Inside Look: BirdBrain Apparel

Posted on Aug 23

Their Motto - "It's Just A Dream Until You Act Upon It"

The Vinson Family opened their first storefront location in 2021. Brothers Jason, Troy, and Donovan, along with their mom Sarah, run BirdBrain Apparel located at the Liberty Center. What began as one brother's dream has now become a successful family business.

Turning Dreams Into Reality

It all started with Jason, the oldest Vinson brother, when he started his own clothing line at just 16 years old with the help of his family. Ever since then, BirdBrain Apparel has become a dream operation as a popular clothing brand and shoe store.

From an early age, Jason always had an entrepreneurial spirit. The Vinsons were a military family and moved around often. Their dad, Jason Vinson Sr., served 21 years as a Master Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and was a big inspiration to his kids.

The original idea for BirdBrain sparked in January 2016, devised by Jason and Troy while attending Middletown High School— they wanted to start a t-shirt business.

Their mom Sarah was supportive from day one. They started small with about 20 t-shirts and sweatshirts; Jason and Troy would sell them after class at Middletown High School from their backpacks. Their first products were funded by their parents, and all profits went right back into the business.

BirdBrain hit its first big milestone in December of 2016, when they landed a kiosk inside of a local mall and then moved their kiosk into the Liberty Center mall in November of 2019. The youngest brother, Donovan, first took interest in the family business when he was in middle school, but he decided to really join the brand as a high school sophomore.

The Vinson brothers stayed dedicated, motivated, and pushed themselves through challenges including the pandemic. On June 11, 2022 BirdBrain Apparel opened at Liberty Center as an official storefront! Their shop has a street vibe, featuring a basketball hoop, cool graffiti artwork, and an entire shoe wall.

The Name: Why BirdBrain?

The bird icon is now a recognizable and popular logo; you'll see it on the walls at the shop, as well as on their clothing and hats— but where does the name BirdBrain come from?

The first part of the equation: BIRD comes from Jason's longtime nickname, Jason "J-Bird" Vinson. As a kid, Jason was always active and especially liked climbing trees, which led to the origin of the nickname.

The second part, BRAIN came later on when the business started. It comes from the shop's constant way of brainstorming and innovating; not only in their apparel, but in anything they pursue. It coincides with their motto, "It's Just A Dream Until You Act Upon It" that is a testament of turning dreams into reality.

The BirdBrain Mural

When you walk into BirdBrain, you can't miss the incredible mural at the center of the store, right above the cash registers. This work of art was created by the talented David Jonathan Creative, and you can see more of his work throughout the shop too.

BirdBrain Apparel Mural, Liberty Center Ohio

David's background in graffiti writing and graphic design allows him to experiment with expressive and unconventional forms. He focuses on murals and fine art canvas paintings; a lot of his work features vibrant colors, crisp line work, and vivid layers of texture. As a local artist, you can see his work at different showings and locations around Ohio.

You can also see one of his murals in The Strauss Market Murals; a collection of 10 stunning murals located in Hamilton, Ohio— all painted by different local artists in 2020, using the same color scheme.

Shop BirdBrain Kicks, Clothes + More

As a family business, it's important to them that as soon as you walk in, you're greeted by someone; Sarah says they want all of their customers to feel like they are a part of something. Shopping the BirdBrain brand includes a variety of shirts, sweatshirts, shoes and more.

Nike Panda Dunks, BirdBrain Apparel Ohio

They release collections each season featuring new designs and restock their shoe inventory regularly.

If you consider yourself a "sneakerhead" then this is the perfect place to check out. Sneaker Culture first took off in 1985 when Nike Air Jordans entered the shoe game, and the phenomenon hasn't stopped since.

The Vinson family has always had a passion for shoes and BirdBrain carries a large selection of popular and hard-to-find Nikes. And if you fall in love with a pair but can't find your size, let them know at the register to see if they can order them in!

Another popular item is the BirdBrain hats; beanies to bucket hats to ballcaps.