We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brandon Vallean a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Brandon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

When I was a kid, I was heavily influenced by comic books, anime, Star Wars, Harry Potter, DC and Marvel. That carried me all the way to 2010 when I started getting into fashion. My connection to fashion predates me because my mother is a retail buyer. I was introduced to clothing since I was a kid; watching her create fashion assortments by season. Why I’m into fashion is because of Ye, formally known as Kanye West. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) changed my whole world at that time. Watching the album rollout with the ‘Runaway’ movie theater screenings and Ye’s style really did something to me to the point it all clicked: I want to do clothes and be a stand up fashionable guy. I was also listening to Drake so I was into ‘Degrassi’ and I was getting styling tips off certain characters like Jimmy Brooks, Danny Van Zandt and Declan Coyne. 2010 was a rememberable year for me as I was both loving music and being a nerdy kid but evolving into this “fashion guy”.

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

With my mom being a fashion buyer and being a huge Ye (Kanye West) fan, fashion just easily came to me. I see myself as a sponge so getting into clothes was me finding myself. How you dress tells a story about you. My brand is called A Fairy Tales End, which is my ode to everything I was into as a kid. It’s a culmination of vintage meets streetwear. Very much sustainability as we cut and mix tees together. It’s a lifestyle so we have basic ready to wear to things more eclectic. I like the idea of having a uniform, something that can be directly tied to you. I work on my brand with my friends: Noah Dickson and Drew Fields. Our brand represents us down to the stitch, the silhouettes. We just like cool things. Early on we would pass around designs to our family and friends for feedback and every time the answer was: “Do it.” Being yourself gets you very far in this world. People are attracted to us because we are just being ourselves and it shows in the brand. Having a brand hasn’t been easy. Definitely not easily affordable for most but it takes a lot of determination and passion to stick with the ups as well as the downs. I’m most proud of the collective vision we’ve created and the connections it’s made to people so far. I truly appreciate everyone who’s been around for this long.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

We need to invest in creatives. In any way possible we need to continue to produce cool stuff to the world. New ideas and new ways of thinking. There’s not many creative spaces to go to. A place that’s for the use of all creatives. I feel like most people focus and invest in the wrong things and it’s not progressing anything.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

All of Ye’s interviews and documentaries. That’s where I get my philosophy from. Ye believes in himself so I believe in myself. All of his interviews he always promoting to push the boundaries, creating with others leaving out ego to follow god and to be the better version of yourself. He taught me to not take nothing less than the best and that’s how I move with A Fairy Tales End (AFTE).

Contact Info:

• Website: afairytalesend.com
• Instagram: afairytalesend
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/brandon-vallean-782833128
• Twitter: A FAIRY TALES END (@afteclothing) / Twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/afteclothing

Image Credits
Noah Dickson Vzltuck, Scorched Wings LLC