I've always wanted to give my mother back a lifestlye that was taken from not only me but also her, I had no idea of how I could do that, until now.

I created the brand SLEPTON on July 16, 2018 after months of brain storming. Pronounced "slept on," my initial thought was to create a hustle to make extra money after high school. The brand quickly turned into a movement that touched people across the world, and it was rooted deeper than just a hustle for money. The DNA of the brand had been embedded in me for a long time and it took me a while to figure it out.

I grew up in a middle class house hold, and was a stranger to any struggle until the age of 12, when my parents got a divorce. My life changed for ever, but it was also my introduction to fashion and style.

The abundance of clothing and shoes I was getting had come to a stop, which forced me to get creative and survive. I painted shoes, bleached denim, upcycled clothes, and learned how to sew all because i was feeling slept on. I found these skills because I was experiencing pain and lack.

After 6 years of owning a clothing label, and more than 10 years after the divorce situation. I realized what I had been doing the whole time. I created my true form of art. I was taking my real life experiences and expressing that through the art of clothing. This art will one day contribute to giving my mom that lifestyle that was stripped away from the both of us.

HOW SLEPTON STARTED

The first release was 7 days after I created the name and logo. It started with 25 Gildan shirts, 13 yellow and 12 white. I had a friend who taught me how to use her vinyl cutting machine and I got to work. There was 25 logos and a hot iron. I had pressed each shirt and had my first release ready to hit the streets.

I made a wacky flyer announcing the drop for Monday, July 23rd saying: "25 shirts, 2 colors, $12 a shirt, first come first served." I can't explain the feeling of the first time I seen someone wearing something I created and put my work into. I can say that it's a feeling that became very addictive and something I constantly seek.

I went to college and that gave me a different outlook on business and my brand. I had my first photoshoot, popups, etc.. For the next 2 or 3 years I was grinding daily making new shirts every 4 days to be the most consistent out of everyone.

I am on a mission to shine a light on creatives who feel slept on or not seen, through the platform of fashion.