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

Alright, Dequandre thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

Around midsummer of 2024, something resurfaced for me — a little treasure trove I’d been sitting on since 2020, of designs and ideas for launching a graphic apparel store rooted in Houston culture and the urban style that makes this city loved around the world. I dove deep into the details: designers, fonts, products, websites, and the whole nine yards. But life was happening fast, and I had personal things to settle, so I set the idea aside for a bit.

Then, late April, around Easter, the idea returned to me in a way that felt divine — almost like God was saying, “Pick this back up.” As I revisited the concept, I started thinking about home: the Virgin Islands. Our diversity. Our mannerisms. Our warmth. And I realized I wanted to create something that spoke to our heritage beyond the flags people wear to rep their home or the carnivals sprinkled across the nation as one-time events. I wanted to build a storefront that allowed our small islands to tell their mighty story.

That’s when a question hit me: *Houston and the Virgin Islands?* Both places are rich in diversity, flavor, and identity — Southern hospitality and Crucian warmth mirror each other more than people think. But blending the two? I knew both cultures might flame me for even trying.

Still, I didn’t want two separate storefronts. And that’s when **Cruz & Clutch** was born.

Why not? If so many Virgin Islanders have made a life on the mainland — if other Caribbean cultures are celebrated and embraced in Houston — why not shine a light on mine too?

When I conceptualized Cruz & Clutch, I thought about iconic duos like Bonnie & Clyde, Lilo & Stitch, even Alex & Marty — pairs that thrive together. That’s how I see Houston and the Virgin Islands. I’ve lived in Houston for over 10 years, and while nothing beats the beauty of the Virgin Islands, this city has given me a home, a community, and an energy that deserves to stand next to my island roots.

Cruz & Clutch features authentic, witty, and modern graphics that highlight both cultures — individually and as a whole. Houston has hosted countless Caribbean festivals, fetes, cookouts, jouverts, and concerts, keeping our culture alive and introducing it to the mainland in powerful ways. Now, it’s home to one of the first Caribbean-American inspired apparel and merch stores of its kind.

I built Cruz & Clutch not only to spread awareness, but to anchor identity.

When I moved to Baytown, Texas, in 2014, I heard jokes from classmates about the Virgin Islands being “uncivilized” or “behind.” As a young man, I took it as people being mean, but now I understand it was just ignorance. And ignorance grows when no one tells the real story.

So as a native Virgin Islander, it became important to me to educate others in a way that promotes tourism, celebrates our culture, and gives our heritage a fresh, modern voice.

That’s the heart behind Cruz & Clutch — honoring where I’m from, embracing where I am, and bridging two places that shaped me into who I am today.

Dequandre, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Dequandre Liburd — a creative freelancer, award-winning film director, breakout actor, and all-around entrepreneur. All of my brands are closely connected, and I’m grateful for how each one reflects a different part of my purpose.
My main business is film production, and this year I’ve been learning how to carve out time for both filmmaking and running a clothing brand, all while preparing myself to step fully into the retail world as a long-term venture. Life and lived experience fuel everything I create. I am a visionary at heart, equipping myself to tell some of the greatest stories ever told using the canvas beneath us — the world in its vastness, culture, and complexity.

Currently, Q Da Vision Entertainment is gearing up for a mission that’s close to home: breathing fresh visual life into the rapidly growing small-business communities of East Houston — cities like Baytown and Mont Belvieu. These areas are expanding quickly, and many businesses need a team that can help them tell their story and connect with customers on a deeper level. That’s where my team comes in, offering cinematic branding and storytelling that showcases why people should shop, dine, or spend time at these establishments.

Growing up in Baytown — from a young man to a grown adult — I always called it Little St. Croix because of the dense Caribbean population, especially Virgin Islanders, Lucians, and others who helped shape the city’s culture. Fun fact: Baytown is roughly the size of St. Thomas by square footage — and in the massive sprawl of Houston, the entire Virgin Islands could fit inside it five times over.
I’ve been visiting Baytown since around 2005 and have always appreciated the life and legacy that gives the town its character. Like many places with deep roots, Baytown has experienced highs and lows, especially when the economy slows down. But today, the city is rising again — the mall is being rebuilt, beautification projects are underway, and new homes are going up quickly.
That’s why Q Da Vision Entertainment is hitting the pavement — to offer premium video services to new and established businesses that have a unique story to tell. We also provide services for music videos, corporate visuals, events, parties, and more.
Alongside that, Cruz & Clutch, my newly launched, hyper-niched apparel brand and online storefront, serves as a one-stop shop for unique pieces that highlight the cultures of Houston and the Virgin Islands. It’s a brand built on pride, identity, and modern Caribbean-American storytelling. We plan to begin pop-up shops as early as spring/summer 2026 as we continue expanding the brand’s presence.
In addition to the apparel itself, I also run the storytelling side of the brand through Vision Dock, a cultural education series on TikTok (@visiondock340). Vision Dock allows me to share the rich artifacts, history, traditions, and untold heritage of the Virgin Islands in a visual, accessible way — giving my home a voice, giving our history context, and giving people everywhere a new way to connect with our culture.
In everything I do — from film to fashion to community storytelling — my mission is the same: to shine light, preserve culture, and create visuals that move people.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Let me take you back to January 2024 — the month Nashville decided to show me what “real winter” looks like. I had committed to one of the craziest creative runs of my life:

Nashville → Houston for a Star Wars fan-film special → Mississippi for a music video → Georgia to direct a feature film.

All in two and a half weeks.

On paper? Cute.

In real life? A side quest from God’s strongest soldier package.

I had moved to Tennessee nine months earlier, fresh out of college and trying to challenge myself — new city, new connections, new grind. I’d already driven the Nashville-to-Houston route four times. It was brutal, but I didn’t care. I was hungry.

Then Nashville said, “Bet.”

And dropped my very first snowstorm on me like a special episode.
The first two days? Beautiful.

I was outside like, “Wow, Christmas Chronicles.”
Day three? Roads iced. City shut down. People sliding like penguins.
And I had to LEAVE.

So I went to get a rental car…
and the ONLY thing left was a Chevy Bolt.
An EV.

In a snowstorm.
In TEN-DEGREE weather.

I had never driven an electric vehicle a day in my life. But my brain said,
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
That line needs to be retired from my vocabulary.
While trying to leave, I was also moving out of my rented room. So I’m packing my entire life into storage, loading my film gear, and stepping into the cold like
a soldier marching into Narnia.

Two hours outside Nashville… it hits me.
This car doesn’t take gas.
And EV chargers?
Apparently come in different shapes, flavors, and spiritual assignments.

A 12-hour trip turned into 26 hours of me vs. the elements —
battery dropping, chargers not working, slipping on icy roads, praying at every stop like, “Lord, it’s me again…”

By the GRACE of God, I finally made it to Houston and filmed the Star Wars special. Missed the music video, but listen — at that point, survival was the victory. Then I hit the road again and made it JUST in time to Georgia to direct this incredible period-piece feature film with a cast and crew that made it all worth it.

Eventually, I secured a gas car.
I drove from Blue Ridge, Georgia to Nashville and BACK just to give that EV back to its owner because God knew I wasn’t built for that kind of warfare yet.
But here’s the crazy part:
All that stress didn’t break me — it stretched me.
It showed me what I’m capable of when the mission is bigger than the moment.

That feature film?
It went on to win multiple awards.
It’s still in festivals.
And it’s aiming to hit a streaming platform near you in early 2026.

Looking back, nothing could’ve prepared me for that chaos — but nothing could replace who I became after it.

Now I’m stationed back in Houston heading into 2026, opening myself up for bigger work and excited to collaborate with the talent right here in my city as I branch out.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I launched my clothing brand, Cruz & Clutch, in June of this year. After almost 24 hours with no sales, I finally got my first one mid-afternoon on a Sunday. On my way home from work that day, something in me said, *“Rest. Let the process work.”*
Boom — I woke up from a nap to my very first sale.

I was hyped. On my way to church that evening I felt like all the behind-the-scenes work had finally paid off. The order was for my “Crucian Confection” bikini. Since my store is fully online and supplier-fulfilled, I processed it easily and kept pushing. This was June 8th.

That week I was on set, juggling work and learning how to integrate this new income stream. Then the first hit came: an email saying the supplier couldn’t fulfill the order.

Okay — no problem. I canceled and retried it with an agent’s help. It went through. I reached out to the customer (my *very first*), kept communication open, and she was extremely understanding and patient.

Then another setback. Meanwhile, other customers were getting their mugs, slippers, and towels with no issue — but my first order was stuck in limbo. That’s when I dug deeper and realized the provider was shipping from China. Delivery times were going to be unpredictable.

So I made a call: I refunded her, explained everything, and offered her a discount on her next purchase. On the backend, I switched to a U.S. provider to make shipping faster for my customers in the Virgin Islands and the mainland.

But halfway through the new order, my store disconnected from the provider — meaning I had to relink, reorder, and basically rebuild the workflow again.
By June 22nd, I was literally **CRUZING & CLUTCHING**, adjusting gears left and right while this one bikini order refused to move.

That’s the truth about building a brand:
Precision requires repetition.
And repetition builds mastery.

Finally, on July 15th, the bikini arrived. The customer wrote,
**“I just got it this morning! I going beach this afternoon!”**
She loved the color. My heart smiled.

Then it hit me: a whole month for one order? It felt exhausting. And honestly, I was a little frustrated because I had other orders coming in — but this one kept dragging.

But that’s refinement. That’s troubleshooting. That’s business.
It was also a reminder that this journey is completely different from being a DP, a cameraman, or a director. This was me stepping into entrepreneurship again — from scratch.

And unlike in 2020, when I launched a store and shut it down immediately because I didn’t believe in myself yet — this time I stood in it. I didn’t run. I didn’t doubt my vision.

Habakkuk 2:3 says, *“Though the vision tarries, wait for it; it will surely come.”*

And that’s exactly what this experience taught me:
Grand things take momentum, and endurance is built in the places where frustration meets faith.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cruzclutchapparel.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/q_da_vision.ent www.instagram.com/cruz_clutchapparel
• Other: Tik Tok : @visiondock340

Image Credits

Mahogany Ballou
Dequandre Liburd
David Springette
Fred Agho