Screen Shot: Commons Lane
Website: www.commonslane.com
What inspired the brand name?
Our lives are controlled by obscure rules that shape society and force everyone to follow obediently toward a vague goal. They are forced to travel the same path as others without reason and without passion. This is an infinite and narrow road that we call Commons Lane. Our mission is to inspire others to escape from Commons Lane and to actually find their own way of life.
At what moment did you realize you wanted to start a brand?
It was the beginning of our junior year in high school when the idea first came to us. We both had a passion for fashion and entrepreneurship so it was a click in our brains when the idea of connecting them together and creating a clothing brand came up.
What helps you get over creative blocks?
The best way we get over creative blocks is to keep meeting constantly and keep talking until we either burn out or have something to work with. Sometimes, especially when we burn out, taking a break can be beneficial in order to come back completely refreshed and with new ideas. Looking at problems with new perspectives have always been a good method in our lives.
What is the biggest mistake you have made?
The biggest mistake that we have made was running our first drop poorly. Not only did we waste a lot of money on samples and experiments, we just simply did not have a good system in place and there was no way we were going to grow our brand. Although it was actually still a small step forward, we knew there were lots of changes to be made.
What is the biggest success you have had?
We have had the biggest success by fixing the mistakes of our first drop and creating a second release with a much better system in place and better ideas. We were amazed to see the results quickly come together and we actually ended up doing $750+ in sales the first month of the second release.
Favorite color to use?
In our most recent drop we utilized the colors of red and blue in our clothing brand; Red is a representation of Assertion and Blue is a representation of Exploration. In order to escape Commons Lane, it takes a combination of both: Explore your mind to find the path you can take in life and Assert yourself in whatever you do.
A source of inspiration people may find weird?
Of course there are some entrepreneurs and brands we look up to, but none of them have had an intentional influence in our pieces. It may be unusual but we actually try to isolate ourselves when it comes to inspiration. We are genuine creators in this industry, so we purposely do not do what others are doing. We try to just keep to ourselves and transform OUR ideas into real life. When looking for inspiration we look to ourselves more than anything else.
Another Brand that inspires you and why?
Brands like KITH and Billionaire Boys Club inspires us because we feel like they have a good balance between being a “hype” brand and being a retail clothing company, something that we aspire to be. We also look up to the brand OFF-WHITE by Virgil Abloh for their recent staple in the high end streetwear community the past couple years.
Where do you see yourself and the brand in 1 year and 5 years?
We emphasize focusing on the present and doing the best we can with our current situation instead of planning out a detailed future. However, at the same time, we understand where we want to go with our clothing brand. Within one year, we’re hoping to create a bigger splash in the industry and branch out more both locally and online. Within five years, we plan to branch out our company; we want to represent a wide group of people, not just “skaters” or “dancers”. There’s lots of room for us to do some crazy stuff and it’s pretty exciting to think about.
In 5 words or less describe your brand?
NOT COMMON
