Born x Raised Cofounder Chris ‘Spanto’ Printup Has Died
Born x Raised cofounder Chris “Spanto” Printup has died.
The streetwear label issued a statement on Wednesday confirming Printup’s passing, stating the designer, 42, was involved in a car accident on Sunday in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
More from WWD
The statement read in part: “[Printup] leaves behind his wife Anna and three children, Marilyn, Carter and David, a sister, three brothers, his mother, stepmother and stepfather, his beloved grandparents, his family at Born x Raised, his extended native family, the city of Los Angeles that he loved and championed and an extensive network of true friends.”
Printup was best known for launching and operating his popular Los Angeles-based streetwear brand, Born x Raised, since 2013 with cofounder Alex “2Tone” Erdmann. The brand takes inspiration from the streetwear and street culture of Los Angeles’ Venice neighborhood.
In 2013, Printup was diagnosed with terminal cancer and underwent four rounds of chemotherapy. He ultimately became cancer-free in 2018. Printup reflected on his cancer battle in an Instagram post in December, writing in part: “Life is hard for everyone and I want anyone to know, that if you’re feeling discouraged or like life has given you too many handicaps — it’s OK. You’re going to be fine, things will get better. I’m cancer free, I’m not incarcerated and my family has a house to live in and I want to look back at all that has happened and say thank you — because just five years ago I was in the worst place in life I’ve ever been and just this last week I’ve been in Vogue, New York Times and a bunch of other places that I am extremely grateful for.”
Over the years, Born x Raised has embarked on many major collaborations with other fashion brands and in the sports world. Earlier this month, the brand teamed up with Levi’s for a collection that took inspiration from Printup’s Indigenous roots and honored his late father, who he had lost earlier this year.
In December, the brand collaborated with the NFL, creating T-shirts and hoodies for all 32 teams. Born x Raised has also collaborated with Nike, Converse, the Los Angeles Football Club and others.
Best of WWD
