OWN ZONE APPAREL
What label,brand, or company are you with? And what is your title.
I am the primary owner and C.E.O. of Own Zone Apparel.
What kind of products do you guys specialize in?
We specialize in high-quality urban wear with a positive, up-lifting
message in tow.
How did you get into this business?
I honestly dived right in. I decided being an entrepreneur was my
destiny, it just took some time to decide on fashion. Once I did, I
put together a very talented team and we developed an idea we felt
passionate about. We haven’t looked back since.
When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Famous.
As a clothing brand where do you get your inspiration for designs?
What kind of thought process goes into your collection?
We’ve taken note of some of our superiors in the industry, certainly.
But my team of artists…they draw inspiration from the lives we lead.
We are all under 22 years of age, and we truly live in our own zone.
How do you fell about “Brand Jacking” where a brand mimics the
designs of another brand?
Honestly, there are so many brands out there in today’s landscape
that some brands may be unknowingly infringing upon other brand ideas.
But ultimately, “brand jacking” in the literal sense just isn’t cool.
We want to achieve success the right way. Stealing from somebody else
to achieve success isn’t really winning in the long term. Success from
your own true work trumps all other forms.
How did you come up with the name for your brand? What does it mean
or stand for?
We developed “Own Zone Apparel” rather quickly. During one of our
very first brainstorm sessions, we came across it. It brings about
funny memories because we had previously spit out about 20 other ideas
with much less appeal than Own Zone Apparel, only to find that those
names were already in use. When we came to find that Own Zone was
untrademarked, we jumped all over it. The trademarking process began
the next day, and so did our dream.
Own Zone Apparel’s message ultimately has to do with rising above the
complacent mediocrity that has become so acceptable in American
society, and really reach up and beyond. Own Zone can also refer to a
state of mind too. This state of mind is one that allows you to remain
strong when the doubters start to grow louder. We’ve certainly had our
share of doubters along the way. If there weren’t doubters, or dare I
say “haters” though, wouldn’t that mean something was wrong?
With the explosion of social media, what do you guys do to build
brand exposure? What social network is most important to your brand?
We really try to reach out to people all of the country with our
social media that maybe we wouldn’t have been able to reach if we were
doing this 10 years ago. It’s a very special opportunity, leveraging
social media to grow your business. We all came up in high school and
college with social media, so using it effectively is almost second
nature. We value Facebook the most, because ultimately I feel we’ve
been making our biggest impact there. Our next objective is to really
amp up our Instagram usage as it grows in popularity.
What is one style from the past that you wish was still popular?
Crew-neck sweatshirts. I think we are going to try and revive it with
our fall/winter 2012 line.
What is a current trend that you cannot stand?
My friends are going to hate me when I say this…camo shorts.
Snapback or Fitted? Why?
Snapback FTW. I enjoy the semi-retro look that is coming back around,
and the fitted hats don’t fit me particularly well.
Low tops or High Tops? Why?
Low tops for the versatility they offer. And not everyone looks right
in high tops…just saying.
What are your thoughts on todays street wear scene?
Too much quantity, not enough quality.
What do you see for the future of this industry?
I see a convergence of styles. More of today’s popular cultures are
coming into contact, meshing, and developing continuous relationships.
Pretty soon, I suspect that you won’t be able to identify the
attributes of someone based on the street wear they have on. This will
be due to a much wider variety of people than ever before wearing it,
in my humble opinion.
What is one of the best things about being in this industry?
It makes every day meaningful. Before this all began, I can’t say I
felt the same way. I wake up every day excited to start thinking about
and acting on behalf of Own Zone Apparel.
What is one of the worst things about this industry?
I think the retailers’ allegiance to the top brands is something I
dislike. Truth is, sometimes some of the industry leaders come out
with stuff that just isn’t very creative or eye-catching, and lately
it seems that they are doing it in bunches. There are lots of
lesser-known brands out there who deserve to shine.
How would you quickly describe your past 5 years in one short
sentence?
The tale of two men.
How long is your average work day?
including all of the commuting involved in my day to day activities,
around three-five hours.
How many core members/employees are on your team?
We have 4 official members including myself, and a developing team of
representatives. The official staff includes two artists, Nick Creten
and Sherman Boyd, and our IT officer Jonathan Matson. As I mentioned
previously, we are all under 23 years of age.
What sneakers did you rock as a kid?
I liked skateboarding shoes a lot. I still do like them now, but I
prefer a slimmer shoe so I don’t wear them.
What brand names were you rocking back in the day?
Element, Billabong, Hurley…lots of brands sold at Pacific Sunwear.
In your opinion, what other brands are on the come-up in this
industry?
I’ve got to show love to a brand based out of Lawrence, KS called “E
the Real Clothing.” I really like their stuff, and I have a lot of
respect for the grind they went through to establish themselves in the
area like we are attempting to do.
I also really like Tree House Clothing for their bold entry into the
scene. It takes some nerve to invest money behind something so
polarizing…but its that type of calculated risk that can make being
a decision-maker in this industry fun.
If you had to give up your brand today and go work for a fast food
joint, which fast food joint would it be?
Chipotle. I’d eat a double steak burrito bowl with guacamole every
lunch break.
What was your first job?
I washed dishes at a large restaurant.
What will we see coming from your brand in the future?
Depth and substance. It’s nice to know that everyone loves the
Classic T-shirt and the 4S Tank tops..but we haven’t even started
doing what we truly want to do. We want our products in itself, and
not just the people or events it’s associated with, to speak to the
positive message we at Own Zone Apparel are all about.
What trends will be big in 2013 / 2014?
You’re guess is as good as mine. We stay in our own lane. Or should I
say, our OWN ZONE
