"I’m the guy who’s been dreamin’ up crazy ideas his whole life and then bein’ told that I’ll probably not be able to pull them off." The video appeared online, shortly after another video had appeared showing Marc Ecko tagging Air Force One, now explaining his actions in the context of his beliefs about freedom of speech, and at the same time speaking out against "overbroad laws" that restrict kids from pursuing "legal art inspired by graffiti"—which, he emphasizes, should not be mistaken for vandalism. "I thought the idea of spray painting the President’s plane would be a great way to open a dialogue," he continues, without the faintest hint of amusement on his face. "And encourage a new way of thinking."

A culture all on its own, Marc Ecko gives the term "rebel brand" a completely different, literal meaning—one that, incidentally, captures the essence of fashion, youth culture, mainstream pop, and the American dream. While self-contradictory at times (i.e. matching his stunt on Air Force One with an interview in Wired magazine where he said that if "something’s not yours and you don’t have the owner’s consent, you shouldn’t paint there"), it is his incontestable sincerity and support for his "causes" that is the charm and appeal of Marc Ecko, and is part and parcel of the strong identity of the Ecko brand.

From the rugged Ecko Unltd to the more mature Cut and Sew line to the glamorous and sexy Ecko Red women’s line—which, incidentally, are just three of the 12 divisions under the company, including Zoo York, Avirex Sportswear, Complex magazine, and the recently launched video game, Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure—the brand targets different ages and even tastes, while maintaining a consistently slick, sexy, and very classy yet ultimately urban vibe all throughout.

Now while it started out as a brand that spoke to the hip hop and skateboard culture, "urban" is a word very carefully used, since the Ecko brand—in more ways than one—has gone beyond the stereotypes of that category. For one, Ecko himself is, as an article in the New York Times described, "not a rap star, and he doesn’t come from the streets; he’s a fan from the cul-de-sacs. He is sometimes described as ‘a former graffiti artist,’ but grown-up mall rat is closer to the truth." Which is, surprisingly, what has helped his business come so far.

Influenced by graffiti culture, which, in the same Times article, says he’d learned about through photography books by Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant, the New Jersey native started making designs for his classmates on their jeans or shirts in high school. His real business start came with six shirts that he made while he was at Rutgers studying to be a pharmacist, which, in 1993, when Marc was 20 years old, formally became Ecko Unltd. The famed rhino icon did not appear for several years until after they’d participated in a fashion event in Las Vegas, where they realized they’d need a proper logo. In the company’s website, Ecko’s explanation for the icon is that "rhinos are sort of prehistoric and sort of mythological. It’s a big, clumsy animal, but when it runs, it’s very nimble—kind of like our company—a little awkward, but it can definitely move."

While having gone through a rollercoaster existence that had been much-documented by the media—and was always punctuated by the unexpected antics of Marc Ecko himself—the Ecko brand has managed to make itself a unique fashion staple, appealing to a core audience for whom a kind of rebellion is fashionable, or at least a cool, funky thing to have on your back.