At age 21, it’s not unusual to dream big, whether it’s about living in the city, working the perfect job, or fame and fortune. For Myles Levardi, it’s about finding a way to live his best life, despite any circumstances. Born and raised in Dalton, Massachusetts, he has found himself chasing his dreams at full speed, bringing new and exclusive products and ideas to his business, the Off Of It Gallery, located at 135 Main Street in Lee, Massachusetts, opening in January 2022.
In 2017, Levardi decided it was time to take a break from Western Massachusetts and set out on a new adventure by moving to California. Couch surfing or staying with cousins, he spent a lot of time networking and connecting with local artists, making music, and, most importantly, experiencing a lifestyle he wanted to bring back to the Berkshires. “I wanted to be out there because I knew there was stuff I wanted to be involved with, like music and merch, but in bigger and better scenes with more room for expansion,” he explains. “I chose to come back to have something settled for my family, and to create a local area for my friends and anyone to be creative, have a place to hang out and do their thing.”
The name, Off Of It, was adapted from Levardi’s daily vernacular, reflecting the brand’s unique style; “Whenever I’d be hanging out with my friends and someone would say something weird, or something wasn’t going right, we’d say, ‘that’s off of it.’ Like, ‘that’s different.’” The branding includes symbolic representation of the struggles of duality; as a Gemini, Levardi explains, “The halo and the devil theme originated from not being able to pick between the two sides. There’s always one on your shoulder. You always have a choice you can make, right or left, and sometimes if you’re picking left it might seem like it’s bad or things aren’t going the right way, but really, everything happens for a reason. You can’t be perfect, no one is, nothing in life is. You just have to go with the flow.”
Taking inspiration from his experience on the West Coast, Levardi’s goal for the gallery is to integrate more of the modern art scene into this area of the state. “What inspired my business was being in California and seeing all these crazy stores on Melrose in Los Angeles. Even in bigger cities [such as] New York, going to stores with Kaws and Bearbricks — seeing these types of things I’d never seen before — it was a whole different world. And I wanted to bring that back here. Going to Comicon was when I realized it was actually possible — all these people I look up to, whether they’re famous or just different, we’re all just humans in the same room, with a similar passion. It was real.”
The art of collecting can focus on any number of things, from small objects such as rocks, baseball cards, or teacups, to large-scale items such as paintings and antique furniture. The Off Of It Gallery introduces a selection of work from modern artists and local creators as well as many highly acclaimed lifestyle brands, including Supreme, Ron English, Bearbricks, and more. Many of these items are exclusively produced in small numbers, are hard to find, or come only as special editions, making them collectors’ items as well as potential investments for customers to maintain even if the product is being used.
“I want to bring some element of wealth for people, as well,” says Levardi. “There are things in here you could either put on your shelf or wear, and either way, you could still sell it afterwards and make your money back. There are a lot of items in the world where you can’t do that; most things devalue or are for one-time use.” The exclusivity of a product can influence its worth, even over time, making it a point to consider when buying anything collectible. “It’s not that money is the most important thing, but it’s smart to have those things under your belt so to an extent, you don’t need to worry about that money. These things get more valuable over time; you can live your life and these things can be working for you.”
The resale market for streetwear and collectible lifestyle products is increasingly popular, where websites like Grailed, StockX, and eBay offer different ways for collectors to obtain goods on a global level in addition to sourcing locally or attending large conventions. Levardi hopes that by providing his resale services in person, he can offer a more local option for people who aren’t able to travel or afford the higher prices often associated with collectible items. “One of my favorite things about this business is the freedom to do what I want, the ability to make these products accessible to local people who ask me if my prices are real because they’re getting such a good deal,” he says. “We’re a small town — I’m not trying to compete with city prices. I just want to thrive as well as the community of people that support me. I think that’s important.”
“I don’t even really know what to call my business right now; it’s not just a shoe store, but more of a lifestyle brand, stuff I think is cool.” The space features turf flooring stacked with designer pillows, a toy machine, custom rugs, a Supreme Mortal Kombat game, and other engaging products. Lining the left side of the shop is an extensive selection of rare or limited edition sneakers, including the brands Nike, Yeezy, Jordan, along with shoes from smaller artists Warren Lotas and Gavin South. Despite the number of shoes in the store, Levardi says he prefers the novelty products to fashion. “I like shoes, but that’s not my biggest niche; it’s definitely more the modern art stuff that I like to collect. The figures, prints, as well as local artists, too,” Levardi says. “But at the same time, I am pretty focused on shoes right now, mostly because that’s just the way the market is going, what’s selling. I like collecting shoes that, for example, haven’t come out yet, or ones that are super rare, almost like art pieces. That’s what I like, and the rest are to keep the customers happy.”
A customer enters the store, curious and asking questions about Levardi’s collection and his interests. The man explains how his mother was a fine artist, and details his collections of artwork, Japanese porcelain, and trading cards, among many other items. Instantly there is a commonality between the two of them, and their shared passion has been brought together through the gallery. The space has been loosely open for a few weeks now, providing some unexpected insight as to the clientele Levardi can expect.
“The people who come in, it has honestly been very surprising. I was expecting to get more of a younger audience, but it’s really a diverse group; people who are my grandmother’s age who have a better collection of stuff than I have — I didn’t expect that to happen,” he explains. “When I go to conventions in big cities, every type of person is there. It’s not a niche market; it’s everybody. Coming out here, my friends were the only people I saw buying things like this, but now with the store, the people I meet coming in who collect Bearbricks or any of this stuff, I’m in disbelief sometimes. It’s a way we can all connect. You see an adult man walk in and see the kid in him still. Art, fashion, there’s no age for them. Sometimes it’s like I’m looking at myself in the future,” he laughs.
While age falls to the wayside in his conversations with customers, being a young entrepreneur poses many challenges when it comes to working with business professionals. “Talking to accountants and lawyers, they think I’m not serious, or that it’s not actually happening, and I have to convince them it’s for real,” Levardi says. “It’s hard to explain to people how serious I am. I don’t even try at that point, honestly. I know that I’m doing what I say I’m doing. But it has been challenging to find the right people to help get the business established. I had my ideas for it, my vision, but the business end was a bit of a challenge because I’m young, and at the beginning, didn’t know exactly what I was doing.”
Regardless of any hurdles, it was important to him to do whatever was needed to learn. “I’m a high school dropout, so the knowledge that I have about business is just what I’ve taught myself or from the few years I had in high school,” he explains. “So, trying to figure out the real foundation of a business — knowing how to start, how to bring my ideas to life, the paperwork — you don’t learn that in high school. People who care about you teach you that stuff, or you pay to go to school to gain that knowledge.”
Levardi’s self-taught method for figuring out his business model type takes more of an opportunistic approach; “One time I went down to Florida with 25 pairs of Yeezys and four crates of exotic snacks to sell because I couldn’t sell any more of them here, no one was buying. My friend said he knew someone with a store there, so I took a risk and drove down, and ended up selling 22 pairs of Yeezys and three crates of snacks. If I know something is legitimate, I’ll take that opportunity and go do it. It’s definitely a strength of mine, but it can also bite,” he says, assessing the imperative balance of success and failure that comes with being a small-business owner. “Nothing always works out; nothing is ever promised. I could spend crazy money to get to a convention — between plane tickets, table, and everything — and not sell a single thing. Nothing’s ever promised, but you can’t not do it. You have to keep going with it. There will be good and bad days always. I doubt there’s a business that has a good day every single day. There are always hiccups. But you have to keep working through — if you quit so easily, you’re not going to get anywhere in life, with anything.”
Levardi has his fingers crossed that he will be accepted in the local community. “Someone came in and said they were unsure if the shop would do well here, because of the location, or because people here don’t know what’s happening with modern art,” he says. “But that’s not true, and no one’s ever going to know unless you bring it to them — someone’s going to have to do it eventually, or everyone will remain in the dark if they can’t see stuff like this in person instead of on a phone screen.”
Set to open in January, the Off Of It Gallery now enters its final stages of preparation, renovations, and stocking up for the new year. Despite judgments about his age, learning curves, and the spontaneous lifestyle of reselling, Levardi is confident his positive attitude will bring results as a new business owner. “If you don’t let the little things count, then you’re going to be chasing a big thing every single day, and that doesn’t happen. The lows will outweigh the highs,” he says. “You just have to keep on going.”
