Damaged Goods Clothing is a streetwear brand I created in April 2021. The central theme of this brand is that everyone and everything is damaged in some shape or form and that should be viewed as a positive. I aim to highlight the beauty in these imperfections, at a time when perfection is prioritized.
I have always appreciated people who were open about their flaws. The fact that we all have our own problems & insecurities should connect us to one another and allow us to not feel so alone. This brand tries to “Find Beauty in the Damage” by representing damaged designs on clothing in a way that people want to represent on their body.
Designs + Clothes
Designs + Clothes
To create my designs, I develop a creative brief that thoroughly outlines the desired look and feel of the design, as well as how I plan to utilize it on the garment. I always include various references from other designs, drawings and photographs to give my designer a clear direction. Once the design is finalized, I work with various manufacturers domestic and overseas to produce a sample. Once the adjustments from the sample have been implemented, I arrange for a bulk order. Creating clothing from start to finish can be a painstaking, frustrating process, but there is no better feeling than having people excited to wear your ideas out in the world.
Note: These are only a few of the products I have made. For a full representation, visit my Instagram @damagedgoodsclothing_
Photoshoots
Photoshoots
All of our photoshoots connect to the central theme of the brand: Finding Beauty in the Damage. Taking cool & unique photos in an abandoned church in Gary, Indiana or an old toy store, reminds people of the potential for beauty in everything around us, no matter how unlikely it may be.
Drop Videos
Drop Videos
For each drop, I create an announcement video that connects to the main theme of the collection.
Events
Events
Throughout the 2 years of running this brand, I have thrown various events to promote drops and generate buzz and sales for the brand. In the beginning, I would throw parties at my parent’s house, inviting everyone I knew. Over my last year in Chicago, I developed a relationship with the owner of Honore, a streetwear store in Wicker Park. I have had multiple release parties at the store and am now a permanent fixture there. This has been extremely helpful with reaching new people and growing the brand. As a transition to life in New York, I plan to continue to throwing events around the city and hope to develop relationships with streetwear stores!
Additional Experience
Additional Experience
Influencers: I have sent free clothing to various influencers and paid them in exchange for a post to grow the brand. In the future, I am hoping to develop more direct, extensive partnerships with specific influencers who have substantial followings of people in my target market and align with the brand’s ethos.
Website Development: I created my own website using Shopify in the summer of 2023. I studied various websites from established brands, trying to find the right balance of look and function. After 3 months of development, I am extremely happy with how it turned out!
damagedgoodsclothing.shop
Facebook/Instagram Ads: I have ran multiple Meta ad campaigns to drive sales, utilizing Lookalike audiences from my email list and different Streetwear-focused interest groups. I have had mixed results with these campaigns, but with the launch of my new website, I plan to lean on this more for growth in the future!
Damaged Goods Foundation: To put my money where my mouth is and promote the brand’s core message, I created the “Damaged Goods Foundation” in November of 2023. This foundation donates $5 of every purchase to the AADA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America). As the brand and our message grows, we want our impact in the mental health community to as well. In the future, it is our goal to host mental health workshops for people in underserved communities.
Results: In two and a half years, the brand has driven over 33K in total revenue. As of August 2023, the Instagram has 3.1K followers
In conclusion:
So far, this brand hasn’t made much money or blown up in the way I had dreamed about. However, I have been able to watch an idea of mine turn into clothing people want to buy. I have executed photoshoots I am extremely proud of that took months of planning. These experiences have built confidence in my abilities as a marketer and an understanding of the difficulty and pride in developing a brand. I believe this gives me a better appreciation of the hard work and pride a business has in their product and urges me to work harder for them.
I have learned from experience the countless hours that goes into manufacturing compelling products and creating content that helps build a brand ethos. I have worked to understand what resonates with my brand’s audience and what doesn’t and feel that I am improving each day. I am extremely excited to build on these experiences in the future.
If you asked me if 10 years from now if I expect to be designing clothing, I am honestly not sure. However, this process has solidified my belief that I want to pursue a career in marketing strategy, helping brands I believe in stand out from the crowd and grow their following.