Hello how are you doing today?
Amazing, getting interviewed always makes my day
What influenced you to start common cents?
James and I have always been interested in fashion and art. We decided that we didn’t want to settle for ordinary life styles and to take a risk. We also knew that Comon Cents could make a difference in the art and fashion industries for the better.
Do you have any concerns regarding your target market; some consumers might feel it’s only meant for youth?
Our clothing was designed for the youth of this generation as well as anybody who wants to support our cause. Our designs were meant to be loud and filled with energy. We want to capture the essence of this lost generation. We couldn’t do that if our designs looked like they were only for the mature audience.
Well nowadays, it often seems like there is a lot of option for clothing, each offering different displays of personality, what would u say makes yours different from everything else?
Aside from our designs, we pride ourselves for what we are trying to accomplish with this clothing line. Not only do we want to create a successful brand, but also support the art world along the way. We plan on aiding schools who don’t have the funding to support their art programs. Art is one of the only ways people can express themselves and get away from the many troubles of the world around them.
So the name, common cents, why common cents?
We originally wanted to have the name Common Sense to show that we didn’t appreciate the lack of rational thought the world has right now. We spelled the name wrong to be a little symbolic in a way. We wanted to show that even we are lacking a little common sense ourselves ha-ha.
I see your clothing displays a lot of personality through art, can you tell me a bit more about the art. Is it done by you, can consumers have their art printed?
The art work is done by me; I have been growing up my whole life in a household filled with artists. My father was a singer, my brother an architect and my grandma was a painter. As for having other people submit their designs, we really want to make our mark on the art world first to get people to know what we are about and what our style is. Down the line though we plan on doing many collaborations.
Money is usually seen as a big issue for any entrepreneur, how did you manage to raise money for your venture?
Saved up from work, nothing too special. You just have to be able to watch every penny you spend. When you have your own company you are always on a budget.
Your website is still under some construction, what should we be expecting when it all ready to go?
Right now the only thing under construction is the portion where we have the locations of the stores that are carrying our product. We want www.comoncentsclothing.com to really be a place where artists can meet and discuss what inspires them as well as post their own work.
How would we be able to get hold of common cents clothing?
aconover@comoncentsclothing.com or jschiff@comoncentsclothing.com,
Were there any challenges u feel you faced while starting your clothing, if so, how did manage to pull through?
We had many bumps along the road. The hardest part was actually to find a good screen printer. Another was finding the best target audience to sell our clothing to.
Would you say art or clothing was more your passion?
Art has always been a passion. Clothing really started to be part of my life as I grew up a little and realized that fashion was a form of art in its own.
So when you guys are not busy thinking up big ideas, what other things occupy your time?
Museums, music, and probably the beach.
So how are you finding the life as an entrepreneur?
It’s the most challenging thing either of us has ever done, but it’s certainly feels like you are living life to the fullest and on your own schedule which is amazing. You really have to be ready to be obsessive with what you are trying to do, if you breathe for a second you are already old news.
Where do you see common cents and your selves in the near future?
We hope that Comon Cents will be a name tied to the art culture itself and not just a clothing company. We want to make an impact, and make a difference for others.
Thanks for your time.
Interviewed by Michael Adeyemi.
