We were lucky to catch up with Jerrill Sankey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jerrill, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

I definitely wished I started my business earlier. I started my business in 2010, first it started off as a t-shirt brand. Me and my girlfriend (wife now) at the time started working on shirt graphics. I then switched to wanting to make one off hats after noticing there was already a lot of shirt and apparel brands popping up. At the time I was working as a janitor at a high school in Glen Burnie Maryland for 7 years. If I started sooner I think I would have been more advanced in maneuvering in the fashion industry. The only thing I think would have changed would be I would have had more opportunities to work with certain people or entities.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

So I’m a self taught sewing machine operator. I got my first start with a shop in Baltimore called Sixteen Tons in hampden there I sold my headwear brand Creative King headwear. I took my first batch of hats I made and presented them to the store owner Dan. He was amazed that someone was making one off headwear on a coffee table in their living room. He (Dan) then introduced me to a local sewing shop/business owner named Jeremiah Jones. Jeremiah gave me a job working for his company Hold fast as a sewing operator and taught the the ropes of sewing and quality control. It’s like the more passionate I was the universe was lining everything up for me. I specialize in making headwear from recycled materials and rare garments and apparel. I also make bags and other minimal soft goods. When you by a hat from me there is a lifetime guarantee on repairs. What sets my brand apart from others is the quality and design ethic I put into my products. When you wear my hats you will know you a wearing something special cause you will always stick out. The thing I most proud of is being able to work with brands and people I admired before I started my journey in the industry.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I found out I wouldn’t be able to copyright my brand name “Creative King“ I had to rebrand. It was suggested to me to not only change my name but change it to my actual name. At first I thought it was a goofy idea, I then realized that most top designers brand is their name. People like Salehe Bemburry, Preston Herring, Ralph Lauren etc.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

I manufacture and make my own products. I make my own brims for my headwear, source materials, and curate my collections. I have no one outside of my operation to depend on besides my wife. One thing I learned about manufacturing is making sure I make the most quality product.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jerrillsankey.com
• Instagram: Jerrill Sankey
• Facebook: Jerrill sankey headwear

Image Credits

All photos taken by myself.