Today we’d like to introduce you to Autumn Vassell.
Hi Autumn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am originally from Michigan, born and raised in Detroit. I attended Michigan State University for undergrad and graduated in 2014 with a degree in Applied Engineering Sciences. From there, I have lived in Chicago and Cleveland for various career opportunities within my field of engineering. It was not until I went to graduate school to receive a MBA at Walsh University that the idea of entrepreneurship became a possibility. While in grad school, I went through a lot of life-changing events from losing my grandmother at the start of 2020 to the pandemic and to losing my full-time job all within a span of three months. I was truly at a very low point and knew I needed a change to turn things around. So, I decided to move to Atlanta to get a fresh start and to start a business with my best friend to pursue my entrepreneurial dreams. I moved to the Atlanta area in May 2020 for an engineering role at a new company and my clothing brand, Hard Designs, launched in June 2020. Since then many other dreams have also unfolded, and I can’t wait to share that with everyone.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all, entrepreneurship is not for the weak! In the beginning, both myself and Hard Design’s co-owner/my best friend, Heather Holden, had some tough losses during the height of the pandemic with us both losing loved ones during this time. I think somehow starting Hard Designs allowed us to find greater purpose and a complete distraction from the reality of what we lost. We both work full-time alongside running the business and it is tough to put our personal life aside amid everything else on our plates.
Also, I’d say while most might say starting a business is hard, I truly believe it’s keeping the business relevant that is the toughest. Keeping up with the trends, not being discouraged by failure, and not measuring our success to others was a truly critical part of having a clothing brand. We have made it a point to stay consistent with our customers by having pop-up shops in Detroit or coming out with a new collection every season because it is easy to lose their focus if we don’t stay dynamic. However, there has been so much trial and error that we have gotten used to the roller coaster of owning a business.
As you know, we’re big fans of Hard Designs LLC / Fall for Your Travels LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Hard Designs is an online clothing brand that originally started out with hand-made statement t-shirts. Since then, we have branched out into accessories and clothing. Our brand is known for relatable quotes and trendy clothing pieces that embody your fashion sense without having to explain it. As black women, I am truly most proud of being able to offer clothing to our community that they can relate to and feel good about. We are often told by our customers that our hoodies and tees have gotten them many compliments or started conversations. And that is the reason we started this brand, to encourage discussion and boost self-esteem within our customers.
In some other exciting news, Hard Designs will be taking on a new venture, swimwear! This new extension of the brand will be called SWIM. by Hard Designs. I think it is something our current customers will love as well as create a new customer base for us. We will be launching near our 2-year anniversary this summer so stayed tuned to find out about it!
Keeping the exciting news rolling, I have also decided to expand my entrepreneurial dreams even further by starting a new business of my own. While I love fashion and engineering, my true passion is travel and I have decided to start a business with it. Fall For Your Travels LLC will be a travel agency that books group travel specifically. Everything is still in the works, but I wanted to formally make that announcement because I am so happy that I took this leap of faith. I’d say entrepreneurship has opened a whole new world for me!
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Having a mentor is so important! I’ve had a few in my life and they’ve all helped me grow in some way or another. Also, networking is vital in our generation. Many doors can open just by knowing the right person, so I never take that for granted. But honestly, even if you don’t have a mentor or you’re not able to network, having a role model is key. My grandmother has been my role model my whole life and has always inspired my fashion sense as well as my desire to pursue my dreams.
Pricing:
- Hard Designs is always taking handmade custom t-shirt orders. Our pricing is structured as the following: • $30 per tee for up to 5 tees
- $25 per tee for 6-10 tees
- $20 per tee for 11-20 tees
- $15 per tee for 21-30 tees
- $10 per tee for 30+ tees
Contact Info:
- Email: autumnvassell@gmail.com, sales@harddesignsllc.com, fallforyourtravels@gmail.com
- Website: harddesignsllc.com
- Instagram: @fallforautumn, @hard_designs, @fallforyourtravels
