Fashionware: UnofficiallyDOPE

Clothing Line Name: UnofficiallyDOPE
City/State: Philadelphia/PA
Established Date: November, 2011
Price range for clothing: $15-$30
Website: www.unofficiallydope.bigcartel.com

How did you come up with the name:
We call our clothing brand unofficiallyDOPE because it is reminiscent of when Hip-Hop culture was still new. It was DOPE but was not quite official enough to be main stream. We call the brand un_DOPE for short, which is actually a play on words (un is short for unofficially).

Description of clothing line/Influences:
un_DOPE is inspired by the urban underground culture of the 80’s. Our clothing represents the emergence of a new Hip-Hop generation and is artistic by design. Our influences are music, musicians, artists, dancers, movies/media, and slang of the 1980’s. We attempt to bring the attitude of the young Hip-Hop generation of that time through our clothing.

What sets your brand different from others?
All of our tees are made with high quality 60/40 cotton/polyester fabrics in vintage, athletic fits. Our designs are created by hand in-house. Our artistic point of view is modern, young, and abstract. We have not seen another line offer the type of graphics that unofficiallyDOPE offers. Each design is carefully scrutinized before production and is measured to ensure that it differs from products already available in the fashion market. In addition to design decisions, we price our products in a range in which anybody with any budget can afford.

Are there any challenges you run into while running a business?
un_DOPE’s biggest challenge as a new brand is promoting and marketing it in a competitive market. There have been an emergence of new t-shirt and fashion lines lately, and we strive to create a product based on quality and hot designs to set our brand apart from the rest. We also really focus on the customer when choosing designs, fabrics, t-shirt fits, and size offerings. We want people of all sizes and shapes to wear our products.

Any plans for the future with your clothing line?
We plan to add new designs and products for the Fall 2012 season, as well as expand each year with our services. We would like to also start designing and working with other brands and businesses (collaborations). We do not want to limit our potential. We see big things on the horizon for unofficiallyDOPE. Make sure you all follow us on Twitter (@Un_DOPE ) and like us on Facebook (UnofficiallyDOPE) to keep up to date on new products.