{"id":67905,"date":"2019-07-21T13:10:47","date_gmt":"2019-07-21T17:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockx.io\/news\/?p=67905"},"modified":"2019-08-07T12:58:32","modified_gmt":"2019-08-07T16:58:32","slug":"personal-space-oscar-castillo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stockx.com\/news\/personal-space-oscar-castillo\/","title":{"rendered":"Personal Space: CHI | Oscar Castillo"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Editor’s Note: The rise of Modern Notoriety and MN Lab was not a conventional one, what started as a blog for getting sneaker leaks has become a full-fledged media agency for global brands. As a Chicago native, Oscar first gained recognition leaking sneaker news on NikeTalk, blogging for Sneaker Files, and working at a local sneaker store named Subconscious. Since launching Modern Notoriety has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the game including Nike, adidas, New Balance, Reebok, Asics, Puma, Finish Line, and more. Not to mention his local Through The Lens events in Chicago, mostly recently the one last night for ComplexCon. <\/i>We met up with Oscar at his Chicago headquarters to talk about his inspirations growing up, how his creative career has manifested and what\u2019s next for Modern Notoriety. Read Up. <\/span>(This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.) <\/span><\/p>\n

Lizzie Kassab, StockX:<\/strong> Thanks for sitting down with us today. Could you introduce yourself for people that don’t know?<\/p>\n

Oscar Castillo, Modern Notoriety:<\/strong> My name is Oscar Castillo and I’m the founder of Modern Notoriety.<\/p>\n

Lizzie:<\/strong> Modern Notoriety has obviously grown so much in the past few years, could\u00a0 you give us a quick rundown of where we are right now?<\/p>\n

Oscar:<\/strong> We are currently at the new headquarters.\u00a0 It’s split up into two parts: one is MN Lab where we create all the content for the brands that we work with, and in the first room is where we create content for Modern Notoriety.<\/p>\n

Lizzie:<\/strong> And it\u2019s a new space?<\/p>\n

Oscar:<\/strong> Yes.<\/p>\n

Lizzie:<\/strong> When did you get this space? What\u2019s the story of how you got here?<\/p>\n

Oscar:<\/strong> I’ve been looking for a space for a long time and my friend Chris, who has the music studio two doors down, was like “Yo, we got space open, you should take it\u201d and I just hopped on it because it felt right.<\/p>\n

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Lizzie:<\/strong> What were you looking for exactly? What’s a necessity for you to be able to create here?<\/p>\n

Oscar:<\/strong> Less is more, you know? The less shit you have, the more you tend to appreciate your space.\u00a0 When I saw this space I looked at the wood and brick, and it was dope. I just wanted it.<\/p>\n

Lizzie:<\/strong> Do you feel like your space influences what you create?<\/p>\n

Oscar:<\/strong> Oh yeah. I think the sun, the plants, and just being in an open well-lit space. It brings a lot of good energy and I think a lot of people feel that way. If you were in a dark room, it would be like Kurt Cobain all day, you know?\u00a0You do get gloomy and grey skies here, but we’re so used to it that I’m good with my plants. I fuck with my plants.<\/p>\n

Lizzie:<\/strong> Being a photographer and a content creator, you’re not spending most of your time sitting at a desk inside. You\u2019re out, you\u2019re shooting with people, and you\u2019re networking. You are literally on the ground, getting shit done. If the world is your office, what does it mean as far as this being your personal space?<\/p>\n

Oscar:<\/strong> When I’m out shooting, I don’t feel like I have a personal space myself. I feel like everything that I see around me is free space for me to make something. A personal space to me is more enclosed. When I’m out in the world it’s like my playground, it\u2019s a free-for-all in a way.<\/p>\n