Staten Island brothers Dee and Ricky Jackson, 23, know a lot about building a business as the purveyors of brooches, bow ties and belt buckles created from Lego blocks. It might sound like child's play, but their accessories have shown up on Kanye West and Rihanna, and even on Marc Jacobs' spring 2008 runway.
"Everybody hated Marc's show that year and they kept saying that the only thing that was hot were the Legos," the brothers told the New York Daily News.
Dee candidly recounted the brothers' rise to runway fame on The Brilliance:
A light bulb never went off we didn't get a chance to pay out electric bill.. But We just did it one day because we were tired or wearing controllers on out waist wanted something more lowkey, we had the lego belt back in 06.. Only ricky was rocking it.. We Had it on ice for a yr.. Then we was at a party in the hamptons ran into one of Marc boys.. He's like yo is that a gucci lego belt?.. Im like yep.. He's like marc would love that im like marc who? He's like marc jacobs im like oword? That's dope.. Then We exchanged contacts.. 2 days later he hits me up like hey dudes im at the mercer.. Come threw bring a couple belts.. Went there enjoyed some beverages polyed at bit.. Gave him some belts.. Next day marc calls us like dude.. I love the belt idea.. Lets do something for fashion week.. Fashion week happend to be a week away but we pulled it off. The show was grand.. And Marc was our big break.. So that's basically how the legos came about it evolved from another idea.. And its ben a success from the likes of takishi and kanye wearing our pieces and a hand full of other celebs and such in that genre.
He told the NYDN that living in their rough Staten Island neighborhood and taking the bus to the ferry gives him inspiration.
"It is easier than dealing drugs. We are flipping bricks--Lego bricks," he joked.
WATCH Dee and Ricky talk to the New York Daily News: