Dressed for success
Lessons taught by single mom helped launch clothing line
Editor’s note: During Small Business Week, we' ve been profiling all sorts of enterprises, from fish farmers to aviation pioneers. Today, we meet the creators of a contemporary clothing brand.
In September 2015, 18-yearold Alex (Cunny) Ross released his first album, Family Over Fame. It changed the course of his life.
A week after dropping the album, Family Over Fame had 1,000 downloads and could be heard through the streets of his community, Uniacke Square in Halifax, for weeks to come.
Ross decided to create Tshirts with the Family Over Fame logo to further promote the album. After selling out in an hour, he knew he had something special.
“People in my community were telling me, ‘This is not just a message that relates to us, but one that reaches worldwide,'” said Ross.
“After those conversations, I just ran with it.”
FAMILY FIRST
Ross joined the Enactus Options Youth Program at Saint Mary's University, where he secured an internship with East Coast Lifestyle's Alex Maclean to learn the ins-andouts of the clothing industry.
With a firm foundation, Ross then enlisted the help of longtime friend and fellow Uniacke Square resident John Hiles to launch the Family over Fame clothing brand.
Ross and Hiles are now selling hundreds of hoodies, shirts, sweatsuits, shorts and ballcaps around the world with a brand backed by a powerful message about retaining strong personal values.
“The whole concept is always putting your family first, never forgetting where you come from and never putting materialistic things over your family,” said Ross.
He said these principles were instilled in him in his childhood and are messages people can relate to.
“We live in a society where everything's all about social media and who has the most clout. Materialistic things come and go, but your family is with you forever; it's something that can always be cherished and appreciated.”
Ross was raised by his single mother and attributes much of his success to his upbringing, along with his close ties with his grandparents.
“Those three people really shaped the man I am today. If not for them, I wouldn't be here now."
He said the Family Over Fame message is deeper than just words on a shirt. It's his way of separating the brand from the clothing instead of feeding into trendy fast fashion.
“You can put any words or logo on a shirt but how is that going to resonate with people?
Our clothing represents people who say, ‘No matter what happens in my life I will put my family over everything else.' I think it's soul-touching.”
COMMUNITY TIES
Before chasing after their global ambitions, Ross and Hiles are looking to further build their company in Uniacke Square as a way to change the stigma around the community.
“The square has poor recognition and an unfair reputation,” Hiles said about Uniacke Square, a public housing residential area in the north central area of Halifax.
“I tell people where I'm from with pride but some may judge us, without even knowing us, based on where we are from.”
Hiles believes the work the duo has done over the last five years has already started the healing process.
“Now we see people in and outside of the community wearing the gear and starting to take recognition of what we are trying to do here.”
The pair have already made connections to give back to the community by hosting free community barbecues and partnering with the Crown community basketball fundraiser, starting in 2018.
Ross was recognized for his efforts and was awarded the 2018 Family SOS Courage to Give Back Inspiring Youth Award.
More recently, the two partnered with the Hope Blooms social enterprise to help raise funds to install a mini basketball court for youth in the area.
“We want to see the next generation do well,” said Hiles.
“If we can help give them opportunities then we are going to keep giving them.”
Ross said it's vital to keep up positivity surrounding the community to encourage youth to be proud of where they are from.
“There has always been negativity being shared about us but we've got amazing people living here and we've got an amazing story,” he said.
“I'm going to make sure the positivity is shared.”
CLOSE TO HOME
For Ross, the ultimate goal would be to offer youth in Uniacke Square jobs through his company.
“I want to inspire the youth here to pursue careers,” said Ross.
“It can be harder for young Black people to get a job if they tell the employer they are from Uniacke Square because of the assumed reputation they put on us. If we put up a storefront in Uniacke Square, I would be able to offer anyone here a job who needed it.”
After the roots are firmly planted, Ross will be comfortable branching out to larger markets. As of right now, however, he sees no immediate rush.
“Of course, I want to do more travelling and networking but I really want to establish everything over here, such as a storefront, as kind of a base of operations.”
The next steps are competing with other emerging brands in Nova Scotia.
"We are just taking a humble approach. We aren't trying to steal business or destroy someone's brand, we just want to spread our message.”
Hiles repeated the sentiment of putting in hard work, something the two have become accustomed to.
“Every day, it is grind, grind, grind,” said Hiles.
“Some people may see this as a joke but we know what we have here and at the end of the day, the results will speak for themselves.”