Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcus Carnelus.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 2014, while working a part-time delivery job my Wife, then girlfriend, asked me had I ever thought of starting a clothing line. I told her that I had ideas but didn’t know where to start. She then sent me all the information I needed to start a business and from there Brand Ave. was created. I never thought I would be making Marriage apparel until my Wife wanted a “Wifey” shirt from an Etsy shop. I told her we could make our own! We began throwing ideas around and she said, “What about Wife Life?”. In 2014 that wasn’t a common phrase as much as it now. I immediately said, “that’s it!” And began designing. After seeing how well people responded to my designs, I was inspired to create more.
As I began to look at the Marriage Apparel that was available, I noticed such a lack of creativity. It seemed like everyone just looked for a script font for the word Wifey or bold letters to put Bride Tribe on a tank top. I felt there was a huge void in the apparel business- specifically with bridal/marriage apparel. So with my creativity and faith in God I was able to fill that void in a way that made people want to express their love.
My designs come from the ebbs and flows of life. From dating to being engaged to getting married and having kids. With the growth that has taken place, I am now focused on creating more items for those that are Engaged and Married.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think the challenges with any new business is growing your customer base outside of family and friends. Social media and good old fashioned word of mouth are what really drives the business. When a woman sees her best friend in a cute Marriage tee, she wants one, then their friends want one. It’s awesome! We aren’t where we want to be but I thank God that we are growing every day. Personally, when you work with your Wife you do have to balance being co-workers and being Husband & Wife. Knowing when to flip that switch is crucial to having the best of both worlds.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our motto is Love Out Loud! Our goal is to show that the image of commitment and marriage is awesome. And expressing that with the clothes you wear is a fun way to show your love for the person you are with. We are deeply rooted in our faith and that also plays a role in our designs. We specialize in unique and trendy Bridal/Marriage apparel. From T-shirt and tanks to duffel bags and slides. The uniqueness of our designs is what sets us apart. I like to think out the box when it comes to designing. We always get messages from customers about how many compliments they get when they wear our gear. It’s what keeps us motivated to continue doing what we are doing.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Dallas is awesome and I think there is definitely an opportunity for and Entrepreneur to grow! The Culture of Dallas allows us to feel like this is a good place to operate our business. We’re originally from Los Angeles. People always ask why we came to Dallas from Southern California. We visited the city twice before relocating and felt it would be great for our family and for business. Each day I see more and more opportunities for a business like ours to thrive in Dallas.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brandaveclothing.com
- Email: contactbrandave@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/brand_ave_clothing
- Facebook: facebook.com/BrandAveClothing
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Chaundell Karry
September 9, 2019 at 2:37 am
I’ve been following y’all for a while now and had no idea you are in Dallas! I’ve been planning to purchase and take some pics with hubs for my IG.