Today we’d like to introduce you to Terrance Williams.
Terrance, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started my business in 2014 on Etsy as Clutch89. I started with a gift card to Joann Fabrics, a few dollars in my pocket and a dream. The brand started with small clutches and handbags and now I’ve rebranded to Terrance Williams Designs and expanded the line to include clothing, such as caftan dresses and dusters, and other accessories such as headbands and wristlets! I’m a self-taught sewer and wanted to combine my love of fashion design with my education and advocacy for human rights and the environment, which is why my brand is ethically sourced and sustainably produced. My plan during college was to go to law school and study international law, but I discovered my love of fashion design and decided to pursue that to not only create an accessories brand but to raise awareness and fix issues concerning human rights and the environment.
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been very difficult! My business has been six years in the making and it took all those six years to finally get to a point where I could quit my full-time jobs to run my business full time. The biggest struggle was getting my brand out there in front of people. There are so many people selling things and big corporations to compete with that standing out in the crowd, especially on the internet and the e-commerce space is difficult. Through a lot of research and learning about selling through e-commerce, my brand has been able to cut through the noise and stand out to people! My business is also self-funded and if it doesn’t make any money, then it’s not able to grow and expand. In the beginning, it was really difficult to expand the brand because the funds were not there, but it just takes time, passion and persistence to make it finally work!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Terrance Williams Designs is a handmade clothing and accessories brand. All the items are ethically sourced and sustainably produced. No animal by-products, such as leather, fur, wool and silk, are used in the production of the items. The fabrics are produced in a way that is efficient and safer for the environment, such as using recycled textiles, organic materials and materials produced in a way that uses very little water and virtually no water waste.
The fabrics are also sourced from factories where the workers are paid fair wages, work under safe working conditions and there are no violations of worker’s rights and no exploitation of women and underage children. My brand is also inclusive! It’s genderless, so my pieces are made for both men and women, and they are also size-inclusive. Each piece is made custom according to the customers sizing. People from size small to extended sizes such as 4X and beyond can wear my pieces and that was super important to me when creating my brand. I sketch, design, sew and ship every piece myself. It’s slow, a handmade fashion which is why it takes a little longer for things to get shipped, but totally worth the wait!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love all the opportunities for growth and I love all the businesses, both big and small, that are around to help my business grow and expand. The amount of resources available to people provides such an amazing opportunity. It’s amazing that you can have a dream or a passion and there are so many things and places in the city that will help you achieve them. I like the entrepreneurial spirit that everyone has. There are so much drive and dedication that people have in order to succeed and make things successful for themselves. What I like least about the city is definitely the traffic!
Pricing:
- Headbands – $13
- Wristlets: $40
- Dusters: Starting at $80
Contact Info:
- Website: www.terrancewilliamsdesigns.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrancewilliamsdesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerranceWilliamsDesigns
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/terrancedesigns
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