Blending business and fashion
What is your name and what do you do?
My name is Ini Peter-Olajide and an entrepreneur and the Owner and Founder of Chosen Ones a streetwear brand birthed in Edmonton and developed in Vancouver, British Columbia.
What Does Being a Black Creative Mean to You?
For me having the privilege to be a black creative is an opportunity to inspire, lead and break barriers. As black creatives, we are often overlooked and underestimated by default so we have to go above and beyond in our efforts to achieve our goals, visions and aspirations. Especially being a black creative in Canada, (in a field that is dominated by American creatives) it is that much more of a challenge to stand out and make your mark in this industry. Us black people have a stigma around us in society and it’s important as a black creative to show the upcoming generations and those that have their opinions about us that black people are gifted and talented just as any other person is. All in all I feel like being a black creative gives me the ability to take control of my story and express my journey as a black man navigating the world of entrepreneurship and fashion.
What inspired you to create a clothing brand?
My inspiration for starting a clothing brand came from my fashionable upbringing paired with my business acumen. Growing up, my mom always made sure I was the freshest kid in class and that taste for fashion grew on me as I got older. From my teenage obsession of sneakers and hypebeast fashion to my love for luxury apparel I always wanted to stand out through the way I dressed. That wanting to stand out through how I dressed was a projection of my inability to fit in. No matter where I went, I never seemed to fit into the crowd and I often struggled with finding people that I could identify with. I wanted to make a space for others who felt the same way and the best way I could think of was through my passion for fashion.
Who inspires your work/creative process?
People like Virgil Abloh and Clint419 inspire my work because frankly they’re the blueprint for a successful streetwear brand today. These creatives do a great job of mixing innovation with traditional fashion trends and I do my best to emulate their blueprint. I often find myself going back and studying Virgil’s lectures and designs to gain an insight on how he embedded his environment and lifestyle into his brands. I love what Clint’s done with Corteiz in how he’s built a cult fan base that truly lives behind the Corteiz way of life. Chosen One strives to make pieces and an environment where people that feel Chosen for a higher calling can identify with this movement. I definitely take inspiration from other fashion designers in the industry but these two have had the biggest impact on my creative journey as they are both creatives that look just like me and have broken countless barriers in the world of fashion.
Have you encountered any challenges as a clothing designer?
I have definitely had my fair share of struggles on my journey as a designer but they’ve all moulded me into the person I am today. From losing thousands of dollars to getting scammed by manufacturers, I’ve realised that being a clothing brand owner takes resilience and perseverance like no other. There have been many times where I wondered if this clothing thing was actually going to work but I just had to push those thoughts to the side and keep pushing through whatever I was going through at the time.
Advice for Upcoming Clothing Brand Owners?
TAKE YOUR TIME! Trust me when I tell you, there is no rush! It took me over 6 months to perfect one piece and release it to the world. You’re going to go through many failed samples, before you find the one and that’s ok. Clothing Brands are not the get-rich-quick scheme the internet portrays it to be and you have to put real hours behind the business to see the fruits of it. Take your time to perfect your pieces and only put out your best work into the world.
Surround yourself with life-minded individuals that are on similar paths to you so that you guys can bounce ideas off each other and grow together. It’s important to realise that you’re not alone in this clothing brand journey and that building connections with peers in the space is only an asset to you now and in the future of your brand. Your net worth is your network so put yourself out there and meet new connections
Last but not least, DON’T WORRY ABOUT PEOPLE’S OPINIONS! I know when starting out a brand, there are going to be people that laugh at you and underestimate your drive to make your brand successful…they’re merely projecting their fear of chasing their dreams. At times even the closest people to you don’t believe that you can truly make it happen with your clothing brand but at the end of the day only YOU can see your vision and only YOU have the ability to make it a reality. Trust the process, keep your head down and just work!