Student Success: Billy Petts, Inspiration Clothing
Sneaker Essentials and Streetwear Essentials Graduate. Fashion Designer. Owner and Creative Director at Inspiration Clothing.
How To Become a Pattern Maker
Pattern Makers ensure that clothing fits the best to a streetwear brand’s standards and customer demographic.
The Rise of the Streetwear Creative Director
A breakdown of why fashion houses hire our beloved streetwear designers — the next biggest wave for luxury fashion.
Apparel Graphic Designer
Apparel Graphic Designers create on-trend or impactful graphics that reflect the brand and drive sales for every collection, season, or drop.
Webinar Recap | April Walker Talks Mental Health & Wellness for “Survive & Thrive” Part 2
The year 2020 has proven to be a lesson for everyone. When January 1st came around, it is fair to say that no one knew what to expect. By March, the world was looking into the unknown without a clue as to what would happen next. Lives changed, daily routines were disturbed and it took a while for people to figure it out. Mental Health is always important but in these trying times, it is a major key. Developing a routine and coping skills to keep a level head is important. Even if your path is carved, developing ways to keep your mental health in check, can do more good, than harm.
In honor of World Mental Health Day (October 10th), we will be revisiting the Survive & Thrive 2 Part Webinar series with Streetwear Essentials contributor and Walkerwear founder, April Walker. For Part 2, she discussed the importance of mental health and wellness in general but more importantly, during these trying times. She touched on what it was like working in the streetwear industry, the toll it took on her and how she was able to maintain and be successful. While everyone has to do what works for them, it is important to share the types of things people can do to stay mentally (and physically) well. Therapy is expensive and not an option for everyone. Meditation, exercise, healthy eating, and other things can lead to a positive road to solid mental health. Listening, taking notes, and applying what could work for you is helpful to start.
Press play on the webinar above. Be sure to bring a pen and paper because the tips are plentiful.
“So I Could…” | Billy Petts
Name: Billy Petts
Course: Streetwear Essentials
IG Handle: @InspirationClothing
I enrolled in this program so I could..
Learn from the best and obtain knowledge from an Industry standpoint not just the underground knowledge I’ve obtained the past decade.
Why did you think the course was right for you when you enrolled?
I felt like there could always be more to learn and that even with years of experience, I could learn other methods and processes to start and finish clothing projects. Learning from like minded creators is always a blessing.
What is your biggest takeaway from this program?
To treat my business as Culture and Storytelling. Not Product and Profits. It’s much more than “business.” It’s Passion and the drive to make a difference in our communities.
Has your experience in Streetwear Essentials impacted your career at all yet, and if so, how?
Yes, my whole outlook on fashion has changed yet again. I feel as if I still have a long journey ahead, learning about mood boards, tech packs, and manufacturing in this course took my brand to new endeavors yet to unfold. Following all the creators and influencers from this course on Instagram has increased my learning as well. Seeing how they post, and market after hearing them speak makes sense why they excel in streetwear today.
How did the course prepare you for working in the streetwear industry?
In a good way. The course forces you really to make the building blocks of a clothing brand. Right down to business plan, target market, potential store layouts, pop up shops, you name it. At the end of this course I found myself with an actually written business plan which I never thought I would have or needed. Now I have something professional to continuously build off.
What would you say to a friend about Streetwear Essentials?
Sign up if you wanna save 10 years of learning on your own.
Keeping Creative With Alife’s Rob Cristofaro
Exclusive Conversation: Keeping Creative During Quarantine w/ Rob Cristofaro
REGISTER TO GET THE FULL REPLAY
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When the world was first introduced to the concept of a “stay-at-home” quarantine order, we had no idea what to expect. We were given a potential timeline to the end but that has changed many times. In the interim, creatives like Alife co-founder Rob Cristofaro are navigating the calm through the storm. Keeping creative and motivated during these times is a major key because his business is dependent on creativity.
We recently sat down with Rob on a Zoom chat to discuss a few things including how he stays creative and what he suggests others do to stay creative during these uncertain times. Rob is also an Industry Expert in the Streetwear Essentials course, which gives students an inside look at what it’s like to have a career in the streetwear industry. He talks about the importance of learning from other people’s experiences and how it can help craft a path for your journey in the streetwear industry. If you missed the full length conversation, no worries. You can drop your email in the “Register Now” box above and get the link.
Michelle Lopez Talks “Making The Pivot” | Webinar Recap
Exclusive Conversation: Making the Pivot w/ Michelle Lopez
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Streetwear Essentials student Michelle Lopez is not new to the industry. As co-founder of the children’s streetwear brand The Mini Classy, she has a good idea of how the industry works. Earlier this year, Michelle decided to take her business skills to the next level and apply to be a student in the Streetwear Essentials course. After getting accepted and enrolling, she was on the road to releasing new Mini Classy gear and making some moves. A few months later, the pandemic hit and Michelle was forced to make some changes.
While she was trying to figure how she was going to pivot into her next thing, she came up with a pretty dope idea. She talks about what she did in the live webinar we hosted, Making the Pivot on 6/14. If you want to hear more about what she did, her experience with the streetwear course and what she’s going to do next, leave your email in the box above. Once you register, we will send you the full link to the talk. Until then, you can check out some of her stuff on both The Mini Classy and MaskOn MaskOff.
Otis x Jeff Staple Launch Investment Shares of the Nike SB Dunks Collection
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Sneaker Culture comes with a lot of moving parts. It’s not just about what’s trending and what’s dropping at the moment. The sneaker industry is a booming business and there are a lot of ways to cash in. When you mix history and actual factual epic moments in, these are the things that make sneaker culture what it is. There are many players involved, brands behind the madness and stories to be told. We’ve watched buying sneakers turn into a “thing”, sneaker releases become like holidays and feelings described as being “like Jordans on Saturdays”. When did that happen? Sneaker culture is evident in all aspects of our lives and it is important to keep up with its evolution. Jeff and Otis have teamed up to take sneaker culture to another level.
Jeff Staple, the founder and creative director of Staple Design, plays an integral role in sneaker culture, and so does Otis. They both are pioneers in areas of sneaker culture that have pushed the needle up on the culture-o-meter. The two have paired up to launch shares of the Nike SB Dunks Collection.
Wait. Shares?
Yep. Shares!
The Nike SB Dunks Collection is now available for purchase via the Otis App. The collection includes 5 famed Nike SB lows that have impacted sneaker history in some way shape or form. The NYC Pigeon, Heineken Dunks, What the Dunk, Raygun Dunks, and the first all suede Bison dunks are all available at $25 per share and there are 1,000 shares available for purchase. Jeff is a major Sneakerhead and he handpicked the pairs for this collection.
Aside from the actual sneakers, the Otis x fnnch collection is also up for grabs. Each share costs $40 and there are 1,000 shares up for grabs. This collection is a series of custom-commissioned artworks by San Francisco’s street artist fnnch. His works include Three Cans of LaCroix, Greatest Hits, and Sneakers. Oddly enough, the Sneakers paintings are his personal rendition of the Nike SB Dunks from the collection.
Sneakers have become more than just footwear, they are an investment. Whether it’s a purchase of shares on the Otis app or getting a job in the sneaker industry, there’s more to sneaker culture than meets the eye. For more information on how you can turn your passion for sneakers into cash, visit Sneaker Essentials dot com.
