Q&A with the brains behind 1990NEVER

Kendall Blakeney gives explains the motive behind the 1990NEVER movement.
-What is the start up story behind 1990Never? 
The start up story behind 19/90Never was to take a small idea and capitalize on it. As a visual artist, it’s a natural progression onto apparel. I’ve had the name ‘19/90’ in the back of my head for a while and really didn’t know where to take it and when the idea of a clothing line was spawned, the title naturally fell into place.

-What’s a piece of advice for someone trying to create a business/organization from scratch?
A good piece of advice for anyone looking to start their own line or business/organization in general is to first understand you can’t make everyone happy and be realistic. Realistic in the aspect not going so big all at once, build your community and a following first. You wouldn’t build a grocery store before you had product to sell.

-Through the process, what have been some of the failures you’ve ran in to? How have you learned from them?
Through the process of developing a brand and some of the detours I faced included the fact that I couldn’t make everyone happy and that some people were going to dislike it just for the sake of disliking it. It is discouraging to hear people put down something that isn’t even off of the ground, but then again, haters are just as valuable as fans.

-What’s your biggest risk you’ve taken with the company so far?
The biggest risk I’ve ever taken so far is taking the risk of starting a brand in general. Making the transition from ‘clothing line’ to ‘brand’ is a feat in itself. Not in the aspect of the creation, but a personal feat. Coming from my background and previous history of procrastination, turning sketches and ideas and watching them manifest into a wearable, likeable product is a risk in itself. . . . for me.

-What motivates you to not throw in the towel when you struggle with ideas?
My biggest motivation to not throw in the towel at this point has honestly been friends and the community that 19/90Never now rests on. I never expected the response I’ve received thus far. People requesting pre-orders of the product, talking about the shows, other artists and brand developers wanting to collaborate and so much more. Another personal motivator for me is to create clothing as art, have people wear it and feel a part of something, which essentially is the goal of 19/90Never at this point, to create a community of good people without the approval of your peers.

-How do you go about marketing yourself/your company and which method has worked the best?
‘Marketing’ is such a broad term nowadays and there are so many tools at disposal such as social networking like facebook, twitter, vimeo or youtube. The best advertisement is word of mouth and originally 19/90never was for my friends and family that were interested in what I was working on, once the word got out and the interest grew I took a step further and reached out to music artists such as Cole Deshler, Dutch Newman and Les Paul from the Maryville and Kansas City area to collaborate on a mixtape titled “Spring Forward Fall Never.”

-In three words, characterize who you are.
Brown. Not. Black. OR. Ridiculously. Flippin. Tall.

-Where do you see the company/yourself in 5 years?
5 years from now I see myself and the brand expanding in many directions. I see a homebase office in Kansas City Missouri, a storefront based in Kansas City, 19/90Never offered in many major retailers and a community of people that continue to drive us in a positive, prosperous and innovative direction.

-What would you say to the world about 1990Never if all eyes were on you?
If all eyes were on me, I’d tell the world what 19/90Never was about. A brand that’s embodied around music, skate, hip-hop, good people and good attitudes. Also, Charlie Sheen isn’t a winner. At all.

-Finally, to an outsider looking in… What is 1990Never?
To anyone that didn’t know what 19/90Never was: it’s clothing. Affordable clothing. A community that thrives on music and being your own individual self. A brand that is on a mission of world domination!

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