Today we’d like to introduce you to Talik Pickering.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Talik. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started the CRWNED clothing brand in September of 2019. This is something I have always wanted to do but my fear of putting out designs that people wouldn’t buy stopped me from pursuing it earlier. One day something just click inside of me and I decided I was going to start my brand. Originally I had the thought that I would just give a graphic designer my ideas and allow them to make designs so that I place them on clothing but I quickly realized that the way I see things in my own head may not be how I get if from a graphic designer. Using a graphic designer would also cost me money for each design I thought of no matter if I wanted to use it or not. I knew for me to be committed to starting this brand I had to learn how to design on my own. I spent hours on YouTube watching “how to” videos learning different programs to create graphic designs. Once I got the basics down, I jumped right in and starting making shirts.
After I felt good about a few shirt designs, I went ahead and created my social media pages and a website to start selling. Everything that I have made the brand into today has come about very organically. Some may say that you should think about what your brand means before you start to move forward with it but I took the approach of jumping right in and through creating I found the purpose naturally. The only thing that I was certain about with the brand in the beginning was the name CRWNED, which is short for Crowned. All I knew was that I wanted to be a brand that identified with being the best you can be at whatever it is you do. Being CRWNED means you made it to the top or at least felt like you are the best at what you do.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think the time so far for me and my brand has been fairly smooth. I find gratification in making a shirt that somebody compliments me on or that somebody actually buys and wants to wear it. Up to this point, I have gotten a lot of positive feedback and support. The only struggle that I have had so far is reaching people outside my network and occasionally finding all the resources to complete an idea I may have.
CRWNED – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
CRWNED is a streetwear clothing brand that sells graphic t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, hats, socks and accessories. We pride ourselves on being innovative and original in our designs. We are constantly trying to make the next best design and even though we are a very small brand at the moment, we think about competing with the large brands that have been around for years now. We also push the message to “Take The World” The meaning behind this message is simply the world is yours so take it. Whatever you do, do it to your best abilities in which you would deserve a crown.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
We are still an upcoming brand that is not even a year in as of yet so I think it is very important to have realistic markers and always trend upwards. This doesn’t always equate to profit for me it could also come in forms of opportunities. Right now, we measure our success with the steady increase of orders, opportunities that are starting to pick up for us and the genuine support that we have been blessed with up to this point.
Contact Info:
- Website: Crwned.com
- Email: urcrowned@gmail.com
- Instagram: @ur_crwned
- Facebook: @urcrwned
- Twitter: @ur_crwned
Image Credit:
Talik Pickering
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