written by: Sofia Krusmark x Arizona Republic

First he sold candy. Then he sold tickets to parties — some of the biggest parties in the Valley. 

Now, entrepreneur and social media influencer JT Holmes has added streetwear to his portfolio, selling t-shirts and hoodies right out of Phoenix.

In September 2020, Holmes started Modern Rockstars, an urban streetwear company. But his brand is just an extension of what the blue-haired, party-loving businessman has built over the last few years.

Since its start, Holmes has sold more than 5,000 oversized graphic tees and hoodies.  In February 2022, he collaborated with the Suns for Black History Month with a limited edition design. The 300 Phoenix Suns shirts sold out within the month at the Suns Team Shop in Footprint Center. 

"I've put in a year it's already paying off tenfold," Holmes said. "Who starts a brand and collabs with the Suns a year in? Who does that? It motivates me."  

How Holmes went from selling candy to planning parties 

His grandma would call him P-Diddy, Holmes said, laughing. But that’s just who he was, an entrepreneur from the start, trying to make money even in elementary school. 

In second grade, he bought candy from Sam’s Club and packaged it to sell at school.

"One day I left with $150 dollars,” Holmes said, laughing about the candy he sold in second grade. “I was always asking, ‘How can I make more money legally?'” 

By fifth grade, he was designing T-shirts for classmates. And when he worked in retail in high school, his friends stood in line at the shop to buy new shoes.

When he was 18 he moved to Arizona to study business management at Grand Canyon University. But to make money for his tuition and living, Holmes started throwing parties for college students  — and the word got out. 

“I went to Minnesota for spring break and my friends are DJing and throwing parties and I’m like, ‘I need to learn what you’re doing.' So I started throwing parties, and GCU hated it.” 

Soon after, Holmes dropped out of college  — and never went back.

Holmes became a premium party planner in the Valley

Holmes and his party planning partner, Luis Basilio,  made their mark on the metro Phoenix party scene. In fact, a headline in The Arizona Republic from 2015 may have said it best: 2 college students conquer Twitter, make thousands with 18+ parties. 

The pair did just that throughout Phoenix, including their "Wolf of Wall Street"-themed party at School of Rock on Mill Avenue which brought in more than 900 people. 

Holmes threw bigger and bigger parties, and in 2017, he planned the afterparty for the University of North Carolina basketball team's NCAA post-championship bash. Devin Booker, Trey Songz and Odell Beckham Jr. and Johnny Manziel were all there. 

From dropping flyers at restaurants across town to passing out announcements while cruising on his hoverboard, Holmes tried to invite everyone in town to his parties. 

He rented out mansions for parties and booked rappers like G-Eazy, Juice WRLD and Young Thug for his events. 

In 2020, he was invited to San Diego to plan a private party for the Lakers two months after they won the NBA championship. One of his favorite memories is meeting LeBron James and snapping a photo holding up the championship trophy. 

Nightlife was Holmes' life — until the pandemic hit. 

From nightlife to making a Phoenix Suns shirt 

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, Holmes — who was still throwing parties across the Valley and the West Coast  — said he needed to find a new source of income. 

“I had money saved up, but I didn’t have more money coming in. I didn’t want to rely on nightlife for income.” 

Researching rock stars became the next step, and so did designing his current brand, Modern Rockstars. His first hoodie — dropped smack in the middle of the pandemic — featured a skeleton with a quote that read, "Only the strong survive." 

His shirts were more affordable than his competition, which sold shirts at nearly $80. Holmes sells his shirts for an average of $45 dollars. 

"Everybody has to wear clothes. You wear a shirt every day, so I thought, 'If I can make something that you can wear every day, then the business moves.'"

How Holmes runs and operates Modern Rockstars in Tempe 

Since its start, Holmes has made six figures two years in a row, sold more than 5,000 shirts with 45 different designs and collaborated with the Suns and Modern Warzone. He's a one-man show when it comes to promotion and design.  

He currently sells his merchandise online and in four locations across the Valley including Third Degree Heat in Scottsdale, Prime Kicks and Cuts in Chandler and Glendale and Legal Trap Clothing in Phoenix. He also sells his shirts in Minnesota in the Mall of America at LMNTS.

All of his shirts are made to order. Once customers choose their designs, Holmes works with Flyers Direct – a printing company across the street from his house — to print his designs.

“I want to be that brand of Arizona," Holmes said. "I want to do collabs with everyone, so they can wear Modern Rockstars shirts. I want to create a movement of people that are confident and being themselves."

"I’m a partier, but you don’t gotta be like me to be a rock star," Holmes said. "My mom is a nurse, she works nine to five every day just to take care of her people. I’m ready to build a community that makes people feel good. Everyone can be a rock star."

Link to press article: https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/04/04/how-party-planner-jt-holmes-teamed-up-phoenix-suns/9458293002/