First Name
Unlike the remainder of my names, “Tré” is not a name I inherited. My name comes from the iconic 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, directed by the late great John Singleton. Not to give too much away, but Tre was the most robust character in that film. At some point between the film and my birth, my mom suggested that I be named “Tré.” However, she also wanted to incorporate some of her French heritage by adding an accent on the ‘e.’ ¶
In 2023, I worked with Spike Lee and the Brooklyn Museum on the merch for his exhibition. You can read the case study here, but this story is not about the work. As a part of this project, my parents and I were invited to the VIP opening of his exhibition. For context, he had already met my parents back when the SPIKE book was published, and since then, a solo invite is never expected. ¶ Anyway, while we were attending the opening, we ran into the legendary actor Laurence Fishburne. Known for his roles in films and shows like The Matrix and Blackish, I first learned of him through a different film. For me, Laurence is my Hollywood dad, as he played Tre’s dad in Boyz n the Hood. ¶ So naturally, after my dad spotted him, I had to ask him to take a picture with Laurence. And because my dad loves messing with people, he walks up to Laurence and says, “Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?” While they’re both from the D.C. area and are around the same age, it is possible that they crossed paths, but they never actually knew each other. ¶ Laurence makes these gestures as if trying to think of where he knows my dad from. A few seconds later, my dad burst out laughing and said, “I’m just playing with you, man. I’m just a huge fan.” ¶ In the photo below, my dad is pointing at me to tell Laurence that I’m his son and that I designed Spike's book. That was one of the happiest memories of my career. ¶
Middle Name
My middle name is Edward. On my dad’s side, the name is sort of a family tradition dating back to the 1800s. Men born within the family were to be given the middle name Edward, while women born into the family were to be given the middle name Elizabeth. As for its meaning, Edward is an English male name that translates to "wealthy guard.” ¶
Last Name
The name Seals is inherited from my paternal grandmother and was the name of my design practice until 2020. It has always intrigued me, particularly because of my interest in wax seals. This fascination dates back to high school, when I was drawn to the logo of the streetwear blog Highsnobiety. ¶ I later learned that “Seals” is an occupational surname, referring to someone who made wax seals and signet rings, particularly during medieval times. Wax seals were historically used to verify the authenticity of signatures, mostly on legal documents. As the use of wax seals faded, the word “Seal” would appear in parentheses or brackets, or a typecut would be purchased from a type foundry and placed beside the dotted line. ¶ This discovery came through my great-great-grandmother, Sarah E. Johnson, a strong-willed businesswoman and pillar of the Black community. Beyond raising my father, she ran a farm on which both my home and studio sit, a boarding house, and a foster home. She was also a bank to many, offering loans to Black families when traditional banks would not, and she sold land only to members of the Black community, helping them build their own legacies. When we renovated the stable into my studio, we uncovered her purse, containing over 100 legal documents related to property sales and loans—many of which bore the word "Seal" just beyond the dotted line. ¶
Mom’s Maiden Name
A friend of mine from college has four names. When she was born, her parents decided to give her both of their last names because they were both a part of her. Since then, I have considered adding my mom’s maiden name to my full name. Like Seals, Sonnier is also an occupational name. However, instead of that of a maker, Sonnier is the French occupational name of “bell-ringer.” I like to see myself as one. ¶