We recently connected with D’Yonce Williamson and have shared our conversation below.

D’Yonce, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I think in order to be successful you have to develop a mindset that allows for success to pass through. If you want the top position in your career or the business idea that takes off, you first have to mentally put yourself in a position to achieve it.

Since a young age, I’ve been told how diligent and resourceful I was. I saw my two parents work extremely hard as entrepreneurs and their only goal was to get me through college. I saw their late nights and early mornings and even when things weren’t right between them they still put the needs of my brother and I first.

I think seeing that showed me that I cannot make excuses for why I can’t succeed. These two people put everything on the line many times to ensure my future included success. This also showed me that if I keep the end goal in mind and build on it then I have no choice but to succeed.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

My name is D’Yonce-Sade and I am 21 years old. I am a recent graduate of North Carolina A&T State University where I majored in Finance. I am also a full time Master’s of Science in Finance student at Georgetown University. My father owned many businesses. One of which was a clothing brand called Royce von Robert which he started with his older brother. Seeing photos from that time inspired me to get into fashion. My mother and her family influenced my fashion sense. I always watched them getting dressed, having their clothes made by Precious, and even watch red carpet events and fashion shows looking at the gown.

My brand is D’Vion New York and the name stems from my father. He had asked us one day what the name should be for his business and how he wanted to combine both my name, D’Yonce, and my brother’s middle name, Savion. He came up with D’Vion and when I went to start my brand I figured the best way for me to pay homage to him and his success was to give my brand the name he valued.

D’Vion is an exclusive streetwear brand. Our goal is to create sustainable pieces for the everyday person. Regardless of whether you’re at home or on the go, D’Vion strives our customers to be comfortable while they chase their dreams. Our brand motto is “Embrace Your Vision.” As someone who took the risk to start a business, I learned very quick that no one was going to embrace my vision but me. Understanding that, I wanted D’Vion to symbolize going after what you want and making sure you do so in both a comfortable and stylish manner.

D’Vion strives to create an inclusive atmosphere and experience. Inclusive to us does not just mean in terms of size. D’Vion believes anyone of all races, religions, cultures, and sizes can partake in a piece of the fashion industry and not have to worry about whether they look good. D’Vion wants customers to feel good in any and every item they wear from our brand.

As the owner, I’ve been proud since day one. I sold 50 t-shirts on opening day and a few months later I obtained my LLC. These past two years have been such a journey and I’ve been so grateful for each and every day both good and bad. Some key moments thus far had to be the pop-up shops I participated in at my alma mater North Carolina A&T State University. The Aggie Student Entrepreneurship Club hosted a business pitch competition where I came in 3rd place and of course the day I spent with Malik Dupri in Roosevelt Field Mall showcasing my items in a real store. I would also say I’m very proud of the photo shoots I’ve had for my brand and so grateful to any and everyone who has helped and purchase from my store.

If I wanted a potential clients to know something about my brand it’s that I value a personable experience. I would never buy from a brand where I didn’t feel a connection with the owner or the clothing and I want to ensure D’Vion continues to make that a priority throughout our endeavors.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As a full-time student and a having a full-time job role in finance, I often have to display resilience. My business is a major part of me but I also understand that in order to get my business to a point of self-sustainability I have to continue to work and invest.

I’m august 2022 I had to make a decision between ending my business to fund my masters degree or put my degree on hold. It was a very touch decision. It included a lot nights of crying myself to sleep and spending all day coming up with a plan to do both. This is when I remembered that both my parents were dealing with so much more than I currently am and they still found a way to make it work.

I chose to instead trust God and lean not on my own understanding and He made a way for me to pay for my degree and keep my business open. In fact, I gained two thousand followers since August and even partnered with influencers among other things.

I have to remember that when I can’t figure it out that’s because God is trying to tell me that it was never for me to figure out. It was Him who had the final decision.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

Currently, I have a manufacturing team. This includes my graphic designers and actual manufacturers. When I first started, I didn’t have much guidance. I relied heavily on Virgil Abloh’s free game website and YouTube, then tiktok. I actually began investing in different seminars and just asking other brand owners for advice on how to maneuver through manufacturers.

I think something I wasn’t ready for was the potential language barrier between me and the manufacturers. As most brand owners know, the best manufacturers are overseas so it’s best to be able to explain your design and what you want clearly.

I’ve learned so many lessons about manufacturing especially about time frames, cost, and of course shipping. If I could give any new brand owners some advice on this topic is to maintain patience and make sure your vision is executed the way you want. I would also say don’t stop until you have exactly what it is you paid for. Also learn how to negotiate.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.houseofdvion.com
• Instagram: houseofdvion
• Linkedin: www.LinkedIn.com/dyoncewilliamson

Image Credits
TSharpProductions