Meet Ingenious Dealers
2024 Meet the Makers Series
Interview #1
Ingenious Dealers (Fashion/Lifestyle/Street)
Q. What inspired you to start this streetwear label, and how did it all begin?
A. The idea for Ingenious began when my partner and I were building our individual brands. We quickly realized how challenging it was not only to start a brand but also to maintain traction. This sparked our curiosity to create a creative agency that would feature fashion dealers from across the country on our platform. But we also still had the passion to design a clothing brand, which was the birth of Ingenious Dealers.
Q. Can you tell us the story behind the brand’s name, Ingenious Dealers, and your logo?
A. We wanted to find a way to describe being clever, creative and the lifestyle of selling ideas, so we added Dealer to the name. The logo is simple and easily identifiable, we try not to rely on logos to get our message across.
Q. What’s the message or lifestyle your emerging brand, Ingenious Dealers represents?
A. The lifestyle we want to represent are those people that take risks every day to start a business and sell their ideas. We provide a community they can identify with.
Creative Process
Q. What does your design process look like, and where do you draw your inspiration from?
A. Our design process draws inspiration from nostalgic workwear and streetwear blended with new trends. We are 90s kids we try to blend different eras into every collection.
Q. How do you decide which pieces make it into a collection?
A. The pieces we choose are based on the demand in the marketplace and whichever designs we have completed up until the release of the collection.
Q. How do you, or how do you foresee incorporating current trends into your designs while staying true to your vision?
A. This is a challenge we face every day we don’t follow every trend we believe some things aren’t meant for every audience.
Challenges and Achievements
Q. What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far and how did you overcome it?
A. The biggest challenge has been managing your daily routine while starting a new business and finding the most efficient path to success. But to overcome this, we've figured out balance that works for the team, so we don't become overwhelmed; and that looks like delegating roles and responsibilities.
Q. Can you share a moment when you felt your brand was really gaining traction?
A. We realized our brand was gaining traction after releasing a teaser video on Instagram featuring key novelty pieces from our upcoming collection, including the "Bowling Shirt" and "Workman's Jacket." These designs embodied our clean-cut yet risk-for-reward, hustler-inspired aesthetic. The video allowed us to gauge interest and identify a potential audience, reinforcing that our vision was connecting with others.
Q. What are you most proud of since launching the Ingenious Dealers label?
A. Our proudest moment, aside from launching our clothing brand, was successfully developing a web application currently in its Beta phase. This platform serves as another pillar under the Ingenious Dealers brand, focusing on providing services and fostering collaborations with other brands and consumers nationwide.
Q. What does your design process look like, and where do you draw your inspiration from?
A. Our design process draws inspiration from nostalgic workwear and streetwear blended with new trends. We are 90s kids we try to blend different eras into every collection.
Q. How do you decide which pieces make it into a collection?
A. The pieces we choose are based on the demand in the marketplace and whichever designs we have completed up until the release of the collection.
Q. How do you, or how do you foresee incorporating current trends into your designs while staying true to your vision?
A. This is a challenge we face every day we don’t follow every trend we believe some things aren’t meant for every audience.
Challenges and Achievements
Q. What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far and how did you overcome it?
A. The biggest challenge has been managing your daily routine while starting a new business and finding the most efficient path to success. But to overcome this, we've figured out balance that works for the team, so we don't become overwhelmed; and that looks like delegating roles and responsibilities.
Q. Can you share a moment when you felt your brand was really gaining traction?
A. We realized our brand was gaining traction after releasing a teaser video on Instagram featuring key novelty pieces from our upcoming collection, including the "Bowling Shirt" and "Workman's Jacket." These designs embodied our clean-cut yet risk-for-reward, hustler-inspired aesthetic. The video allowed us to gauge interest and identify a potential audience, reinforcing that our vision was connecting with others.
Q. What are you most proud of since launching the Ingenious Dealers label?
A. Our proudest moment, aside from launching our clothing brand, was successfully developing a web application currently in its Beta phase. This platform serves as another pillar under the Ingenious Dealers brand, focusing on providing services and fostering collaborations with other brands and consumers nationwide.
The Market and Community
Q. Who do you see as the ideal customer for your brand?
A. Our ideal consumers are individuals who value versatility and take pride in their innovative and unique style.
Q. How do you balance exclusivity with accessibility in the streetwear market?
A. That’s comes with building a solid community in the future we plan to include members only auctions and discounts for returning customers.
Q. How important is community to your brand, and how do you engage with your audience?
A. Community is very important to us it’s the foundation to longevity in this business. We want to create more open dialogue in fashion amongst consumers and designers alike through our ingenious app.
Sustainability and Innovation
Q. Are sustainability or ethical practices part of your brand’s mission? If so, how?
A. Sustainability is a key consideration in every new collection we create. Our goal is to avoid overproduction by utilizing methods such as preorders and leveraging analytics to determine optimal quantities. Ethically, we are committed to responsible manufacturing practices that reduce environmental impact and promote conscious consumption.
Q. How do you stay innovative in such a competitive and fast-changing industry?
A. We Don’t let the industry dictate our pace or innovation we try to control that aspect of the process in house, hence our name "Ingenious".
Q. Who do you see as the ideal customer for your brand?
A. Our ideal consumers are individuals who value versatility and take pride in their innovative and unique style.
Q. How do you balance exclusivity with accessibility in the streetwear market?
A. That’s comes with building a solid community in the future we plan to include members only auctions and discounts for returning customers.
Q. How important is community to your brand, and how do you engage with your audience?
A. Community is very important to us it’s the foundation to longevity in this business. We want to create more open dialogue in fashion amongst consumers and designers alike through our ingenious app.
Sustainability and Innovation
Q. Are sustainability or ethical practices part of your brand’s mission? If so, how?
A. Sustainability is a key consideration in every new collection we create. Our goal is to avoid overproduction by utilizing methods such as preorders and leveraging analytics to determine optimal quantities. Ethically, we are committed to responsible manufacturing practices that reduce environmental impact and promote conscious consumption.
Q. How do you stay innovative in such a competitive and fast-changing industry?
A. We Don’t let the industry dictate our pace or innovation we try to control that aspect of the process in house, hence our name "Ingenious".
Personal Connection
Q. What’s your favorite piece from your current collection, and why?
A. I think the team would agree that our favorite piece from the current collection is the leather vest. It's not commonly worn in streetwear, but it’s a statement piece
Q. How do your personal style choices influence the designs you create?
A. Personal style has some influence over the designs but we try to make garments that remain timeless, so our consumers can wear any 10 years from now without feeling out of style.
Vision and Future
Q. Where do you see your brand in the next five years?
A. In the next five years, we plan to officially launch our services app to support and collaborate with the fashion community. This will allow us to curate pop-up shops along the East Coast and beyond, driven by our networking and insights from the app. During these pop-up shops, we also plan to feature podcasts spotlighting the journey to becoming an Ingenious Dealer.
Q. Are there any dream collaborations you hope to pursue in the future?
A. No dream collaborations, we take an organic approach, so we are open to those who vibe with us and vice versa.
Q. How do you want your label to impact the streetwear industry or fashion culture as a whole?
A. The impact we want to make on the industry is to show that any group of individuals can come together, create a plan and vision, and successfully execute their goals no matter their age!
Q. What’s your favorite piece from your current collection, and why?
A. I think the team would agree that our favorite piece from the current collection is the leather vest. It's not commonly worn in streetwear, but it’s a statement piece
Q. How do your personal style choices influence the designs you create?
A. Personal style has some influence over the designs but we try to make garments that remain timeless, so our consumers can wear any 10 years from now without feeling out of style.
Vision and Future
Q. Where do you see your brand in the next five years?
A. In the next five years, we plan to officially launch our services app to support and collaborate with the fashion community. This will allow us to curate pop-up shops along the East Coast and beyond, driven by our networking and insights from the app. During these pop-up shops, we also plan to feature podcasts spotlighting the journey to becoming an Ingenious Dealer.
Q. Are there any dream collaborations you hope to pursue in the future?
A. No dream collaborations, we take an organic approach, so we are open to those who vibe with us and vice versa.
Q. How do you want your label to impact the streetwear industry or fashion culture as a whole?
A. The impact we want to make on the industry is to show that any group of individuals can come together, create a plan and vision, and successfully execute their goals no matter their age!
Advice for Aspiring Creators
Q. What advice would you give to someone trying to break into the streetwear fashion scene?
A. We ourselves are still trying to break into fashion but I would say to be consistent and don’t let public opinion deter you from your goals.
Q. Thank you for your candor and authenticity throughout this interview. Please tell our audience where they can find you on Social Media and where they can go to collect your latest pieces.
A. We can be found on instagram @ingeniousdealers and on TikTok @ingeniousdealers. The clothing site will be available on 1/1/2025. Follow our instagram for launch details for Ingeniousdealer.com
Q. What advice would you give to someone trying to break into the streetwear fashion scene?
A. We ourselves are still trying to break into fashion but I would say to be consistent and don’t let public opinion deter you from your goals.
Q. Thank you for your candor and authenticity throughout this interview. Please tell our audience where they can find you on Social Media and where they can go to collect your latest pieces.
A. We can be found on instagram @ingeniousdealers and on TikTok @ingeniousdealers. The clothing site will be available on 1/1/2025. Follow our instagram for launch details for Ingeniousdealer.com