Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Teryn Simmons. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Teryn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

The number 12 has always held a place in my heart and has had special meaning to me. Twelve is a number that represents completeness, perfection and divine authority. . . My birth day multiplied by my birth month is 12. I’m a Pisces, the 12th sign of the zodiac . The number 12 is mentioned often in the New Testament of the Bible, such as Jesus’ selection of 12 apostles and his 12 disciples. The Greeks worshiped 12 major gods of Olympus. It’s also the number of months in a year, hours on a clock face and the number of members typical on a court jury. Twelve is a number of creativity and individualistic self-expression and is said to inspire those it interacts with. It symbolizes tolerance .. All are welcome and that’s what I wanted Top Twelve, as a brand, to encompass. The goal is to inspire and empower by promoting self confidence to those who wear our clothing. Lastly, “Top” comes from being number one. On Top. To be on top symbolizes being the best which is something I strive for Top Twelve to be. The best.

Teryn, 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 was born and raised in Savannah Ga, but spent most of my adult life here in Atlanta. I’ve always loved fashion and the creativity that goes into putting a fire outfit together. I’ve always loved how individual’s personalities shined through their wardrobe and the clothing they wore. I loved seeing the adults in my family get dressed up for special events and occasions. Or sitting in front of the television screen watching music videos on MTV and BET to see what my favorite celebrities were wearing. I soon discovered fashion was also an avenue for me to express myself as well. So, I started Top Twelve Clothing with the intention of not only creating a brand that was trendy and fashionable, but that would inspire confidence in others the way wearing my favorite brands growing up did for me.. I wanted to make clothing that promoted self confidence, self expression, and self love for whoever wore it. Accomplishing this is something I am most proud of. Top Twelve Clothing is a lifestyle brand that offers quality, customized apparel with unique designs for men, women and children. We call it “STATEMENT APPAREL.” I think this is what sets us apart from other clothing brands.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What has helped build Top Twelve’s reputation within our market has been our commitment to quality products and our heavy focus on customer service. We try our best to provide products that we think our supporters will love and will be proud to wear. In turn, they continue to support and spread the word bringing more awareness to the brand. We also make very good use of our social media platforms. Whether it’s through advertising, networking or selling our merchandise directly through these sites, our social media platforms definitely play a major role in the brand’s reputation and overall success.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

The initial capital used to start Top Twelve Clothing was my own personal savings. I took a leap of faith, did my research and used what little savings I had saved up to purchase a website domain, graphic/design software and sample pieces of my initial designs. At the same time, I continued to grind at my corporate job to save up even more. As sales increased, so did my revenue and I was able to use those profits to purchase supplies and equipment that I used to help further the brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.toptwelvevclothing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toptwelveclothing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TopTwelveClothing
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/top12clothing