Screen Shot: LOVE X VALOUR

City Based: Birmingham, United Kingdom

What inspired the brand name?

The brand is about creating a coterie of friends and family. When you have a strong bond it comes with a imperishable sense of love and respect for each other. Standing strong together becoming valorous against any adversary.

At what moment did you realize you wanted to start a brand?

All I remember is that in middle school, I got interested in designer brands, you know, stuff like LV, Givenchy, Balenciaga, Balmain, etc. And ever since my interest in fashion kept growing, I got introduced to different, more niche clothing brands. Living in Amsterdam, I grew up with brands like Patta, Daily Paper and Filling Pieces. They were not as big as any of the designer brands mentioned before, but they had a more cult-like following than any of them. It’s crazy how I’ve seen a brand like Daily Paper grow, turning from a small store few min walk away from my middle school into the fastest growing clothing brand in Europe. It interested me to know what made them so praised by their following. This curiosity eventually turned into a passion which in return made me wonder if I could ever achieve something like this. So I saved up some money and just went for it.

What helps you get over creative blocks?

Like most creatives, I also find myself often surrounded by a blank wall. It’s often that when I try to find inspiration, I find nothing. So I just go on with my day as I would usually without thinking of the task at hand. Eventually, I will stumble across something that will jumpstart my creative thinking and that one idea sometimes turns into a chain effect of multiple ideas one after another. In my experience, the best ideas are the ones that come to you randomly.

What is the biggest mistake you have made?

The biggest mistake that I made was when I was working on the first drop. Everything was in order and on schedule. I had the garments ready, and all that was left was the graphic prints. I sent them to a printer that I had never worked with before, and long story short, the prints came out somewhat different than planned, which caused a whole chain reaction of delays, resulting in the drop being postponed by two months.

What is the biggest success you have had?

This might sound corny, but I managed to make a group of friends who are very supportive.

A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION PEOPLE MAY FIND WEIRD?

I guess this would be considered subjective, but I find life stories a fascinating source of inspiration. It’s a great way to reach people as it’s always relevant and relatable. Sometimes I listen to someone talk about their life, and I just get an idea for my next project.

Favorite color to use?

Although I don’t get to use it often, I would say *Grey. I believe it resembles the perspective of many situations in life, as not everything is clearly black or white; it’s always somewhere in the middle.

ARE THERE ANY RETAIL SHOPS YOU WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU BRAND IN?

I would love to see my brand in Dover street market, Liberty London and Primitive London. That would be the sign that says, “I’ve made it” for me.

ANOTHER BRAND THAT INSPIRES YOU AND WHY?

I do often take inspiration from other brands. However, two brands inspire me the most: Represent and Daily Paper. I like how authentic they are to their origin and how robust their brand presentation is.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AND THE BRAND IN 1 YEAR AND 5 YEARS?

I cannot say if I’m honest. Although I find myself guilty of wishful thinking sometimes, I try to avoid it. Instead, I try to focus on the moment. This way, I know I differentiate my outcome from most others who commonly envision success through similar goals, not realising they are following the same blueprint. I guess a simple answer to this would be; “I see my brand doing something different than most brands in five years.”

IN 5 WORDS OR LESS DESCRIBE YOUR BRAND?

Coterie, Life, Love, Grey