Westleaf Staff
What's up Leafers? Welcome to the latest edition of On the Rise where we interview upcoming fashion designers .Today's guest is designer, Anthony Alexander Jr. from Cleveland where he leads the streetwear brand (23andus) . Antthony's influences are derived from hip hop and streetwear icons such as Rod Wave, Jay z and Tyler the creator . The Cleveland designer has been on our radar for a while so we had to tap in with him! Check out the interview below.
Westleaf Staff: What's up, 23? Your style is dope. When did you start your fashion career?
23ANDUS I started my fashion career in early 2021. The thing that I noticed about fashion that I didn't see was people would just wear things but wouldn't even know the meaning of what they wore. They never understood the meaning of some of the hottest brands cause they don't talk about the meaning anymore. For people to know the meaning is very important in this industry. I knew that If I took it seriously I could make a difference and change people's perspective of this industry with my name and design and meaning. The clothing I have made is for all ages and audiences and genders.
Westleaf Staff: That's dope! How did your early childhood shape your interest in fashion?
23ANDUS: I started my fashion career in late June 2020 . There were a lot of different designs that I saw. My dad was always dressed in suits since he is a politician. That affected me because I wanted to look good. I kept thinking of a name for my clothing line for the longest time and one day it clicked, 23andus . This is the clothing line that is all about family . Everyone has a family. Family is not always your blood. Everyone can relate to having a family That's why they love our brand and they keep on supporting us.
Westleaf Staff: Shout out to your fans for the support. So who is your biggest fashion influence?
23ANDUS: One of them was Tyler the Creator. The designs that I saw he made always caught my eye and were pretty neat and nice. Another one is Nike. Their designs are always pretty neat and the biggest athletes wear their clothes and the audience they can reach is pretty cool. The materials that they make their clothes in are very comfortable. My material makes people want to go to sleep because of how it feels.
Westleaf Staff: I love that. Nike is an amazing brand. What's been the defining moment in your fashion career?
23ANDUS: The defining moment in my fashion career was when I had a couple of artists ask to wear my clothing while they were performing at the battle of the land. It was
amazing to see them wearing it on stage and they took pictures with it. After that business took off from there and now we are here with over 50,000 followers on platforms
Westleaf Staff: That's dope. I'm glad you're inspired to do more! Fast fashion or slow fashion?
23ANDUS: I'd rather design slow fashion and take my time on details and material compared to just dropping anything just because I have a time limit to make or whatever the case is. Patience is key in this industry.
Westleaf Staff: Dope! That's a sound choice. Salute! What does fashion mean to you?
23ANDUS: Fashion means a lot to me. Fashion is like another way I can actually be myself. I love to look good, feel good, and also get compliments or inputs on my craft to keep me going or help me go harder. Fashion is therapy for me.
Westleaf Staff: So cool! So how did you start your fashion brand?
23ANDUS: I started my fashion brand with just 300 dollars and elevated from there. I spent the money wisely on buying certain products and giving to certain people who I knew would bring an audience. I had some of my friends pass out 100 flyers per week. They passed it out to stores and recreation centers and restaurants while I met with the owners of the buildings and discussed what I would give them in return for letting my flyers up in their store. I owe a lot to them for letting me do that. I knew when I started I would take over this industry and would be known around the world
Westleaf Staff: Dope! Much respect. How does fashion shape the world around us?
23ANDUS: Fashion has changed my world and my thinking in so many different ways.The doors that it opened have been amazing and I have met so many people. It helped me explain myself in making clothing and designs. If you love what you do you will always want to do it and you will become the best at it. Anyone can go out there and make a clothing line but you have to be the one that stands out and is different from all the other ones around. Fashion is shaping our world at a crazy rate.
Westleaf Staff: That's deep! Where do you see your fashion career going over the next few years?
23ANDUS: I see my fashion career being the best in 5 years! It's way bigger than a clothing line. It's a multimillionaire empire. We made plans on getting the first store open and expanding from there to different areas in business, restaurants, and real estate. It will all take time and money and networking but 23andus is taking over !!! I think we are one of the best fashion lines out of Cleveland Ohio and our customers do too. There is no stopping now the sky's the limit for you if you stay focused and dedicated and have patience.ddd
Westleaf Staff: I wish you much success this year! Before we go, what advice do you have for future fashion designers?
23ANDUS: The advice we give to people starting off is 1.choose your business and pick something that will stand out and is unique.2. Make connections with the right people to have your business booming. 3. Write your business plan and how you plan to take over the clothing industry and how much you have to spend. 4. Believe in it/ trust the process of everything you are doing. It all will not happen overnight, it will take time .5. Make a website, spend time, and before you publish it give it to one of your friends and ask them what they think about it. 6. Make sure you prepare for growth early and be ready for your brand to take off.7.Stay focused on your goals and get a whiteboard so you can write out the achievements you want to hit and the date. The steps above that we listed will have your business skyrocketing with sales. We wrote the steps and used them. Keep going even when you don't get any sales. Don't get down on yourself if you keep going/making changes you will eventually get the sales you want. Don't listen to the haters, listen to your thinking, only you can know how good your design is / material/product. Do giveaways that will get your product known and more audience will come to you if your product is good. Your clothing might not be blowing up right now but if you keep on going you will eventually be going sooner or later. “ A dream is a type of lifestyle that you want. It only becomes your reality if you work for it and sacrifice things to make it come true “. quote from 23andus Dreams don't happen overnight make sure you don't get lazy in the journey. Once everyone sees how well you are doing your designs they will start to help you out and join along
Follow : 23andus: https://www.23andus.net/
