We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Xavier Ford. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Xavier below.
Xavier, appreciate you joining us today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?
Ever since I was a kid I had a passion for creating things, especially when it came to making clothes. My grandmother used to help me make tie dye shirts, hoodies, etc. I was growing really fast as a kid so I had to find a way to upgrade my clothes without buying new ones. We would iron patches on my jeans, add buttons zippers etc.
Fast forward…. 2020 at the time I was playing professional basketball in France when COVID struck the world by storm. France went on a extreme lockdown. Before the lockdown the day would consist of me waking up, going for a walk, going to practice and enjoying day to day activities that we took for granted prior to Covid. Once the lockdown and curfew were implemented I was forced to be isolated in my apartment. I would go days at a time without physically interacting with another person it was pure madness.
One day I was sitting in my room fighting desperately to remain sane when I got a random idea to start drawing and sowing again, not only did I enjoy it, it kept me sane and killed a ton of time. When I was able to go to the store I bought a bunch of buttons, patches, zippers, and I began designing different clothes like I was a kid all over again.
As the days went by I found myself watching hours of Virgil Abloh content on YouTube then I had a “Fuck It” moment I decided that I was going to create a hoody! I drew up the design came up with colors but then I was stuck because I don’t know how to get the merch out there let alone find a vendor. Then boom it hit me to reach out to My guy Mike Chandler. Owner and creator of Mperial Sportsware. I’ve know mike since I was a kid, back when I was in high school he was customizing shorts for people. I gave him a call and he showed me everything I needed to know and what I need to do to get my name and merch out there. Early January of 2021 I did a small release and sold out immediately… from then on Swagged by Bandit was created.
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
What make makes my brand unique is the versatility and charisma you see in my clothing. I am a professional basketball player that has lived in 10 different countries. It gives me a marketing advantage because my clothing has reached every content, when I wear my clothing in public it’s easy marketing for myself. I’ve had the advantage of seeing different combinations of colors, styles and materials ranging from kids to adult clothing living amongst different cultures keeps my brain pumping with fresh ideas.
My brand represents individuals who love to express themselves through their clothing. I believe that clothing tells a story and each individual clothing paints a picture of, what they represent . My proudest moment thus far has been selling out of my first release in 48 hours.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned with having a brand is 95% of the people who purchase your clothing will be strangers or people you would never expect to support you. When I released my first set of hoodies I was surprised with how many of my friends didn’t support me. I learnt real quick to take expectations of support from your friends and accept the support that comes organically.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing my work not only worn locally, but all across the world. As mentioned before I am a professional so I have the advantage of marketing myself when I wear my clothing. I love when people post pictures on social platforms wearing my clothing. It’s so much that goes into designing clothing, sometimes you may put something out and it doesn’t get bought at the rate you expected. When that happens you have to get back to the drawing board and figure out what’s next, so when you finally get it right it’s a fulfilling moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.swaggedbybandit.com
- Instagram: midrangebanditt
- Facebook: Xavier Ford
- Linkedin: Xavier Ford
Image Credits
Portland Trail Blazers Minnesota Timberwolves