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Meet Giovanni Brown of Solo Altitude Clothing & Co in Nashville

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Giovanni Brown.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Giovanni. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was a kid, I remember seeing music videos with multiple artists wearing different custom made apparel like jackets, jeans, and shoes. So naturally, any child would want the same look and style. My personal issue was that we couldn’t afford the latest fashion because most of the extra income was spent on me and my sisters extra curricular activities during school. My days consisted of mostly workouts and practice, but I always had a passion for art. There were days that I would go straight home and stay up all night sketching. My dad was working in the school system as a substitute teacher and my mom was working management in the food industry. With them not necessarily having the extra funds to buy the latest fashion, I had to bite the bullet until I came up with a game plan to initiate a hustle. I had to think of ways to get what I wanted without having to depend on my parents or anyone else. I would say around the age of 14, I started to customize clothes for myself and it gained attention, so I started to get request from my peers. It eventually turned into a side hustle that allowed me to have a small income for myself.

Fast forward to 2010, and Solo Altitude was established in a dorm room on MTSU campus where I was attending college for marketing. In addition to class, I was hosting events off-campus that would continue to help fund the brand that was still in the beginning stages of business. Still working through some of the kinks with production, design, and overall service, which reflected why sales were stagnant and weren’t reaching outside of local areas. As of today, we have improved our strategies that have allow us to ship product globally.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
In the process of building the brand, there have been a few obstacles that I have had to overcome. While still being focused on school, I was also working on building Solo Altitude, all the while still hosting events, and now starting my own family with my wife and son. The hardest part during this time was losing five immediate family members over a 4-year span.

Emotionally, 2016 took the hardest toll on me. I lost my grandmother in June and coming back two months later, I then lost my mother. Having lost my grandmother, the rock of the family, I knew it was going to shift the structure of the family. So then, the only parental support I had left was gone too. Aside from dealing with personal circumstances, there were inevitable hang-ups from all aspects within the company. With all of these things working against me, I had to find a motivation to help me push forward. I knew I had a passion for bringing creative ideas to life, and when I was eventually laid off from corporate America, I knew that was something I never wanted to have to revisit.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Solo Altitude Clothing & Co – what should we know?
Solo Altitude was established in 2010 in Middle Tennessee with a vision to produce affordable, unique, and most importantly, high-quality apparel for any occasion and season. We specialize in going above and beyond for our customers with the time, effort, and dedication to assure that you get the best product. We are know for our simplistic designs and bold colors. Our attention to detail and appreciation for quality is what we pride the “CLOUD” logo on.

Growing up, we always wanted things to match but at the same time, we all know sometimes “less is more.” From time to time, even I like to pop out with a little flare in my style, but overall I like to keep it simple. So in my designs, I try to envision myself into the customer’s shoes and think about “what is simple and refreshing, yet its still dope.” In our latest collection, we touch on being proud and acknowledging where you come from, but at the same time bringing people together with a non-traditional icebreaker. – THE BRED COLLECTION

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Definitely has been a huge village of mentors, supporters and teammates that have been helping over the years. The list is honestly too long to go down one by one but they know who they’re and I thank you everyday for believing in the dream and fueling the vehicle with the gas we needed!

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
@YoBreezye
@LarreiuLenz
@The_Houston_Project
@IamTomp
@Worldof.ox

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