A DESIGN entrepreneur has ‘Set’ his sights on global success with his own streetwear label.
Cleveland College of Art and Design graduate, Jack Richardson’s vision is to create an international clothing brand with his own North East based designer urban wear ‘Set’.
The label, set up two years ago, incorporates Jack’s own unique designs on unisex hats, t-shirts, beanies, sweatshirts and hooded tops.
And his internet store is already taking sales from Australia, America, Canada and across Europe with 50 percent of orders from outside the UK.
“The concept for the Set branding originally came from my final major project at CCAD,” said Jack, 20.
“I’d always been interested in fashion, wearing it, finding new brands and seeing the design elements involved.
“After I graduated I started selling some of my designs on eBay, just to get a feel of what people liked, and the orders steadily grew from there.”
Enrolling on a business course, Jack created his own website and working from his bedroom at home set up the online Set Store.
“The vast majority of Set sales are currently done on-line but we are now also selling retail from an exclusive German outlet, in Berlin, called Van Liebling,” said Jack.
“I’ve had a lot of enquires from UK stores wanting to stock the brand but at the moment I want to keep a tight rein on the business so I’ve had to turn them down.
“At the moment I only want to sell in very select outlets, in stores that have brands which inspire me, but now that I’ve moved into larger premises I will be looking to expand my product range and retail marketing in the future.”
As well as selling his clothing designs online Jack also stocks an array of field note booklets designed by US designer Aaron Draplin.
“CCAD offered me a great grounding for a career in the creative industry,” added Jack, who works part time as a gallery assistant in MIMA, Middlesbrough.
“I enrolled on the BTEC graphic design course straight from school, totally enjoyed it, found some great friends and really made the most of what the college had to offer.
“It’s a great place to get inspired and my career really evolved out of that course.”
Jack’s unique urban wear designs can be seen at www.setstore.co.uk
For more information on opportunities at CCAD contact (01642) 288888 or log on to www.ccad.ac.uk.