When we first started the brand way back in 2006, we wanted to create a company that carried everything, from hats to jackets, even accessories like belts & socks. There was one major problem…

Money.

We didn’t have enough at the time to launch the way we wanted to. Doing what we had to do and could afford at the time, we decided to print t-shirts. It was within our very small budget and it was an opportunity to get our name out into the world. So we started off making graphic shirts, mostly words in different fonts(song lyrics, quotes, etc.), and surprisingly, it caught on fast. It was 2006, so things were a little less in terms of social media. Everyone didn’t make clothing then so getting our name out wasn’t as difficult as it is today.

We never really wanted to do streetwear, so it was hard to keep up with the very demanding lane. Things die fast in streetwear, forcing you to constantly come up with new sayings, new things to place on clothing to keep your audience entertained. Going the streetwear route got us into a lot of rooms at first, but I can admit that they were the wrong ones. I never wanted a brand like that, so as time went on, I started to go after my actual dream of owning a brand.

At first, people were not too happy about the change. They wanted their colorful slogan tees to match with their sneakers and hats. Most of our customer base was lost, but we expected it moving into full fledged apparel. Not many would walk away from money, but when you have a dream, you don’t give it up.

The growth has been much slower being in the lane we are in but we are growing every day and most importantly, we are doing what we love!

Our WXLVES Merch includes some of the classic street style, but that will be where it is. Limited and exclusive only, not the staple of our brand. The Merch is an everyday reminder of how we started. We will never forget it. 

My advice. Always follow your heart. If the dream is there and it’s real, it won’t go away until you go after it. And don’t worry about the money. Getting rich is not our goal. Living our dream is and always has been. For every customer that supports this dream, we are thankful. We will continue to climb and improve the brand.