Meet the Maker: Stoned Oxygen
- In.It
- Jun 12
- 6 min read
“We need oxygen to breathe, and this planet has so much to offer… we are blessed.” – Cassidy Morrison
‘High on Life’ isn’t just a slogan — it’s a lifestyle. In this feature, we dive into the story behind Stoned Oxygen, a proudly local brand rooted in creativity, community, and coastal grit. Founder Cassidy shares where it all began, the journey since, and what’s next for this surf-skate-inspired label that’s carving out its own space in South Africa’s fashion scene.
1. "Stoned Oxygen" is such a striking name — what’s the story behind it? What does it represent to you?
I came up with the name back in High School. Probably around 2003/2004.The process behind it was when you are stoned, you are happy (hear me out 😊). But what about just being happy with life? We need oxygen to breathe, and this planet has so much to offer when it comes to beauty, adventure and things to be grateful for—we are blessed. Especially here in South Africa.And so Stoned Oxygen, and our slogan 'High on Life' was born.For me personally, I'd rate I grew up in one of the best places to do so: the Garden Route. So I'm stoked to offer a homegrown brand.
2. You talk about fashion as a language. What message is Stoned Oxygen trying to send?
I'd say to get out there and get 'High on Life', and while you’re doing that, why not be wearing super comfy items representing some local creative designs.
3. How did the brand begin? What pushed you to take that leap from idea to reality?
It took a while. As I said, I came up with the name back in high school. I had a dream one night to put it on hoodies and then sat with that dream for many years—writing the name on my school desks and books and talking about it.
In the meantime, after school and a brief stint overseas, I worked any job I could find. However, the longest time I could keep a job was a year, as I'd get bored and frustrated with making peanuts while building someone else's dream. I was itching to build my own dream and find a bit of purpose in the working world. Buuut, you need capital.
After my gran passed away (she was a legend), my amazing mom, Saskia Verschoor, invested some smackeroos into my dream. That was back in 2014.I had no idea where to start as I was new to the industry. I first trademarked my name before anything else thanks to a family friend, and then Google became a buddy. I managed to find a local screen printer.
The awesome Robert Taylor helped me get started by supplying me with tees and super cool quality screen prints. I started with entry-level tees so I could charge less, but eventually realised I wanted to offer quality even if it costs more.
So, I started researching loads, and tested things out, and have found really good suppliers over the years (on a side note INIT Apparel was one of them and to this day remains my top choice when it comes to variety and stylish items).Eventually, I did my screen printing course with Robert and started printing my own merch.
Little by little, the brand started to grow with trading weekly at the well-known Scarab Market in Sedgefield. Last year, I reached a goal of opening a shop in my hometown, Sedgefield, with a space I now share with Fijnbosvrou.
Wherever I can, I try put back into the business to keep growing. It's my passion, so I don’t mind the hard work and love what I get to do. It’s a whole other vibe when you get to sell your own product straight to the customer. I'm blessed to have loyal ones, and a really great support system in my partner and mom who continue to make this all possible.
4. Your pieces are expressive and full of attitude. Where do you draw creative inspiration from?
When it comes to the image designs, I'd say from my surroundings. I'm always looking to capture a feeling in a design, though this isn’t always possible 😊.
The original logo was brought to life by a childhood friend, Stefan Haggard, and will remain a winner and a constant as the brand’s main logo.With that said, the gems for me are the ones my partner Romey Bobek and I work on together. We've had some winners with designs such as "Apocalypse Now Now," "Are We There Yeti?" and others which highlight some of the local favourite spots.
I've also had really great designers work on ideas with the hope of giving more variety.
When it comes to the actual items, I've always enjoyed the surf/skate scene, as most of us do, so I rate I get inspo from there. But I'm also looking for something comfortable and practical—like an everyday wearer with some edge.
5. Stoned Oxygen seems to thrive at the intersection of streetwear and high art. How do you strike that balance?
That's a really tough question. I'd say by staying authentic. And by embracing and highlighting nature along with the local community.
6. How has the local fashion scene influenced your journey — and what’s your take on where it’s heading?
I think we should all be paying a bit more attention to our local oaks. I've seen some epic textiles at the Grahamstown fest and just some really cool ideas coming out of the Eastern Cape.
Personally, I’d hope we would always need clothes 😊 and with that in mind, there would always be a fashion scene. Whether it’s old trends mixed up to make new ones, there is so much variety out there. I think it'll just keep growing.
7. What kind of person wears Stoned Oxygen? Who do you design for?
Funny enough I sell to all ages, which is something I really enjoy. Like, I'd have a young foreign kid, for example, love his beanie purchase. Then, on the same day an elderly man be super stoked with his t-shirt purchase, and so it goes on.
But if I think about who I'm designing for, I suppose most of the time it would be for myself. I like selling things I like.
8. Every brand has its growing pains. What’s one hard lesson you’ve learned that shaped you for the better?
I live in a small town where things tend to move slower. With that, you have to learn to be patient and to ride the seasonal waves.It helps to give a quality product and an item the customer can really be happy with to ensure return clientele. I hope to always achieve this.
9. You’ve mentioned being open to collaboration and collective creativity. What’s the dream collab for Stoned Oxygen?
So, at my shop we sell skateboards and skateboard hardware to round off the feel with my brand in the hopes of growing the sport in the little sleepy town.
Skateboarding can be so rewarding, and honestly there is not much else to do for the youngsters in this town. So recently in May we hosted our second Street Skate Jam in Sedgefield, where we close a portion of the road, chuck some pre-made DIY ramps and rails out (made by our super team), get sponsors and host a competition.
We have such an awesome team behind this that I'd say at the moment it’s my collab of choice—with the locals and the local companies involved.
I’ll drop a link so you can check out our Skate Jam pics. It's something we’re keen to grow, with the hopes of a skate park being the end goal.
10. What’s next? Any upcoming drops, shifts, or long-term goals that have you excited right now?
Goals for this year would be to introduce a kiddies range. I do some one-offs on the side, but really want to have a range for the customers this summer.
As well as introducing more ladies options, and of course, work on some new designs.
With that being said—if you're a designer reading this and think you can offer something special to the brand, drop me an email: cassidy@stonedoxygen.com
Long term? It would be to get into the city markets and eventually have more shops and products. But I must have patience, young grasshopper 😊.
Stoned Oxygen isn’t just a brand — it’s a mood. A movement. A story written in ink, fabric, and freedom. Whether you’re skating down a quiet Garden Route street or chasing your next wave of inspiration, this homegrown label reminds you to stay stoked, stay grounded, and stay high on life.
Stay tuned. Big things are coming.
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