Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Keasler.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I guess it’s hard to say when I really got started designing clothes…I’ve always wanted to have my own clothing line. Atlanta’s always been hub for culture, especially black culture, so growing up there as a kid, I remember seeing all of the rappers and other celebrities wearing the coolest outfits and wanting to be like them. I was sketching different t-shirt designs and trying to come up with brand names as early as 4th grade. So in a way, I’ve been preparing for this for very long time. Bad Sushi, specifically, was founded near the end 2015. My family had recently relocated from Riverdale to a town right outside of Clemson, South Carolina. I was in online college at the time and wasn’t working, so I had a good bit of downtime that I started using to better my graphic design skills. That I acquired while serving in the Army as a photographer and videographer. I started designing a lot of random characters but noticed that they all had a similar theme. After a few weeks, I made the decision to start a clothing line that included some of the designs on shirts, hats, etc.
A lot of my designs were inspired by what I saw from various streetwear brands growing up such as Billionaire Boys Club, A Bathing Ape(BAPE), Sean John, FUBU…all the brands I thought were cool as a kid. I also drew huge inspiration from various style characteristics of anime. Vibrant colors, distinct designs, dynamic characters and bold letters. The designs came to me pretty easily, but it honestly took a few months to figure out a name for the brand. Then one day it just came to me.
“bad sushi”.
It was random but still sounded cool. Simple, but it stood out. There really wasn’t any deep meaning behind it. It just vaguely represented what the brand was. I saw “bad” as more of the streetwear/cool side and “sushi” as the anime/cartoonist art influence. It came to me that day, and it’s never changed.
For the first year or so after the brand was founded, I just focused on my designs. I had no idea about getting manufacturers, or trademarks, or anything on the business side. I just knew I wanted to create. So, I started buying blank t-shirts and iron on transfer paper from Walmart to make my own bad sushi tees…at least two or three a day. Different colors and different designs, anything I could come up with. I had boxes full of them.
That was 2016, and since then I’ve just focused on growing the brand. I’ve gone through logo changes, style changes, having to do some soul searching, reinventing the brand, learning about trademarks and product manufacturing, and officially launching in September of 2020 with an online store. In the year since launching, I’ve released a few collections and made my first couple thousand dollars in sales. I’ve got big plans for 2022.
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 definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Haha! But it’s been a necessary one. I’ve had to learn a lot. I think the biggest struggle has been figuring out how to run a business. For the most part designing comes naturally, but there’s no step-by-step manual on how to start a successful streetwear business. Or any business. I had to research everything. I didn’t know the difference between trademarks and copyrights…or how to set up an online store…or where to get clothing tags made. And when you don’t know certain things, you can’t really keep progressing to another level until you figure them out. It was really frustrating at times, and sometimes it still is. I’ve just been learning as I go, but with that there’s a lot of room for error. Aside from that, the figuring everything out financially was definitely a struggle. I know there’s all these YouTube series and whatnot about “starting a clothing line with $100”, but it takes a lot of money to really run a business. Especially one that involves selling and promoting a product that you created. Getting clothes produced isn’t cheap. Neither is filing for an LLC or trademark. I’ve had to sacrifice a lot of things to make sure I could afford to expand my brand, but it’s all been worth it.
As you know, we’re big fans of Bad Sushi. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Bad Sushi™ is my streetwear line…my stamp on the fashion world. Even though I’ve lived all over the country(and world) since it was founded, I like to call it “Atlanta’s Own” because that’s my hometown. It’s where all the creativity and dreams first started. New York has Supreme, Cali has Stussy, Japan has BAPE, and Atlanta has Bad Sushi™. As of today, I’ve released two different collections- the SUSHI collection and the Racing Team collection. I’m planning on a new release for Spring/Summer ’22. Right now
If there was one thing I want the world to know about Bad Sushi™ it’s that the focus of the brand will always be pushing creativity. I don’t see myself ever putting something out with a boring design or something that doesn’t push some kind of boundaries. I want the brand to be fun and for people to be able to genuinely enjoy the products. Whether it’s a hat, jacket, or t-shirt. For them to be like “Oh, that’s really cool. I need that in my closet”. It’s cool to know that people can love something that you create enough to wear it on their bodies.
I think what sets Bad Sushi™ apart from other brands is that majority of my products include some kind of anime-ish design. That’s really the foundation of the brand, artistically. It’s not a gimmick. I really want to stick to it. I also think that’s what I’m the most proud of; that I was able to infuse regular things that I like to draw…that my kid likes to draw…with everyday streetwear staples like basketball jerseys and trucker hats.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I’ve been supported by my family and friends ever since I founded my brand. Whether they were wearing a t-shirt for a photoshoot, sharing a post about my newest collection, or helping me fulfill orders and ship packages. It’s made a world of difference, especially having a brand that’s just getting started. I definitely wouldn’t have gotten to this point without the support. They’ve pushed me to keep going at times when things weren’t going my way or when I wasn’t motivated. Having support is probably the most important thing when you’re starting a business. Knowing that other people believe in you pushes you to go harder and to keep believing in yourself.
My wife, Vanessa, has been there since day one; before Bad Sushi even had a name. She’s literally helped me with everything. I can’t even highlight something because it’s literally been EVERYTHING. Our daughter Taylor is 11, but even still… she’s posed for way more photos than she’s probably wanted to and has helped me do a few designs. I like to say she’s my unofficial first employee. My parents, siblings, cousins, and close friends have all helped me somewhere on the way and I appreciate them all.
Contact Info:
- Email: officialbadsushi@gmail.com
- Website: officialbadsushi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badsushiofficial/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/officialbadsushi/
