After making tremendous sacrifices to get the line up and running, and now to see celebrities such as NBA players, rap moguls and famous television personalities rocking and enjoying my apparel has been an unbelievable accomplishment.
What inspired you to start your brand?
As a child I always liked fashion. I would get excited watching my mother come in the house with bags and bags of designer clothes and shoes for me. Adjusting each piece to perfection, I would stay up all night trying on the clothes and looking at myself in the mirror. Back then, I was considered one of the best dressed kids in my neighborhood, yet my life quickly took a dramatic twist!
When I was eleven years old my mother was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in federal prison for bank fraud. Her absence devastated my sister and I, as we were both left to figure out life without her.
One day while visiting my mother in prison, we discussed ideas to launch a business that would help me to pay my college tuition. That’s how the Kywuan Terrell Collection was conceived. I talked about cool ideas for outerwear with my mom on visits. She would go back to her cell and hand crochet each of the designs we came up with and send me back the samples. We went back and forth until we had produced a whole line. Then, it was my job to find a manufacturer that would reproduce them. It took some time, but we stayed diligent and I was able to find some of the greatest hand craftsmen in the world to manufacturer our garments. They hand crochet each piece using 100% high quality, Alpaca thread. Therefore, each garment in the Kywuan Terrell Outerwear Collection is custom made with love and care, just like the originals that my mother made me for me!
What is the brand philosophy?
We believe in producing high quality, outerwear couture utilizing rare top of the line fibers, created uniquely for today’s fashionable men.
What has been your greatest achievement so far?
As a 19 year old college student, I would have to say my greatest achievement to-date is successfully launching the Kywuan Terrell Collection. I became the founder and CEO while remaining on the honor roll in school. That wasn’t an easy task! After making tremendous sacrifices to get the line up and running, and now to see celebrities such as NBA players, rap moguls and famous television personalities rocking and enjoying my apparel has been an unbelievable accomplishment. It’s literally a dream come true, and a testament that regardless what hardships you experience in life, if you make a plan and take action, you can turn your adversity into success!
Where can our readers find you online?
Please check out my new clothing line at www.kywuanterrell.com, or look us up on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
Ne-Yo wearing his custom 100% Alpaca Hooded Scarf.
