‘There Is No Free’ Pop-Up
Role: Creative Director & Brand Strategist
Client: Collaborative streetwear capsule and live pop-up experience in NYC
Primary Goal: Translate a shared brand philosophy into a physical experience that drives engagement, product interaction, and cultural relevance.
Challenge: Unite two distinct brands—REFIL’s creative-flow ethos and Fashionably Fly’s bold confidence—into a cohesive collection and live activation, while communicating a clear message about creative independence without diluting either identity.
The Approach
Developed the core campaign concept “There Is No Free”, framing creative freedom as intentional effort rather than shortcut culture.
Created a symbolic visual system and directed apparel graphics, messaging, and spatial presentation so products functioned as both wearable design and display art.
Designed the pop-up as an interactive environment, integrating QR codes, live prompts, and activations to extend engagement beyond the event itself.
Led collaboration across creative, production, and on-site execution, adapting in real time to constraints and audience response.
The Outcome
Successfully launched a collaborative capsule through a live pop-up event that generated strong in-person engagement and social sharing.
Established “There Is No Free” as a recognizable campaign phrase across apparel, signage, and digital touchpoints.
Used insights from the September collaboration to independently evolve REFIL’s brand presence for a December pop-up, demonstrating iteration and ownership.
Deliverables
Apparel designs (t-shirts, hoodies, patches, accessories)
Campaign messaging and product descriptions
Pop-up visual system and display strategy
QR-enabled signage and interactive prompts
Social and digital assets supporting launch and post-event content
“Escape the trap, and fly free with ambition.”
As the premium garment of the collection, the Escape Hoodie reimagines the trap as a landscape — bold, sprawling, impossible to ignore. The front stays quiet, almost private, while the back explodes into layered imagery that captures the push and pull between survival and escape.
Printed on a relaxed fit garment, this hoodie pairs heavyweight comfort with an environmental conscience: each one saves around eight plastic bottles from landfill.
Built for the long grind, but carrying the message of release.
“THERE IS NO FREE. But in knowing that, there’s power.”
The longsleeve edition of our There Is No Free tee. Minimal chest emblem of coins and a twisted dollar forming a percentage sign, with collaborative text framing it. On the back, bold typography spells THERE IS NO FREE, fractured by the same percentage motif in puff print.
Supporting text beneath reframes the message.
This tee is crafted from heavyweight 6.5 oz, 100% combed cotton for a durable, regular fit.
“Nothing Comes Free”
This design reframes the grind as growth. The flytrap stands in for work — hungry, demanding, but capable of transformation if you choose how to feed it. The punchline at the bottom turns labor into leverage: what feels like irony can become empowerment. Printed on heavyweight fabric with a timeless, straight fit, this tee is a provocation for anyone navigating the cost of ambition.