Wears My Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

We're back! Thank you so much your patience. For this weeks episode we were joined by Misi and Gigi, the co-founders of fashion consultancy, The Fashion Blueprint.

As you know starting a brand can be very difficult. So many things to do, questions to answer, things to order, etc, Gigi and Misi help people through this process via their consultancy. With both having studied fashion, worked in it or had their own brands, they have a wealth of knowledge to help clients navigate the difficult world of brand building.

The Fashion Blueprints impact goes even a step further as they help facilitate brands in becoming sustainable ones too! The fashion industry is a huge contributor to climate change which further shows the importance of the work Gigi and Misi are doing.

Throughout the episode the pair share what it takes to run a fashion consultancy full time. They delve in to many thing such as the importance of getting along with your business partner, understanding your value, having a 'why' and much, much more.

The pairs honesty, charm, passion and knowledge made for an incredible episode that you will not only enjoy but learn a huge amount from.

Since recording the pair have continued to help brands and build their consultancy! They recently launched TFB Studios, the arm of the consultancy which provides the infrastructure for brands to scale! I'm sure we'll see many independent brands reach new heights as a result of this!

Follow The fashion blueprint on instagram to learn how you can start or enhance your brand and follow Gigi and Misi to stay locked in with their TFB building journey.

For this weeks episode we were joined by Kev and Rajan, the co-founders of fashion content hub Thread Culture Blog.

If you haven't heard of the pair, you should really get to know! They create content that leverages fashion insight from your favourite fashion influencers alongside the everyday fashion enthusiast. The main way they do this is via their street interview content. Despite having only started the blog a few years ago they. have already managed to amass a following of over 100k across both Instagram and TikTok.

However their journey of course did not just start with the blog. Hailing from North West London, the pair have been friends since secondary school and have always been interested in fashion. Like many of the people you see on this podcast, they were inspired by the likes of ASAP Rocky and were fans of brands like Stussy and Supreme. This interest coupled in with a desire to make money led them to start their own clothing line - This was the actually beginning of Thread Culture Blog and the rest is history.

Given their nature of what the pair do, they've acquired a wealth of knowledge that can be beneficial to brand owners and those interested in fashion so it was this that formed the basis of the conversation. We discussed everything from what brands people on the streets are wearing the most,  why people choose to wear particular brands, what it takes to be a fashion content creator and much, much more!

The pair shared gems throughout and we had a real laugh whilst we were at it! The lads brought the energy and I'm sure this will be an enjoyable watch/listen for all of you!

Since recording the pair have continued to drop great content and we've also soon them do a couple collaborations with stores including BSTn in Brixton! I'm really enjoying watching their journey develop and I'm excited to see what their future holds. Could we see a return of the Thread Culture fashion brand... Could we see the start of a Thread Culture consultancy.... Who knows! But whatever it will be I'm sure it will be LIT so make sure you follow them up now on Instagram, TikTok and stay locked into their journey!

For this episode we were joined by Ibzz Cakir,  Co-Founder of streetwear brand SaintMind. 

Born to Kurdish parents in Turkey but raised in Scotland, Ibzz had always considered himself to be different to those around him. A difference that will later play a huge role in why he decided to start SaintMind, a brand with such an important meaning. Surrounded by hard workers like his parents and his uncle, Ibzz knew the value of such a trait and quickly decide that he wanted to take advantage of this by starting a business. 

At the age of 16 Ibzz started his first streetwear brand, King IC. Despite managing to hit nearly £20,000 in sales Ibzz had to unfortunately fold the brand due to legal issues. 

Now at a crossroads, Ibzz fell in with the wrong crowd and felt like he was destined for greater things. It is here that his current brand SaintMind was born. Started by him and his little brother, Ibzz wanted a brand that would represent his desire to always do good despite the situation or environment one is in. 

Throughout the episode Ibzz shares what he has had to do to build a thriving brand in a city that hasn’t really had a streetwear scene before. Ibzz recounts many moments where he has used his profile in the Edinburgh nightlife scene to position his brand as the one to wear in the city! Alongside what you should do to market your brand where you are and to the rest of the world.

After years of running the brand, SaintMind has grown into a thriving brand with customers all over the world! This journey has not been an easy one and I’m happy Ibzz shared how he has achieved this with us! 

Since recording SaintMind has gone from strength to strength! Ibzz shares that he and his brother are currently working on their next collection which will introduce something new to the brand so make sure you look out for it!
 
Follow Ibzz Instagram now to stay locked into his journey and follow the SaintMind brand to cop their latest collection!

For this episode we were joined by Nate Spiteri,  Founder of streetwear brand Three Thousand Clothing.

Hailing from Melbourne Australia, Nate had always been a streetwear enthusiast. Growing up he gravitated towards brands like Stussy and Supreme and it's this love that led to him starting his first brand with two of his childhood friends whilst at university. Nate himself admits that they didn't really know what they were doing at first but still managed to turn over $10,000 Australian dollars in sales which is very impressive considering the fact that the Melbourne streetwear scene was small and definitely not as prominent as the likes of New York and London.

Although Nates first brand eventually came to an end, it is here where Nate discovered how much he truly wanted to be successful in fashion. Enter Three Thousand Clothing! Nate decide to leave Melbourne and head over to London to build the brand as he felt this would be easier due to the vibrance and opportunity within the UK streetwear scene. Nate has definitely done just that, however it has not come without its challenges.

Throughout the episode Nate candidly shares what it has been liking trying to build a streetwear brand in a city that he is 'new' to. Did London live up to his expectations? How did he make connections? Were people as willing to help as he thought they'd be? Was the decision to leave Melbourne worth it? Listen now to hear Nate answer all these questions and more!

Throughout the conversation Nate shares the many keys he has picked up from building a brand from scratch in London. His perspective on brand building is very interesting and definitely one I am grateful to have heard.

Since recording Nate has just launched his 'Dream Chaser' collection! The work tells the story of Nate's decision to leave Melbourne to purse his own dream and references the skills needed to do so as well as referencing his experiences in London.

Follow Nate's instagram to stay locked into his journey and follow the Three Thousand Clothing brand page to check out the new collection now, you won't regret it! 

For this episode we were joined by the wonderful Alizé Demange, Stylist and Founder of A-D Creative.

Alizé has been a mainstay in the U.K styling scene for a while now and has an incredible story to tell. Alizé's story has been laced with setbacks but she has never let these stop her which is why she is in the position she is in today. Her talent and perseverance has led to her styling the likes of Wstrn, Jorja Smith, Maya Mama and many more of the country's biggest talent!

However, styling wasn't always part of the plan, it was actually fashion design that first peaked Alizé's interest. However due to some experiences that she shares in the episode, Alizé realised that she was much better suited to and more passionate about styling! Since this discovery, she has never looked back and years later has built up an incredible portfolio of work which spans across editorial, e-commerce, personal and more!

Throughout the episode Alizé candidly shares how long it took her to get to the position she's in and the sacrifices she made in order to do so. Her path was in no means linear and despite several setbacks and thoughts of quiting Alizé pushed through and is now successful and very well respected in the fashion scene.

What I loved most about this episode is how it showed that in Alizé being forced to take a real unconventional approach to break into the fashion industry, she no longer feels restricted by peoples perceptions or labels. This approach has led to Alizé also being a fashion influencer herself aswell as starting a number of initiatives which have supported young people to break into the industry!

If you need motivation and anymore proof that you can carve your own path in fashion then make sure to watch/listen to this episode!

Since recording Alizé has continued to create incredible fashion content alongside announcing the launch of her own podcast! Make sure you follow Alizé now to keep up to date with her journey! 

For this episode we were joined by FD From The Future,  content creator, presenter and designer!

Many of you would have first come across FD from the work he did with fashion platform Culted, interviewing people outside the Stitch pop up in Soho, however FD's journey most definitely did not start there!

Hailing from Crawley, Fabio Dessena, found himself interested in fashion, streetwear culture and hip-hop from an early age, brands like Bape and Supreme were a must have for FD and artists like Schoolboy Q and Mac Miller were people he looked up to. Such a passion led to FD aiming to have a career in the creative field and rapping became his first way in.

Whilst trying to become a well known rapper, FD found himself modelling and eventually getting signed to Storm, one of the most well-know modelling agency's in the country. FD used the connections he was making to get his name out there and the connections he would make in his modelling journey would pay dividends later down the line when his fashion content creating journey began.

FD has always been a sneakerhead and as you'll see from watching the episode when FD is passionate about something he has to pursue it! This led to FD starting his own  series called 'Forever stepping' a show where he would interview well known figures in the sneakerhead community - it is here where we get our first glimpses of the no f's given, crazy-ass question asking FD that we see today!

Throughout the episode FD transparently shares what makes him so driven to pursue his passions, the different situations he's been through which have made him the man he is today, what his long-term goal in fashion is and much, much more.

Throughout the conversation we learn how FD aims to leverage his growing audience to eventually launch his own brand, a brand that we are super excited for after recording this episode!

Since recording FD has continued to work tirelessly to build his audience and improve his craft. FD has added more huge brands to his long list of clients which already includes, Ebay, Nike, Complex and more! FD recently helped launch Artist OlaOlu Slawn's brand new cafe! The promo video is wavey, make sure you take it in!

Follow FD's instagram and TikTok to join his ever growing audience. Make sure you pay close attention to what he's putting out because his brand is coming soon and it's going to be BIG! 

For this episode we were joined by Tadii G,  Founder of luxury brand SvoSva!

Tadii was one of the first people we wanted on the podcast so it was an absolute pleasure and honour to finally chop it up with her. Her incredible brand coupled with her desire to share her story and help others makes her the perfect guest.

Growing up in Kent with dreams of becoming a paediatrician, a career in fashion was never on the cards for Tadii. However this all changed when she first realised that being her own boss was what she really wanted. From luckily stumbling across a business opportunity in selling tie-dye t-shirts, Tadii and her business partner, her fashionable brother, slowly turned this into a fully fledged brand which they named after their father.

As you'll realise from listening to this episode, Tadii has always been someone that has had to balance different things, this skill has enabled her to document her whole brand building journey on YouTube whilst also running the brand! The channel has amassed a huge following of nearly 20,000 people who have bought into Tadii's story whilst also learning how they can run their brands.

Tadii candidly shares why her YouTube channel is just as important to her as SvoSva and how launching the channel has also helped support her fashion career.

Throughout the conversation we learn more about what the SvoSva brand stands for, what Tadii's long term goal is for the brand and how she aims to build a real 'fashion community' in the U.K!

Since recording Tadii has continued to work on her brand and drop more great YouTube content. She is currently working on her new collection which we really look forward to seeing!

Follow Tadii's instagram to stay locked into her journey and subscribe to her YouTube channel now to learn how you can start a brand today! Join the SvoSva community now! 

For this episode we were joined by Benjamin Kyei,  Founder of luxury streetwear brand Gosse Au Coeur!

Benjamin is somebody I've wanted on the podcast from when we first launched a few years back so I'm super happy that we were able to make it happen. His brand is a true  illustration of his refined design skills and incredible taste level so it was definitely only a matter of time before we chopped it up.

Born in East London to Ghanaian parents who quickly realised that their son was a talented artist and also very in love with fashion, Benjamin's parent encouraged him to study art at Uni however he opted to follow his love for entrepreneurship and chose to study International business instead. It is during his studies where Benjamin started his first brand code nation with two of his closest friends. Although the lads chose to fold the brand, it is here where he learned many of the skills he now uses to run his current brand Gosse Au Coeur.

Being a huge fan of the late designer Virgil Abloh, it was only a matter of time before Benjamin launched his own brand and in 2017 Gosse Au Coeur was born! Translating to Kid at Heart in French, Benjamin aims to use fashion as the conduit to tell stories from his childhood and illustrate the pure, curious and positive essence of children.

Benjamin candidly shares anecdotes of what led him to where he is now, including his many nights 'studying' the rails in Selfridges, his time interning for Oswald Boateng and more.

Throughout the conversation Benjamin shares the main reasons he decided to start a brand with such a powerful message, how he learned to design/run a brand, how he uses colour in his work despite being colour blind and much, much more.

Since recording Benjamin has continued to grow as a designer and is about to launch his new collection - 'Life is beautiful'. He recently hosted a launch event for the collection which I had the pleasure of attending, the collection is sensational, both designs/quality are 10/10.

Follow Benjamin's instagram to stay locked into his journey and take in his incredible drip. Join the Gosse Au Coeur community now! 

For this episode we were joined by Ayotunde Rufai,  Founder of Jendaya, a luxury e-commerce platform targeting African consumers while also exposing African brands to the rest of the world.

Growing up in a traditional Nigerian household,  Ayo's path was arguably chosen for him, either become a banker, doctor or lawyer, you know how it goes! Ayo chose the first of the three and worked incredibly hard to get there despite always having an eye and huge passion for fashion. Ayo did believe that a life working in banking was what he wanted but his desire to do something fashion related was something he could not run from and has ultimately led to him being at the helm of a fast growing fashion e-commerce platform who recently raised £1 million in funding!

Ayo has an extensive story to tell already as you can imagine and he candidly takes us through his whole journey all the way from budding banker to fully fledged fashion entrepreneur. He shares what went into his decision to finally leave the banking world, the transferable skills he's taken from the corporate world, why he actually started Jendaya and much more.

Throughout the conversation it is clear to see how much Ayo believes in himself and more importantly how much of a risk taker he is. This is something I hope everyone takes from this episode. If you have an idea, know that at some point you may have to make drastic changes to your life in order for you to make this idea. a reality!

Since recording Ayo has continued to grow the Jendaya e-commerce platform, adding many more luxury brands to their ever growing list alongside working on another huge brand collaboration that we'll be seeing very soon!

Follow Ayo's instagram to stay locked into his journey growing Jendaya, and follow the Jendaya brand page to keep up to date with the incredible work they're doing and unique brands they're showcasing!

As some of you may know streetwear brand Corteiz recently celebrated it's 5th birthday!! 

You're probably thinking 'wow they've achieved this much and it's only been 5 years?!?' - Yes it has only been 5 years and we thought now is the perfect time look back on what they've achieved but more importantly what we think has enabled them to reach these heights. 

In this episode I (JT) share my thoughts on the many different things I think we, particularly other brand owners can learn from their success. These include the power of personal branding, the importance of leaning into your why, thinking big and much more! 

Hope you enjoy the episode and let us know what your thoughts are on Corteiz in the comments!