We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chisom Kingston. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chisom below.

Chisom , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

As a creative I heavily believe in reinvesting in yourself and your craft. the first dollar I earned as a creative was used to buy more supplies for my brand. Although it is a very special feeling to finally be rewarded for the hours of hard work you have put into your craft, investing in yourself is still very critical.

Chisom , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a clothing designer. I officially started my clothing brand “Mafia Scheme” in 2017. However, I have been working on clothes since I was in middle school. When I think about how I started making clothes, I like to think back to my early days. As early as 13 years old, I was stitching, distressing, painting, and bleaching my clothes. At the time, I was doing what I thought was cool and fashionable. Little did I know I was developing skills that would be useful down the line. Fast forward to today, I have made and sold hundreds of original pieces from my brand and that early interest in fashion has turned into an honest passion. Although I started my clothing brand in 2017, I did not release my first collection until 2019. In-between the years I spent time studying the fashion industry, creating samples and mock-ups, and marketing for the new release. I would not have got to where I am today without the support of my parents, my team and my community who show up and show out every time I drop new clothes.
The road to entrepreneurship is never smooth. I started facing struggles the moment I decided to start my brand, but I would say I am most proud of everything I have learned during the process. With the clothing business being a poplar industry with a lot of amazing talent one has to find something to set them apart from the rest of the industry. I believe one thing that separates my brand from other brands is the fact that this is not another fast-fashion clothing line looking to make a quick dollar. Each piece is created by hand and curated specifically for like-minded individuals. I also believe what separates my brand is the family-oriented feel behind my clothing. Purchasing Mafia Scheme clothing feels more joining a club rather than just buying a new shirt or hoodie. The overall growth of the brand has been amazing and I am truly thankful.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Sometimes the creative process needs money to grow. While being a creative investing in yourself as well as investing in your work can be critical to the overall outcome of your business. Often times finding the finances to make these personal investments can be challenging. When starting a clothing brand for example, one may be conflicted with the prices to get work down. At least I know I was. In the early stages of my clothing brand I did not have enough money to get a lot of the clothes done that I needed. A lot of businesses have minimum quantity orders that require you to spend more money than indented and I often would find myself stuck at that step. I took it upon myself to start saving for my own equipment. I figured buying and owing the starter equipment needed to put my logo on a t-shirt would save me a lot of money in the long run, and it did. I got a job and saved up enough to purchase everything I needed and things essentially began from there. I took small steps and eventually became the manufacture for my clothing brand. I feel like this is a story of resilience because the creative journey is plagued with financial issues. You should never let that discourage you because if there is a will there is a way. Start saving and make the small personal investments that will have a positive impact in your work as well as yourself.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew how powerful the internet was early on. The creative journey is also plagued by a lack of information. Many people are halted in their process due to a simple lack of information and the internet is an excellent recourse to help find the information you need. Early on I had no idea how to actually make clothes. The idea of putting my logo on a hoodie would leave me clueless. I took to the internet to figure out everything I needed to know about making clothes, and eventually found all the information. The internet can be the most powerful tool for information finding if used correctly. I would personally preach for every creative to know how to use the internet. A lot of the times the answers you are looking for will be there.

Contact Info:

• Website: Mafiascheme.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mafia.scheme/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/404_don

Image Credits
Everything Is shot by me