YEAR OF THE HORSE

the first showcase of the season started off perfect. huge crowds, huge artists, huge sales and huge community. we came together and really found a system that works. with the addition of Mishe to your line up, everything went smoothly.

it started with Mishe reaching out after showcase#x and rai securing 210 for the team. we were looking forward to having a break but horses don’t stop, they keep going. we immediately got to work rolling out the artist call and Mishe helped with the logistics organizing the google forms and being an incredible hand on deck.

This time we went big and doubled the artist count and really came correct with the communication and media rollout. we developed formulas that we can now use for content and artist selection as well as budgets. with the teams motivation at an all time high, montaine got to work making the graphics and coordinating with all the artists.

we did face a hiccup with 210 as they had overbooked the event space which caused us to move dates and cut our setup time in half. we still moved forward. the day of the event it was a hectic setup and montaine arrived late, however the rest of the team along with help from Devin, James, lakayla, mishe, abby, and the rest of the staff, we managed to setup a whole art gallery with bar and dj within 2 hours. incredible work from the team.

the event went off without a hiccup. attendees came In, chatted, laughed and really showed out for the community. rai and sfian performed at the end and the night wrapped up at darkalinos.

all n all it was a staple of what a showcase should be. good people, good drinks, amazing art, great spaces, and community.

this year big things are coming for the brand and we are ready to keep pushing forward.

featured image is of the event attendees enjoying themselves.

one for the books. this event was where all the showcases were pointing towards. the team got together and knew we had to go big. with a month of prep from showcase#9 rai secured a venue through rally group and we got to work. we knew the event space was almost too big to host ourselves sow e got the community involved. we sent out an artist call and received dozens and dozens of applicants. we settled on about 10 and montaine got to work on the floor plan and media with the team.

over the course of the month artists began to move into the industrial space which technically wasn’t even open the public. this event offered us a lot of hurdles to leap over but it was good practice. permits, insurance, logistics, etc. it was a beast but it wasn’t something we couldn’t handle.

most events up to that point had about 25 rsvps without about 50-100 people showing up. this event had 250 rsvps up to the day of the event. actual head count was too large to count.

ben the bartender had a line that went across the entire showroom floor. shoulder to shoulder conversations. outfits that belonged on a runway and photographers and videographers that belonged in magazines and films all showed their best sides. interactive experiences and moody lighting set the tone for dj grmnts to lay tracks down to get people moving.

all the artists who showed up to put their work in front of new eyes deserve all the credit.

this showcase was the new bar, and we are excited to prep for season 2.

featured image is part of the floor space. notable figures include Joey, a longtime supporter and friend of the brand, balgucci, a talented designer and artist, and many others.

showcase#9 - for the culture

this showcase we decided to keep it a secret. we knew we wanted a day to shoot a specific style and with a specific group of people.

we returned to the studio that hosted us for showcase#3, this time we came with a battle plan.

rapid movement between models, sketches, photoshoots, multiple photographers. we came prepared and it worked. we shot amazing pieces alongside Bassie and the group that showed up were long time supporters paired with the occasional new face.

everyone was there for the energy.

at the end, the general community was unaware that we hosted an event at all so when we posted the photos it was a pleasant surprise for our followers.

the content that we produced there set a new bar for us and the media rollout that followed really set us up for the next and final showcase of the season.

featured photo of Antonio, a long time friend and supporter of the brand.

showcase#8 - $pending too much…again…

For this showcase we decided to run it back at $pent studios since last time it was so successful.

Coming off the high that was the last few, we didn’t prep as well as we thought we should have. honesty is huge for us and we have no problem admitting when something doesnt work. the showcase itself was great, sold a few pieces, got to see a lot of the same crowd, however we didn’t expand as much as we wanted to like other showcases.

the vibes are always great, but for us, it was a solid 6.89/10. no more, no less.

all n’ all it was a great learning experience for us and it humbled as we were really in the mindset that we were unstoppable. now that we had faced our first real roadblock, we knew we had to come correct for the next ones especially as the year came to a close. so we got to work.

featured image is of the owner of spent amongst the showcase crowd.

showcase#7 - hologramism

with montaine out of town, rai and sfian got to work shooting content and prepping for the unique environment that was hologram gallery.

Hologram is an art studio owned and ran by a friend of Rai’s that allowed us to host there. Sfian and rai brought the staple pieces of cardinal which include the altars, suitcases, racks, and various new art pieces that would evolve into iconic motifs.

this showcase gave us a lot of confidence with the amount of people that showed up plus the response on social media for the recaps that we do. All n’ all it was a great success and the team was really happy.

we think that this showcase was a great template for what a showcase should be. good people, good times, beautiful spaces and beautiful faces.

featured photo is of the space itself.

showcase#6 - go hawtie, its your birthday

this was a very special event. cardinal markings’ teamed up with lava market and a local designer named balgucci to have a 3 way birthday event. spearheaded by balgucci who supplied the graphics, piñata, and main images for the screen printing, as well as the shirts themselves. this left cardinal markings to create the environment in the lower level of hometeam gallery.

montaine Brought his furniture once again and set up the lighting, together he and rai laid out artwork, and other artistic details such as Rai’s sketchbook which would later become a continuous staple for all showcases. $pent studios also had an area to sell their clothing as well, furthering the reach. and incredible amount of newcomers showed face, cards were played, rap ciphers were had, wine was drank, laughs were heard and vapes were hit. it was a great night, and at the end we all poured into occidental square, where participants were blindfolded and allowed the chance to smash the piñata.

it was an incredibly fun night for everyone and really gave us the chance enjoy ourselves.

featured image is of the space with rai and the owner of $pent having a conversation, sfian and balgucci can be seen in the back.

showcase#5 - 7117

this was another public event hosted in Studio 7117 near pioneer sqaure, we planned to organize it based of showcase#3, creating a space for photoshoot and another for lounging. we hired a Jarem once more, created a altar of breifcases, layed the barren walls with art and spruced the space with music.

the brand was now forming its shape. confident in our ability to draw a crowd, we wanted to continue to hone in our process and we think this was the first one where the machine really turned on. attendance was very medium however, a small decrease from the previous one, however, a more consistent crowd once the night went on.

the focus as usual was showing the new pieces we have made, since we didn’t really sell over social media, it created a vibe of “for you to see us, we need to see you” and it created a communal and creative space. in one are there was a drawing pad, in another a photo space, in another a keyboard, in another the clothing, & in another an altar to the artistic journey.

the space itself was a spiritual are, so shoes were required to be removed, humbling oneself almost.

the spirits were definitely with us, as we have been doing our ritual.

you must do the ritual in-order for the spirits to come.

featured image is of lakayla and lemon, dear friends and supporters of the vision and talented individuals.

showcase#4 - time well $pent

rai and secured the opportunity for us to host at $pent studios, a thrift shop on hill here in seattle. this was the first time we could see what our real pull was considering most other events were invitees and not the general public. Rai was really good at spreading the word, as it is a well kept secret how he and sfian seem to teleport around cap hill.

we secured a rack space in the center floor and supplied guests with beverages of their choosing alongside a lottery ticket to win a piece.

over the course of the night we truly got to see how many people were seeing us out there in the city. over a hundred showed face at the event, a big change from the previous 20 some-odd from past showcases.

many of the same individuals like Lakayla helped cardinal run, by always being first in last out with set up and take down. over the course of cardinal markings’ first year, lakayla would be a stable in logistics and support.

the event went smoothly and it was a first hand view of the public support, all the other showcases were essentially private events, so sales and attendance were low. Most of the sales that cardinal markings’ were producing were from events like lava market and Seattle’s art walk where hometeam gallery would open their doors for vendors and artists alike. it was a very communal space with repeating friendly and supportive faces.

$pent studios was located right across from Daves hot chicken, making it a central point for a lot of commerce, however since it was located in a basement, streetview shoppers were a hard challenge, thankfully the sun set and the lights from the basement illuminating the densely crowded store enticed many from the outside to come in.

this refined the model of what it meant to use social media to promote, since our socials were so low, a lot of the hype was from word of mouth.

we were growing.

SHOWCASE#3 -

SHOWCASE#3 was a hit. Rai rented out a studio that belonged to his friend Prince. The space was divided into 2 distinct areas, one for lounging, and one for creating. This allowed us to create a constant flow for models to be photographed and engaged with while also allowing them the time to socialize and find fulfillment.

Our friend Jarem took it upon himself to photograph the models and create a one of kind aesthetic that Cardinal had not seen yet. Jarem is returning after a short visit at hometeam gallery where he directed the ending photos and videos for showcase#2. His talent allowed Rai and montaine to flow freely through the space and engage where needed.

the energy was vibrant. the wine warmed smiles and the cold outside air brought in a sense of the city that we all called home. The music was live, played by Seb alongside a mellow Berlioz x Boombap playlist. at the end of the night rai and montaine both agreed that they in fact, “did that”

Featured Image is of Prince, Thomas, ben, & Rai

SHOWCASE#2 - OBSERVERS BECOME PARTICIPANTS V2

SHOWCASE#2 was just 7 days after the original gathering. We realized we a small scale template that we could apply to a greater movement. The idea that a gathering didn’t need to be a party or just an audience simply observing an event, but rather the audience being the event itself, gave us motivation to really shoot for this idea that we had fostered.

Hometeam gallery in pioneer square allowed us to occupy the space for an evening. This gave us the first chance to see if we not only had vision, but were able to execute on said vision.

After work, Montaine and rai used a uhaul to transport Montaine’s living room to pioneer square, bringing lighting, cowhides, sofas, art, and various other aesthetic enhancers to change the empty room that hometeam was, into an environment one could really relax in. The space was that of a modern clothing shop, where one could shop and then sit down and chat, and of course there was wine.

the guest list increased as rai put the callout to friends to participate in the second installment of our SHOWCASES. This is the first instance where the term “Observers become participants” began, as we told the attendees that they were to simply enjoy themselves in the clothing while Montaine documented the scene. Over the course of the night, many scripted and candid scenes played out, this allowed the guests to flow easily between model mode and viewers, almost merging the two to a point where they were indistinguishable from one another. It became fun.

Many of the participants were models, clothing designers, & artists of all walks of life. Early on Cardinal markings worked closely with artists of color simply because it was who we were surrounded by, giving us a real ear to the pulse of seattle.

This was the first time the term SHOWCASE was used. After the event, feeling incredibly accomplished, rai and montaine packed up the uhaul and went to unpack at montaine’s apartment, between them hung an aura of motivation and proudness.

SHOWCASE#2 was first tremendous step amongst many more to come.

Featured Image is of Rai & Joey

SHOWCASE#1 - OBSERVERS BECOME PARTICIPANTS

Showcase 1 was a heat of the moment idea where participants were invited to Montaine’s apartment for the first ever installment of what would eventually become a SHOWCASE.

Partygoers shuffled into the small apartment and were asked to put on the clothing that Rai & Montaine had made, and were promptly given a full glass of wine or beverage of their choosing. Around them a projector was playing abstract images and mellow music filled the room. Art hung over the walls creating a one of a kind speak easy environment that would grow into the aesthetic of further SHOWCASES where participants could indulge in good music, great people, good wines, and art.

The idea was never to have a party, but it was to engage gallery viewers with the art. Never have they seen a clothing brand invite guests to actually wear the clothing upon its release before it has been bought, this offered a unique experience where the guests got to be models while also viewing the art on the other guests.

Cardinal markings owes everything to those who showed up to a one bedroom apartment with limited seating, no room to stand, and no food, & limited wine. However, that room was filled with more vision and soul than one could comprehend.

Amongst the guests, Sfian came fresh out of work with his knife bag still on him, this would be the first introduction to a long standing relationship between he and the brand.

Many special thanks go original group of guests that have stuck with us and and have believed in us.

Thank you Sfian, Luca, Lakayla, Thomas, Jasper, Olivia, Seb, & Yasna.

Featured Image is Thomas.