Some deal with pain and major challenges in life by cowering in a corner or letting the pain overcome them.

Not Darell Bester. 

Bester, the founder and CEO of OOSF, an international apparel line that started on the South Side of Chicago, explained in a phone interview how he started the lifestyle brand.

"This started from pain, when life wasn't going too well for myself back in 2016," he said. "I just needed another focus. It was a depressing time. I just lost my mom, maybe a couple of years before, and my wife was battling cancer, and she just lost her dad. I just needed an opportunity to just breathe. And in that moment, while I was going through those things, you know, it just happened...it was time I just breathe and let go." 

OOSF does not only sell shoes, but is a "full-blown apparel brand." It sells hoodies, hats, shirts and will be offering jeans and button downs. He added that attention is paid to detail, with fabrics and being eco-friendly.

According to Bester, the people who shop at OOSF are "people that understand the brand" as it's "not really about the apparel."

"It's really about the concept of a family, a community, and people looking for something more to really feel like they're a part of what you're doing," he said. "In that mission of  To Breathe and Let Go, people go through things, and they don't really have an outlet. 

He spoke about one his employees, a young man named Lewis Kamuria from Kenya, who had lost the use of his legs. 

"But I tell you, this young man does more in a day than you and I would ever imagine," Bester said. "He definitely amplifies our mantra and how we are with the brand. So he's a great ambassador." 

Bester is also a member of the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce and sits as a chair on the cannabis committee. 

"My goal there is to really ensure that we get our fair share of equity and inclusion into the space, a growing space that's still in its infancy," he said. "I came up with a few different organizations here in Chicago to really make sure that we get our fair share of meaning, Black and Brown, that really have taken on the brunt of the so-called war on drugs and haven't been allowed to really operate in the space." 

Bester also spoke about the South Side community and how it's coping post-COVID-19 pandemic.

"I'm over in the Chatham area and, post-pandemic, you've just seen a lot of crime," he said. "People have really been struggling to maintain what they have because they're battling against those who don't have it. And quite frankly, it's a lack of leadership for a lot of these young men and women.  

"Right now, the city of Chicago is a dangerous place for you not to pay attention to your surroundings," he added. "I have to say that [many young people] don't care about the life of their fellow man. And I think a lot of that stems from not being economically viable in society and not being able to have that purchasing power. If they can't get it the way they want, they want to go take it."

He said a lot of people were lost during the pandemic and many worked from home and received assistance and have not found their way back to the workforce. 

Circling back, he said "What started me down my journey to create something to get out of my head and get out of the situation that I was in was a part of a mental health thing. "How do you break out of this pattern that you find yourself in?"  

His solutions to the challenges demand a group effort.

"Right now, we need each other, and I think that needs to be an emphasis. We are not going to get out of a lot of these situations on our own," Bester said. "It's going to take the community, community leaders, the politicians, even as you kick it up higher to the mayor and the governor. We need to create opportunity for those communities, for people to feel as though they have opportunity to live the 'American Dream.' 

"I think if we just were more structured in our approach and really have a plan of action to move things forward to better ourselves, you could see a change, but that has to start with us," he added. 

Bester does a weekly radio show on WVON as part of the Chamber of Commerce that discusses many of the topics and challenges.

"It definitely starts with having the right people at the table. It just can't be regular people. You're going to need people of influence," Bester said. "So that's one of the reasons why I am at the chamber, because you meet very influential people in different walks of life where they have a plethora of information that the regular person wouldn't be able to obtain and be able to utilize in order to better get a better grasp on this life movement."

He said change will come and start with people who are in higher positions, and connecting with them and tapping into their resources. 

OOSF, which was launched in the U.S. in October 2022, is launching its brand in Kenya in March, and its new line is named the "Kamuria" after Lewis Kamuria. OOSF also has an online store.