TALENTED AND TENACIOUS: Tenacious and Talented is about featuring the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs that have the skills, resilience and portfolio to make headway into the fashion industry. If you have what it takes, create your Clashe profile and contact us to be featured in an interview.
Check out Strapped Up’s Lookbook.
Tell us about who the three of you are, give us some insight into how you guys first got into fashion, work history, when you guys decided that this was something you wanted to do, and other things you think we ought to know.
Jeff Rogers, John Rogers, and Matt Wagoner are all students. Jeff is currently a student at Detroit Country Day School and will attend Northwestern University, John attends Northwestern University and Matt attends Duke University. We first got into the fashion world through our t-shirt company, Original Vagabond, which featured original artwork on fashionable tees. We sold the shirts at our high school and through a few local boutiques in the metro Detroit area. We decided that the clothing industry was saturated with small t-shirt companies and went on to focus on belts.
Strapped Up is a new company dedicated to the production of new and creative waistwear. The Strapped Up team got tired of the same black and brown belts and decided to create an alternative that is eye-catching and original
What made you realize that the small t-shirt industry was saturated?
When you look through the men’s section of a typical clothing boutique, t shirts dominate. With so much competition, it’s increasingly harder to distinguish oneself from the pack.
What made you decide to go into the belt industry?
The belt industry is a funny term…to us, it’s a niche market because few companies focus soley on waistwear, as we like to call it. Where they sell denim it makes sense to sell belts. A lot of shoe stores sell socks to get the consumer to complement their new purchase. The philosophy is the same.
Who came up with the idea of including a squirt gun with the belt? Has it been a successful promotional tool?
The name Strapped Up refers to the belt around your waist. Common slang today uses the term to refer to having a gun. Jeff got the idea to attach a water gun to the belt as a fun, humorous aspect. Yeah, its a little nerdy, but as a customer, you know you’re going to play with it when you get your belt in the mail.
What is it like starting a fashion business while still being a student?
As a student who runs a fashion business, we recommend it to other students who are interested in fashion and making money. At Jeff’s high school, students are required to wear a uniform, so a unique belt is one of the few ways for a student to stand out. Facebook and twitter are great ways to spread the word about Strapped Up, because high school students are always using social networking sites. And because our school is small (600 students), we can accredit word of mouth to many sales.
How did you convince your first store to carry you? What was it like when they agreed to carry your belts?
We were able to convince the first store to carry us because we had previously worked with them with our t shirt company. They are known for their designer denim and welcomed the belts into their store. When they agreed to carry our belts, the dream of Strapped Up became very real.
What is the next thing you are looking forward to in the life of your business?
The Strapped Up Team is looking forward to adding various elements to future collections, such as custom buckles and the use of materials other than leather. Stay tuned for that!
What is something you know now that you wished you would have known when you first started?
When we first started, it was difficult to gauge the size ratio we should order. As we continued to sell we used the trends to order accordingly.
Where can we find your products?
You can buy Strapped Up products directly from Matt, John or Jeff in these locations, online or at a growing number of stores including Caruso Caruso in Birmingham, MI, and Modern Skate and Surf at their locations in the Detroit Metro Area.
Author Bio
Darryl had a problem. He needed to find clothing that was relevant to him, appropriate for where he was going, popular and affordable. He couldn’t find an answer on Google, Wikipedia, Dictionary.com or Flickr. So he started building Clashe.
Did you take a video at the latest fashion show your line was featured in? Do you have a tutorial on how to care for your hair? Have you been interviewed by any of the local television channels? Post your video on YouTube for the world to see and include it in your Clashe Lookbook. Adding video is only one more way to engage your audience and gain new customers. 
Are you in the know with the movers and shakers of the fashion world? Can you spot the new trend from a mile away? Insert your twitter feed into your Clashe Lookbook and people will be able to put a face to your words. They can see that you’re in the know and need to be followed. 
Are you a journalist with a knack for writing articles on fashion? Your insights and ability to articulate yourself and huge contributions to the fashion world and people need to be able to appreciate you for your work. Having your blog in your Clashe lookbook is a way to show off your intelligence and talent. 
