Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucius Firmin.
Lucius, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I decided to combine my love of fashion with the message I had at hand. During my freshman year of high school, I was assigned to a project to create my own brand in any industry. Because of my love for fashion, I chose a clothing brand. At the time, I called it VOLUME Clothing. It was the perfect blend of street art and streetwear. The idea was to print art/murals on clothes so that it can speak volumes to those who saw it. I created my own financial statements and cost of production to see how a clothing brand would do. Because of this, I was able to use those same skills and do the same with my own brand. As a freshman in college studying business, I was then able to handle everything on my own from designs to calculating statements.
One day, my family and I were discussing Kanye West’s decision to support/vote for President Trump. We all completely disagreed with his decision. When the discussion escalated, someone at the table mentioned that they do not like Kanye as a person because of what Kanye believed in. But they never met Kanye so how can you know that you dislike them as a person. This made me realize that many people do the same thing and tend to tune out any opinion that is not theirs. But to achieve change, we must start accepting views. That is when I thought of CRAV* (Change Requires Accepting Views) Industries.
I was one of those kids who had to pick out their outfits for themselves and would cry if my parents made me wear a bad fit to school. I knew then that I took fashion very seriously and wanted to be in control of what I wore. I’ve always worn clothes that have a statement with it and even won Best Dressed in high school. It has always been a dream of mine to start a clothing brand so it was only right to do it now. That is why you notice that almost every product has a message to it. Every time I walk out of the house with my shirt or hats, they got compliments/looks because it is not just a logo slapped on a tee but a message that resonates with many people. Also, it is not just fashion; I aim to put out but media as well. Black people are constantly misrepresented in media and we need to start bettering our image with our power. That is why you see videos along with each drop.
I started drafting up different shirt ideas and posting them to Instagram to see how people would react. Once I got the positive reactions I did, I knew I had to make it happen. I finally released the first collection in July and less than a month later. I have 4 NBA players as customers. My first collection sold out within the first few days and I had to immediately restock. My restock is on it’s way out and I may have to restock one last time before I drop the next collection.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has been a fairly smooth road to where I am. The only struggles I have faced is my age. It is hard having such a powerful message to spread being such a young age. Many people might not listen or have gone through experiences that demotivate them to not believing a good outcome. Since my message regards a peaceful narrative that preaches the possibility of world peace, it is often looked at as inevitable or unreasonable. But every time I wear one of the shirts outside, people notice it because it makes a statement. That is the goal and the struggle is getting the message to resonate while making it aesthetically pleasing enough for people to want to wear.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with CRAV* Industries – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
CRAV* Industries is a Clothing and Media outlet. I aim to make the ideas behind CRAV* self-explanatory. In order to achieve change, we must work as a unit to accept our different views. Each person was raised with completely different experiences than the other and people have to start working on their open-mindedness to understand that a difference in opinion is okay. The ideas came from seeing such a divide in this world (whether it be black or white, Christian vs. Muslim, Dog vs. Cat, etc.) and people tend to tune out any idea that is not their own. If we were all the same, the world would hold no substance and I believe it is my duty to help spread the message of togetherness through times like now where people can easily find hatred in almost anything and further divide our people. Our media portion of the brand will be more reflected in the coming collections so as of now, we are more known for our clothing portion.
When CRAV* had just released some of the designs to the public, I got a message from a few people saying that the message resonated so deeply that it was something that made them inspired and hopeful for the future. Messages like those are my biggest accomplishments because that is the reason CRAV* was even started. As for some business-oriented accomplishments, we have had 4 NBA customers and 1 WNBA customer.
The fact that CRAV* has a message that can relate to everyone is what sets us apart from other companies. When asked who CRAV’s target audience is, the answer is simply anyone who seeks change for the betterment of themselves and society. The quality of each product is well cared for from the production to the packaging. As a creator, it is important to put my full heart into anything I put out.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I like how much our city supports each other. If someone sees that another person has something going for themselves, they work very hard to help get them to reach their goal. Whether it’s music, clothing, art, etc. people here love to support. With small businesses, especially black-owned, that is the best thing you can do.
The only thing not to like about our city is how competitive it is. Many people have something going on for themselves. Therefore it is hard to get exposure when that exposure can easily be going to many other brands. But it only adds that more of a challenge and will push you to be the greatest for yourself and your brand!
Pricing:
- Oversized Tee Shirts (Best Sellers): $40 each
- Hats: $30
- Shorts: $55
- Sweatpants: $65
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cravindustries.com
- Email: cravindustries@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cravindustries/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CravIndustries
Image Credit:
CRAV Industries
Melvin Rosario
Jasselle Garcia
Jamil Davis
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