Local StoriesMarch 23, 2022

Conversations with Trinity Smith

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Trinity Smith.

Hi Trinity, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself?

Hello everyone, my name is Trinity Smith. I am 19 years and born and raised in Atlanta. I am also the proud owner of Kawaii By Trinity. I’ve always enjoyed painting and accumulated a lot of artwork throughout high school. I always felt that I could do more with my art than leaving it on a canvas. I then decided I wanted to put my paintings on t-shirts. After a month of quarantine, I had nothing but time and researched what I would need to start making T-shirts. I also looked at other graphic tee brands for inspiration. I was most inspired by the brand Golf Wang and the colorful aesthetic and wanted my brand to be similar. At that point, I knew how I wanted the brand to look but I didn’t know what to call it. At the time, I was studying Japanese and wanted to incorporate my interest in Japanese culture into my brand. I settled on the name Kawaii By Trinity. Kawaii means “cute” in Japanese and fits the aesthetic of my clothing line. After I had the name, I started the process of registering my business, copywriting and production. I made the first batch of shorts myself and had a photoshop r with them. I was proud of my work but knew It could be even higher quality. I decided to push my launch date back to get my designs remade by manufacturers. The quality of the shirts and hoodies were thicker and lasted longer. A Kawaii By Trinity tag was also embroidered on the bottom left corner of every garment. After the new garments were made, I took product pictures and officially launched my business November 6, 2020!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My biggest obstacle was staying motivated to start the business and not get distracted. I knew I struck gold when I was continuously feeling unmotivated and becoming distracted by other things. When your about to reach your destiny, the devil tries to stop you. I knew I was at the finish line and I couldn’t let nothing keep me from crossing. Although it was a difficult and long process starting my business and waiting for things to come together, it was all worth it.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My love for expanding my art into other platforms not only inspired me to start Kawaii By Trinity but to attend SCAD. I am a 2D animation major and film and television minor at Savannah college of art and design. Storytelling is another form of art which I love. I will take what I learn from SCAD and make animations and films that inspire others to reach their destiny.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I absolutely couldn’t of started this company alone. My parents have been my biggest support system and invested their money into my business. They encouraged me to continue working on my business and my mom stayed up until 4am with me to help me make the shirts. My friend Zion Vital was the photographer for my first photoshoot and edited all of the pictures. Zian, Paris, Sydni, Joel, and Nick modeled in my first shoot. Arianna lampkins helped me build my website. Jonci Hopson filed my trademarks. My friends and extended family supported me and showed me love even before my products were out. The biggest shout-out goes to God for giving me the idea and putting these lovely people in my life to help make my dream a reality.

Pricing:

Beanies $12
T-shirts $55
Long sleeves $65
Hoodies $90-95

Contact Info:

Email: Kawaiibytrinity@gmail.com
Website: https://www.kawaiibytrinity.com/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kawaiibytrinity?utm_medium=copy_link
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kawaiibytrinity/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kawaiibytrinity?s=21
Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCRvKofhxU4lLJS9HvQn4N6w
Other: https://instagram.com/iamkawaiibytrinity?utm_medium=copy_link

Image Credits
Isis mayfield Zion Vital Trinity Smith

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