Forbes - How This Fashion Designer Went From Studying Neuroscience To Dressing Beyonce
Brandon Blackwood, a celebrity designer and founder of Brandon Blackwood New York, shares his journey of building a luxury bag brand from a modest start with $7,000. He emphasizes the importance of self-funding and organic growth, highlighting how his brand was propelled into the spotlight with the viral success of his 'End Systemic Racism' bag following George Floyd's murder. Blackwood discusses the challenges and strategies of maintaining brand ownership without external investors, focusing on direct-to-consumer sales and leveraging viral moments to expand his product line. He also touches on the importance of distribution in high-end retailers for brand awareness rather than primary revenue, and the significance of maintaining affordable pricing to reach a broad audience. Blackwood shares personal insights into the sacrifices made for success, including the impact on his personal happiness and relationships, and offers advice to other black entrepreneurs on focusing on direct-to-consumer strategies to navigate changing retail climates.
Key Points:
- Brandon Blackwood started his brand with $7,000, emphasizing self-funding and organic growth.
- The 'End Systemic Racism' bag went viral, significantly boosting brand visibility and sales.
- Blackwood maintains 100% ownership, focusing on direct-to-consumer sales rather than relying on investors.
- Distribution in high-end retailers is used for brand awareness, not primary revenue.
- Blackwood advises black entrepreneurs to focus on direct-to-consumer strategies amidst changing retail climates.
Details:
1. 🎤 Meet Brandon Blackwood: The Trailblazer
- Brandon Blackwood is a celebrity designer and founder of the Brandon Blackwood New York brand.
- He became widely recognized after his 'End Systemic Racism' bag went viral following George Floyd's murder.
- Started his luxury bag brand with seed money of approximately $77,000.
- Despite limited initial funding, he successfully established a name in the luxury bag industry.
- Before founding his brand, Blackwood studied at Parsons School of Design, where he developed his unique style and business acumen.
- His design philosophy emphasizes social justice and empowerment, which is reflected in his iconic products.
- The brand has faced challenges such as market competition and production scalability but has continued to grow through strategic social media engagement and community-building efforts.
2. 💼 From Seed Money to Success: The Start of a Brand
- The business was initially funded with $4,000 from a family gift and an additional $3,000 saved from a $10/hour job, highlighting the importance of personal savings in early-stage entrepreneurship.
- The brand has been 100% self-funded and bootstrapped, relying entirely on personal investment and revenue from customer sales, rather than external investors.
- Customer sales directly fuel business activities such as student activations and photoshoots, demonstrating the strategic use of revenue to support brand-building initiatives.
3. 🔥 The ESR Tote: A Viral Movement
- The ESR tote, initially a small initiative with a short run, unexpectedly went viral, leading to a 50,000% increase in demand.
- The tote was designed as a response to the socio-political climate following George Floyd's murder, aiming to use art to advocate for social change.
- The brand partnered with organizations like the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to provide free legal support for discrimination lawsuits, effectively aligning their product with impactful social causes.
- The viral success resulted in significant organic press and brand recognition, leading to the expansion of product lines, including the popular Kendrick trunk.
- The company experienced rapid growth, necessitating operational changes such as acquiring warehouses and expanding the team to manage increased demand.
4. 🏬 Navigating Retail and Distribution
- The brand prioritizes direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales over wholesale distribution, enabling accessibility and affordability for target customers, with products priced around $200.
- High-quality products at competitive prices help the brand compete with established brands, bypassing challenges related to smaller budgets and shorter market presence.
- Retail partnerships with high-end stores like Sachs, Neiman, and Nordstrom are used more for brand awareness than direct revenue, particularly in areas with limited direct brand visibility.
- Despite the focus on DTC, strong demand is evidenced by milestones such as selling out on the first day at Sachs, indicating successful retail collaborations.
- Organic growth and a strong online presence result in retailers approaching the brand for partnerships, rather than the brand seeking them out.
5. 🎓 Journey from Neuroscience to Fashion
- The founder transitioned from a full scholarship in neuroscience to a fashion career during their senior year, influenced by the desire for a fulfilling and less stressful path than pursuing a marriage for financial security.
- Jamaican cultural values, emphasizing entrepreneurship, and the founder's mother's career shift from Wall Street to owning a cafe and a contracting business, heavily influenced the founder's business acumen.
- Despite her success, the founder's mother was initially unsupportive of the entrepreneurial path due to the challenges she had faced, highlighting the generational differences in entrepreneurial perception.
- The founder experienced significant personal changes, sacrificing happiness and warmth due to the demands of the business, yet found fulfillment in the excitement of their customers and team.
- This journey underscores the importance of cultural influences and personal sacrifices in achieving entrepreneurial success, demonstrating a shift from academic aspirations to business achievements.
6. 👗 Designing for Icons: Beyoncé and Beyond
- For black-owned businesses struggling to enter large retailers like Target and Amazon, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) strategies are recommended as highly beneficial.
- It's important for brands to diversify sales strategies beyond resale channels to prevent potential failure, especially in the competitive fashion industry.
- Collaborating with major celebrities involves significant resource commitment, exemplified by a designer dedicating two weeks to create a custom gown for Beyoncé.
- Selecting celebrity collaborations based on personal connections and genuine admiration for the client can enhance the collaboration's success, as demonstrated by a warm, memorable fitting session with Cheryl.
- The designer is planning a major brand pivot beyond handbags, indicating potential diversification and growth, which is crucial for long-term success.
- These strategies underscore the importance of innovation and adaptability in the fashion industry, particularly for black-owned businesses aiming to establish a strong market presence.