Today we’d like to introduce you to Calvin Bennett.
Calvin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Before May of 2017, I’ve never had any ambitions of working in the fashion industry. I certainly never envisioned starting my own clothing company. I’ve always had plans of being an entrepreneur and I knew it was time to take a leap and try something new. I always had a unique collection of vintage t-shirts that I would wear out and about that often got compliments from strangers. I remember spending entirely too much time on the internet trying to find eye-catching t-shirts to add to my collection. After spending countless hours trying to find the elusive ‘perfect shirt,’ it eventually dawned on me that I should be turning my interests into a business idea (I mean if you’re going to dedicate this much of your time to something, then you might as well make some money off of it). That’s when I made the decision to start my own clothing company. I knew absolutely nothing about what it took to start one but thats what Google and YouTube are for. With no real theme or direction, I began making designs for my clothing brand (which had yet to be named.) After about 15 designs, I started noticing a pattern – most of my designs had a pro-black theme to them. I decided that would be the direction I would continue in and became more intentional with the messages behind my designs. A few weeks later, I came up with a name for my brand, Civilly Righteous Clothing. I officially launched the company on July 1st, 2017 and the brand has been growing ever since.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has been far from smooth. I was confident that my brand would take off right away and make sales around the clock… It took me two weeks to receive my first order. The first order restored my confidence and I just knew the sales were about to roll in…. it took me two more weeks to make my second order. I have not always been the most patient person in the world so the lack of instant results was not easy to handle. Instead of calling it quits, I realized I needed to reevaluate my approach and learn more about the business of selling clothes.
Building my Instagram/social media following has also not been easy. I essentially started from scratch but had the same expectations that I had with my sales. I expected the followers to roll in and they definitely did not. It is very difficult to stand out on social media because there are so many startup clothing companies that are running ads and occupying space on everyone’s timelines. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out the type of content that caused people to stop scrolling and engage with what I posted. Things begin to get better and at this moment, I have just over 19,000 followers on Instagram.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Civilly Righteous Clothing – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Civilly Righteous Clothing is a brand that is centered around black culture. We aim to capture the diverse and influential nature of the culture. If you’re looking for an item that makes a statement on socially relevant issues, we’ve got you covered. If you’re looking for something that brings you a sense of nostalgia, we’ve got that too. If you want an item that pays tribute to a popular black figure, we’ve definitely got that! Civilly Righteous aims to give customers a way to express themselves through unique clothing items that they will be proud to wear.
We are proud to represent our people in a positive way. We have also started the “Clothing For A Cause” campaign. We have a collection of a few shirts that are sold to benefit nonprofit organizations. We donate a portion of our profits to these organizations once a month. The nonprofits work to end violence against black girls and women, prevent abuse and neglect of children, provide clean drinking water for the citizens of Flint, Michigan, and more! We don’t just want to be inspired by black culture, we want to give back to it too.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the creative spirit that exists within the city. Atlanta has become a hub and major influencer for the arts. With that being said, I believe the artistic industries that thrive here have also become oversaturated. This makes it a little harder to find the best but I believe the cream always rises to the top.
Contact Info:
- Website: civillyrighteous.com
- Email: cs@civillyrighteous.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/civillyrighteous/
- Facebook: facebook.com/civillyrighteous/
- Twitter: twitter.com/CivillyRight_/
Image Credit:
Photographer: Lexis Fay @iamlexisfay
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
