Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Tullos.
Kyle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
How I got started was multifactorial. I grew up around many big personality women in my family who have/had a larger-than-life style(fashion). My mom, grandmother(Nan – mom’s mom), and two of Nan’s sisters, Maye, and Faye are/were all gregarious go-getter women dressed for life. All big hair that was always perfectly tamed, coordinating outfits and accessories, and shoes that would always turn heads. Oh and don’t forget the makeup they could beat their mugs within an inch of their lives. These women in my life really impacted me at a young age with my interest in fashion. I saw a lot of really great things and a lot of problems with the things they wore. I am a naturally creative person and someone who enjoys problem-solving so seeing where things fell short made my brain run wild. When I was growing up in the 90s there wasn’t a whole lot of options for things to troubleshoot clothing malfunctions, bad craftsmanship, or makeup color matching for the everyday woman. So I would help the women in my family find creative ways to fix their problems. A fun side-story about makeup is one of the reasons why I have buildable and blendable products.
One day I was in my mom’s bathroom with her while she was finishing getting ready. She never would go out in public unless she was 100% “done up”. So we are running late and my mom is trying to rush to finish getting me ready to her liking, I was about 8 or 9 at the time, and finish getting herself ready. We were running late, she is yelling for my brothers and sister to get in the car and she wanted to finish with a little blush. Well blush back then was, let’s call a spade a spade, potent and she with her giant kabuki brush swirled around the pan a couple of times and tapped off the access. Then as you can imagine she gave her right cheek a good couple of swipes, and let’s just say her and an 80s hair metal band weren’t so distant cousins at that point. So since we were running late she just did the same on the other cheek, scoffed at the mirror, and away we went. My mom was quite upset and bothered because after so much work of getting her makeup just right the finishing touch was her coup de gras. This moment made me think if she had something that could start off softer and build to bold, her day wouldn’t have been ruined like that again.
The second reason how I got started was in part to one of my very first jobs, which was at a vintage store, selling and styling Vintage Clothing. The store was called Polyesters Closet(Clever name right?). The owner Sandra “Polly” and her daughter Jen saw how much I truly loved the meticulously curated clothes and how easily I could put together looks that they could only dream of creating. So they gave me free rein to dress the store and people to my heart’s desire. I would study the books Polly had in the store about different eras and fabrics, and study the people who came into the store. Carefully watch what they touched and elated about and what they didn’t like for one reason or another. I also was very good at understanding color theory, people’s skin tone and undertones, and how to dress someone with their personality. This combination made me a killer seller and stylist. Vintage designers really got most things right.This late teen to early 20s bout of untapped creativity really helped me to understand my creative process, how to listen to people’s fashion desires, and how to trust my creative instincts.
Lastly and most recently the people in my LGBTQ+ community got me started. There are so many people of all ages past and present in my community that have given me inspiration: from trans people, to drag entertainers, historians, and youth alike. There is something about marginalization that can often seed magic. I am from a small town, with people who unfortunately often have “small minds”. Being a boisterous, non-atypical “masculine” man, who is giving to a fault and creative didn’t lend well to me. I knew very little about my community’s history except for a few highlight points(Thanks to my friend Darv.) and had no place to be unapologetically myself. When I moved to Atlanta and started getting involved in the community via exploring bars and clubs, volunteering with queer organizations such as The Legendary Armorettes, Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo, and Lost-n – Found Youth just to name a few. And learning the history of my community through historians and activitist I really started to grow as an individual. They help me hone my individuality and I felt it was okay to be bold. Surendipdously through my community actions, my business partner Bradley Eaton and my marketing director Tillie Carrara discovered me. Unbenounced to me they had been keeping a watchful eye over what I was doing with my brand and how I was going about it. Bradley approached me one day and asked me about what I was doing and what I wanted to do with the brand and about my ideas. (Frankly I overwhelmed the poor man because when I get to talking about my ideas…you are going to be there awhile.) And after a while of us talking he decided to invest in me. Tillie who was a friend already and a marketing guru came on soon after to lend her expertise and idea wrangling(for my sake) to the brand.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has been a tough one that is for sure! We really got going right before the pandemic and not really knowing what was going to happen just ahead in the very near future really put a wrench in our plans. One of the most difficult things is logistics and getting products manufactured on time. We have struggled with that from the get-go. The most influential arm of the business which is also our most popular brand builder. The manufacturer that I chose was based out of Mumbai, India. The owner was brilliant and kind at the beginning but that blinded me in the end. All of our handbags were made by hand of either Vegan Leather or Italian Leather. They constructed beautiful bags but never ever were on time for delivery of goods when we needed them. This cost us greatly because every time a store or company owner was interested we couldn’t meet the demand because I would get jerked around with excuse after excuse from our manufacturer. Even fulfilling customer orders was hard because customers would order bags that we were supposed to already have in stock and the fulfillment date would always get pushed back further and further. Finally, we got the first half of a large order and then we were waiting on the second half, when another pile of excuses came of why it was taking 4 months to complete 50 bags. Next came a long period of being ghosted for a few months only to be told after all that time they were shutting down their factory and moving to China. So needless to say we never got our bags. As of the past 6 months, the business has been on the back burner as we all have been busy with new jobs and recalibrating ourselves. I have been in the process of vetting a new handbag manufacturer, and I think I have finally found the right one to make my beautiful, bold, creations) , by hand with the finest materials to life again.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My creativity is both boundless and limited. I have moments where I can’t stop creating and I have moments where I refine previous creations or I get stuck on nothing. Most of the time my creative mind is in 10 different places thinking about 10 different things simultaneously and bouncing from one idea to the next and back again.(Which drives Bradley and Tillie nuts when I try to explain things to them.) What we do is we make what I call “Hit Pieces”. What that means is that the pieces I design are meant to hit and stand out. So if you are someone who is loud and likes multiple bold pieces in one outfit it can hit above its weight. (Sports reference.). Or if you like to dress a little more simply and you want an accessory to catch people’s eye and hint at your personality that is what we do. What we specialize in is bold colors and patterns, with occasional mixes that are unconventional to most but work when placed just right. The brand is a lifestyle brand that has a life of its own that also blends into yours. The thing that I am most proud of is the creation of my reality.
Often times I have shuttered myself for others’ growth and this was one thing where I let my own light shine through. We have made it three years through a pandemic. Even though we have yet to turn a profit I still believe in the power of the brand and the joy it has brought to people already and will continue to bring to people in the future. I have a signature bag that will be the brand’s flagship bag that’s going to be released in our relaunch and that bag will take the world by storm, I just know it! I am also super proud that I created and had a professional film crew shoot a commercial for my brand that is on Hulu! As far as what makes us stand out from others, it’s definitely my motto for the brand which is also my reality. Be Bold, Beautiful, and Unapologetically You! I don’t follow trends I follow my instincts. I listen to what people complain about or what people like and I mesh my mind’s ideas and practicality. Uniqueness and Utilitarian together in one brand.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Many of my favorite childhood memories revolve around my Aunt Nancy! She is someone who never tries to dampen my light. Hell, most of the time she was standing next to me with a gas can ready to give me a little juice when I needed it the most. I have so so so many memories of spending the night with her on Friday or Saturday nights when I was younger. She would always have some games for us to play and creative activities to do. Then when we would wake up in the morning we would either go to Shipley’s Donuts (Best Donuts on Planet Earth) and get our favorites, which were, lemon-filled donuts and donut holes with the perfect sour OJ they always have. Or we would go to McDonald’s and get a sausage and cheese biscuit with grape jelly and two hashbrowns. When I wasn’t spending the night with her we would just go driving around town on our own little adventures. We explored neighborhoods, and people watch and make up our own stories about the folks we saw, and cook for our family and friends. Spending time with my Aunt Nancy always brings a smile to my face and definitely influenced me as a person and a creative today.
Pricing:
- Handbags are from: $99 – $300
- Shoes are from: $ 175 – $350
- Makeup is from: $8 – $40
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tradeatl.com
- Instagram: @tradeatl
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/tradeatl
Image Credits:
Photo #1: The model getting makeup done is Rita Marzahl on the Trade ATL Hulu commercial shoot. Photo #2: Love and Death Print – Ginger Crossbody Bag Photo #3: The “Trade Above” Platform Wedge Photo #4: Featuring Local Singing Artist Mykel T Brooks wearing the “Day Trade” high-top sneakers. Photo #5: Featuring Sunset- Cheek Tint, Mirage Eyeshadow Palette, and Aphrodite Liquid Lipstick Photo #6: Featuring Local Singing Artist Krisean Woods with Orlando Envelope Tote and Trade ATL Makeup Photo #7: Feature RuPaul’s Drag Race Alum Ms. Jasmine Masters wearing Denim Darling Eyeshadow Palette, Amorous Liquid Lipstick, Cinnamon Toast Cheek Tint, and Earth Galatic Gloss. Photo #8: Featuring Model Mara Nicole carrying Tillie Tote in the Evelyn Print and Trade ATL Makeup
