Hi, I'm Tammy O'Gara, a designer.

I was born in the Badlands of South Dakota and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I studied art, design, and history.

I grew up in the Midwest in the 1970s, spending my youth at rodeos, Native American festivals, and outdoor rock concerts.

I had a pretty wild childhood. I rode motorcycles, went camping, hunting, and on road trips. When I needed money, I helped out in the fields. One time, I hopped a train across the river to Sioux City and jumped off a bridge into the Missouri River.

On hot summer days, I would tie a thick truck tube to a rope and lie down on it while floating down the river. I brought beer, of course. I was chased and scolded by game wardens many times. It was a very fulfilling time, even though I was covered in mud and exhausted.

I bought records from a local store called "Uncle John's" and listened to rock 'n' roll at full volume. And whenever there was a concert, I'd drive anywhere, no matter how far it was.

I saw all kinds of concerts. Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, and others. I was also obsessed with Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, and other musicians who were at the forefront of that era.

In the '80s, I got into Cheap Trick, Talking Heads, and the B-52s. My clothes were ripped, patched together, and full of holes. My friends and I would share and fight over faded concert T-shirts.

I was embarrassed of my parents at the time, but I think they were just as embarrassed of us. My friends' mothers would sometimes burn their worn-out Levi's (sorry, I don't have any photos). Those who get burned don't learn their lesson and just put on new Levi's, ripping them up nicely again.

And so, in 1974, we formed the band "Grunge."

It was the moment our "rock hearts" were born, with the spirit of "live in the moment and do what you love." We were born in an era where many different ways of life were accepted. Perhaps that's why we were able to explore and express ourselves freely.

I've lived in Japan for 30 years.

Since coming to Japan, I've designed an indoor snowboard jump and participated in the "Asanoha Project" held in Harajuku in 1999.

For the next 12 years, I've worked to expand the eyewear brand "DITA" into the Asian market.

I then left "DITA" and founded "TheLIGHT Co. Ltd." I also built a factory in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture, and conduct extensive research, creating new ideas from old techniques or recreating old ideas with new technology. I design and produce with visvim, NEIGHBORHOOD, WTAPS, and others.

Last year, I launched a new eyewear and accessory brand called "NATIVE SONS" with NEIGHBORHOOD's Shinsuke Takizawa.

"NATIVE SONS" is the best and most irreplaceable thing to me.

The many trips I took with friends during my youth instilled in me a "Gypsy Spirit." Even now, I spend most of the year traveling throughout Japan and Asia, exploring new adventures and making new friends.

This is the beauty of life.

No matter where the music is playing, as long as I can go and dance, I'm happy.


【Profile】
Representative of The LIGHT.,Co.,Ltd.,Eyewear designer
Born in 1958.
In 2012, he established his own factory and laboratory, The LIGHT Co.,Ltd.
He designs eyewear for various brands, including the eyewear brand "NATIVE SONS", which he launched with Shinsuke Takizawa of "NEIGHBORHOOD".