Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Caskey.
Hi Justin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
As far as I can remember, I’ve always been into DIY T-shirts. Growing up during the swag dancing era (2010-2013), my mom helped me make T-shirts for my friends and me. Then later In high school, I was a local rapper and created custom gear for myself and my music peers. Through that, I met my late friend Chad Everett, who introduced me to streetwear and the streetwear style. He told me about his brand, Cake Fiend, and asked for my help. Chad passed away due to Cystic Fibrosis, and I took over Cake Fiend in his memory. We had a good run with it, but after a while, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue making clothes. Between 2021 and 2022, I didn’t print any clothing or create anything.
Then, my friend Eric Layton told me I had a gift for this and needed to get back into it. Near the end of 2022, I formed the LLC for Faded Fabrics. We started with pop-ups and events, but soon I knew I wanted Faded Fabrics to be more than just another brand. I envisioned it as a MARKET for the underground scene. I believe some of the best underground pieces and blanks are difficult to access, and I wanted to change that. From 2023 to 2025, I dedicated myself not only to creating pieces but also to building a culture around the brand. With Faded Fabrics, you can purchase your next favorite pieces, and if you’re an authorized seller with pieces to sell, we’ll help market and sell your brand. We also offer streetwear-style printing and marketing services for your brand and business.
In August 2025, we reconnected with our good friends at Flint Local 432 and hosted a pop-up for our annual August drop. The event went well, and the question was, “Can we do this long-term?” Now, it’s September 2026, and we’re still here on First & Beach in Flint, MI. We’ve also launched an app to make accessing our products even easier.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No. With any market or business everything has its ups and downs. Like Bobby Hundreds said, “With fashion. You can be wiped out in a season.”
Sometimes you’re hot and popping sometimes you’re not. Sometimes your press or printer breaks and you better pray you have money saved to get it fixed.
One day you might get an email from a guy saying that you stole one of his ideas but you both just used one of the same templates in Canva or Photoshop. It’s a real thing. Haha
I’m also human with real bills and stuff like everyone else. One second your living off your craft and next second your on indeed wondering if you made the right choice. It’s a weird rush that I’ve grown to love.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Faded Fabrics is an underground streetwear market where we sell pieces from Hellstar to Lost Hills, Never Home, and more. In addition, we create and sell our own original designs and have a few in-house brands.
We also offer in-house printing and pressing services for established brands and businesses, including embroidery, DTG, and DTF. Our specialty is DTF prints and halftones.
DTF used to have a bad reputation because it was considered a cheap, DIY, Mom-and-Pop method that would crack and break after one wash. However, the industry has evolved, and more professional options are now available. We’ve nearly mastered it, producing DTF prints that are very soft and feel non-plastic. Some of our pieces are so well-done that you can’t tell whether they’re DTF or screen-printed.
What truly sets us apart is our willingness to adapt to market trends and what our customers want. At the same time, we are unapologetically ourselves. We’re not afraid to make mistakes or to sell misprints at a discount. We’re not concerned with being perfect or with being “the next big thing.” Our focus is on the game and being a part of it.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Shopify.com is my best friend.
Pricing:
- We have a little something for all budgets
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Faded-Fabrics.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/faded_fabrics
