In a poster-filled abode, a collection of clothing styles overwhelm the room like barnacles attached to a whale. Berkeley native, Adamu Chan, is showing off his visionary designs to the Bay Area.
Chan graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and received a degree in ethnic studies. After coming back from a stint in Japan, the creative juices started to manifest, boiling until ... the birth of Red Clay.
Since 2004, Chan and his partner, the low-key ninja in the shadow who likes to go by "J," have been filling the clothing market with unique and original designs.
"We are a cross between men's contemporary sportswear, (and) what is now called street wear. But even that encompasses a whole bunch of clothing," said Chan, 31, founder of the clothing brand Red Clay. "Some people call it street couture."
Street fashion or couture is a market of independent brands solely sold in boutiques around the world. The brands are high end and in limited edition. The more famous are entertainer Pharrell Williams' Billionaire Boys Club/Ice Cream brand, Bathing Ape and Bay Area's own Huf in San Francisco.
"I think it was a good time for us when we came out when we did because right now there is a lot of small brands coming out right now," said Chan. "Andback in 2004, it was just the beginning of this new era of indie brands."
Aesthetically, Chan was inspired by art deco and men's classic American designers, such as Ralph Lauren.
Red Clay designs start at about $32 for a T-shirt and go up to $600 for a lambskin jacket coming out in the fall.
The development of certain garments takes three to four months to produce said Chan, a self-taught designer.
"The concept starts in your head," he said, adding that from there he works with a pattern maker to develop the pattern for the garment.
The design and fabrication are the next steps, and then first and final samples for viewing at various trade shows. Reps from different dealers around the world examine the designs before mass production begins.
Trade shows, such as Magic in Las Vegas, are important to independent brands like Red Clay because it gives them the chance to show off their innovative designs to dealers.
Based in Oakland, Red Clay is distributed across the United States, all over Europe, Taiwan, Japan, Mexico and elsewhere.
The basic design that Red Clay offers is their graphic tees. The brand also has cut-and-sew styles, an array of hoodies and jackets, denim and even hats. The clothing range in colors and patterns from the basic grays to the more intricate African kente bright color patterns. The staying power of the brand, Chan said, comes from designing for a customer looking for a particular style and "with the range of the clothing we offer, it's a little bit more than other independent brands."
Being an entrepreneur is not easy and being strong in various components of business is important for success. The everyday life experience and grind of managing a business is better than any education, Chan said.
"One thing I feel like we have realized (is) it's not about just having a good product, but every day is a crash course in business 101."
With indie clothing brands springing up everywhere, staying power is essential to a successful entrepreneurship.
"The way you set yourself apart or legitimatize yourself is to make a niche in the market," said Chan.
Red Clay wants to expand to a fuller line and do more lifestyle oriented designs like watches and furniture.
Source: insidebayarea
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