Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Partee.
Hi Carlos, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was in high school working at Foot Locker and making custom shirts for close friends. After I graduated high school, I decided to take it serious and start my first brand (Connoisseur Fashion which is Connoisseur Culture now). We did a few pop-up shop tours, fashion shows and art exhibits as a streetwear brand. We thought it would be a good idea to turn it into a cut and sew brand. I took sewing classes and searched for mentors but in the process, we ran out of money. In the meantime, I noticed my hometown was suffering for it’s identity; our culture, history and heritage was slowly being wiped away due to gentrification. I started the brand Cashvilleetc ($VILLE), which was a no-brainier because it’s been our cities nickname since I was a kid. We needed our identity back so the $VILLE logo was born and started taking over the city through social media, Fashion shows, Pop Up Shops and word of mouth. We wanted to put a spotlight on gentrification and how it was disrupting our city. Cashvilleetc’s goal is to tell Nashville’s forgotten story through merchandise, media and curated events. That’s what we’ve been doing with our recent collaborations and releases over the last few years.
Giving something back to the people, something they can feel proud of and represent when they’re in or out of town. I’ve also been djing and producing music since high school. Performing and producing with local artists inside and outside of TN music is something I’ve always enjoyed doing. While running the brand, I started facilitating entrepreneurship classes for a non-profit named Corner To Corner. Where I teach aspiring and seasoned business owners about running and scaling a business. Each class I taught I would create a new business model or see an opportunity for a new business concept. Along the way, I’ve created brands like The Nashville Black Market, which is an expo event my business partner and I created here in Nashville. Which provides a platform for Black businesses and Entrepreneurs to advertise, network and sell their products. Creating a safe haven for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses, the last expo, we raised over 30k in 5 hours. Our 5th NBM event will be on July 3rd, and we’re expecting a huge turnout from the community. During the pandemic, I developed another business based on my passion for holistic health and plant-based diet. I would create these concoctions and remedies to heal pain and ailments for myself and family. Herbal tea blends became my obsession and morning ritual. Mixing herbs and blends to heal myself and to ease my anxiety. I created “Tea by Partee,” a new product by Partee Food and Beverage Company, which I’ll be releasing on my birthday, April 14th.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been times where I would want to give up or think I should just get a 9-5 like everybody else. Being a young black entrepreneur, sometimes it’s hard finding people who will give you advice or mentorship. Starting out it was not a lot of people doing what I do in my city I can look to for help. My journey has been a lot of trial and error, throwing things at the wall to see if it sticks. If I had the knowledge I have now back then, I would be a lot further in my business, so I always try and give game whenever I can. Over time, I started building relationships with mentors or peers I can look to for guidance and accountability.
As you know, we’re big fans of Cashvilleetc. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Cashvilleetc is a lifestyle company which tells Nashville’s forgotten story through curated events, media and merchandise. We’re building a platform for Tennessee’s bubbling culture, giving others opportunities through our content. We started dedicating our collections to places that have been gentrified or stories that need to be told. Cashvilleetc is well known for it’s social media presence, putting a spotlight on the history of southern culture. We’re telling the stories that people forgot about or have never been heard before, like the historic Jefferson St, which produced the artists like Jimmi Hendrix, Etta James, James Brown and more.
What’s next?
2021 I’m focusing on quality merchandise, telling more stories about Nashville’s rich history and events that brings community and culture together. Scaling and executing multiple businesses at the same time is the goal. Looking to open a brick-and-mortar location for Cashvilleetc, a place where we can continue to cultivate Nashville’s culture. Partee Food and Beverage will be rolling out this April and products will be hitting the shelves soon. The Nashville Black Market is returning July 3rd, at Hadley Park, which is one of the first African American Park’s in the south.
Pricing:
- Vendor Booths for Nashville Black Market are starting at $80 for Food Trucks and $100 for Vendor booths
- Cashvilleetc merchandise ranges from anywhere to $5 for accessories like car freshners up to $80 for hoodies and jumpsuits
- Tea By Partee tea bags start out at $8 for 3 signature herbal blends
Contact Info:
- Email: cashvilleetc@gmail.com
- Website: www.cashvilleetc.com
- Instagram: Im_Loso
- Facebook: cashvilleetc
- Twitter: cashville_etc
- Youtube: cashvilleetc
- SoundCloud: cashvilleetc
Image Credits
@orgnzd.visuals @danielmeigs @goricazivak_ @rxchporter
