already has), he feels like CAVE has a legitimate shot to achieve something special.
CAVE’s website largely focuses on music, fashion, technology, education, and sports. Pelayo explains that the team writes about the things that they love and comes naturally to them. He stressed his point about what he believes to be a failing education system in America. He believes that we need to ask more questions and not accept the first answer that is thrown our way. Talking to him, I quickly got a feel for a young man who seemed wise beyond his years. He seemed desperate for change, and Eric echoed those sentiments. When I spoke to Eric, he explained that Vice News was an inspiration of sorts for CAVE’s website. Vice focuses on topics that are rarely if at all, covered by the mainstream media. CAVE has continued to aim for a similar approach.
Most importantly, the pair wanted to make it clear that CAVE is not elitist. It is not for a select few. This enterprise was built for the people, by the people and CAVE is actively looking for creative and inspired individuals to hop on board and help build a better future for everyone involved. The company already has a strong social media following, with over ten thousand followers on Instagram and the team has just released its very own app, which is available in the iTunes store. “We look forward to collaborating and helping creative minds with fresh ideas,” says Politron. While Pelayo sports a defiant attitude about naysayers in stating that “ whether they support it or not, we will continue to grow,” he does encourage anyone and everyone to reach out and contact them to find a perfect fit at caveclothing11@gmail.com. In the meantime, it can be expected that Ricardo, Eric, Chris, and all of the team members at CAVE will definitely be working on the next big thing.
