Self-proclaimed “Art Dads” Tremaine Emory and Acyde have rounded off an incredible 2016, establishing their brain-child No Vacancy Inn as a household name within youth culture.
It is easy to assume, with the rise of the digital age, the pair’s success could have accumulated overnight or a stem from the creative tree that sprouted post A$AP’s influence on youth culture. Nonetheless the pair have been laying the foundation for their success, years before Mark Zuckerberg conceived the idea to invest in Instagram. Emory and Acyde seem to have always been infatuated by the sense of community within creatives, hosting regular parties at The Box, Scotch and Casa Negra in London — with creatives from all around the city in attendance, from Craig Ford to Grace Ladoja. Further building on this by hosting podcasts on Know Wave and inviting the likes of Luka Sabbat & Dev Hynes. They continue their journey to educate the masses and aim to inspire a new generation of creatives by creating communities around clothes, shows and podcasts.
The fact the duo were able to host very memorable parties or a successful podcast isn’t the reason the pair should have been mentioned on HYPEBEAST’s Top 100 this year. Over the years the pair have been successful consultants for a variety of clients, manifesting innovative activation based off their history and knowledge of the subject. Working with the likes of Been Trill, Pigalle, A$AP/AWGE, Calvin Klein, Ambush, Stussy, Tom Sachs and from their recent trips to Calabasas, the likes of Kanye West could also be added to their clientele list. The duo remain successful in producing conceptual parties to accommodate the clients’ aesthetic whilst staying relevant to their target consumer; from Pigalle’s first presentation in London, to Calvin Klein’s Coachella pool party.
As Acyde explains the creative freedom they are currently able to conjure, “next year we might not even throw a party, we might do something completely different. But the minute you put a name on it that’s too firm, people go, you’re the party guy, you’re the merch guys. So one thing I don’t want to do is make it so restrictive. It becomes whatever people want it to be”.
Off the back of the very successful and iconic PPP & Stussy Miami Mansion party last year, No Vacancy Inn & Know Wave returned to Miami for Art Basel. Back hiring a mansion in Miami Beach, No Vacancy Inn and Know Wave hosted a four day event called Communiversity. The event included various performance art, DJ sets curated by non other than No Vacancy Inn and interviews broadcasted on Know Wave. Not to forget the crab boil, which was accessible to the first 100 of the public. This is a clear indication both parties involved in hosting the event, are no longer trying to sell a product, but sell an experience that their consumer can share indefinitely. A consumer trend that has recently risen but NVI have mastered for years, “as the disposable income of our Audience dwindles (in real terms), environmental concerns become more pressing and their priorities shift from material wealth to experiencing what else life has to offer” (Protein Audience Report, 2016).
*Written by Kevin Arulrajah
