I remember the first time I witnessed Koffivi Vonor’s ’19 signature “STUNT FOREVER” t-shirt; I was sitting in class lecture, gazing around the room at my peers, when the words “STUNT FOREVER” in big black letters stitched onto pure white material caught my eye.
The woman adorning the shirt was Alice Hanline ’19, a friend of the artist. The design was sleek and simple—I wanted that shirt. I had to find out more.
Koffivi Vonor, or Koff, is an esteemed Lake Forest College sophomore and the creator of this minimalistic masterpiece. His vision of this project started with his surrounding peers: he noticed that his artistically talented friends who, he believed, were generally depressed.
“I saw that people were not proud of themselves or their work,” Vonor said. “They make great art but don’t want to show it off.” That’s where the phrase “STUNT FOREVER” came into play.
“Stunt Forever means to flex, to show off,” Vonor explained, “basically, be confident and proud of who you are. The world is lacking that positivity.” His encouraging mindset and creativity have made waves on the Lake Forest College campus, and I’ve seen his clothing worn by many.
Although Koff has come out with a series of “STUNT FOREVER” t-shirts and hoodies, he isn’t sure if he wants to make an established brand. His clothing is not a line, it’s a creative project, and he wants to make it clear that he is not selling a product but conveying an art form.
“Today’s mainstream clothing, like Supreme, for example, is really expensive. Not everyone can afford to wear it. I want to provide clothing of that caliber for a great price,” Vonor said. He wants his project to represent empowerment, but also remain affordable. A young Shaq, perhaps.
He began his project over the summer and started small with little money in his pocket. With his clothing’s growing popularity among students and his friends around the world, he started to make a profit, which allowed Vonor to create more clothes. His inspiration is a combination of the people around him, who he’s met in the past, and his own style: minimalistic, yet bold. I always catch Koff sauntering around campus with confidence, a smile stretched across his face, with his outfit bold, sleek, polished, and accessorized.
Koff’s creative project is just a small piece of the bigger picture he wants to generate. With two years left on campus, he has major ideas to plan events that showcase the work and talent within the College community.
“I want to expose people’s work,” Koff said. Koff said that one student on campus, Sam Suk ’19, is not being recognized significantly enough for his gifted cooking and presentation abilities. “I plan to rent out space in Durand to present people’s art. I want it to be different. Driven. Snacks, music. It’ll be great,” Koff said.
Koff is currently in the process of designing a cap and is moving forward with his project. For more information about Koffivi Vonor’s clothing project, visit his website at Koffivon.com.
Below are pictures of some of his line, complementary of Koff.
