Teamwork makes the dream work. Or in this case, Lyfestyle is THE lifestyle. With a team 14 on deck for the up-and-coming fashion brand, the creative process is in full swing with design collaborations being debated on a daily basis. Furthermore, ideas of business strategy on how to execute the rollout of new pieces are being shot into the air like a chef curry jump shot, while chopping it up on how to remain loyal to their cult-following while continuing to expand their current customer base have been the subject of heated discussions. Despite what the topic is, team Lyfestyle has gradually climbed the fashion ranks by operating in harmony and becoming tighter than ever since the company’s inception in 2010.
By introducing a savvy and distinctive logo into the marketplace that is flipped upside-down and spelled backwards as “ǝʃʎʇsǝɟʎ⅂,” a mind-bending appearance is being delivered from the jump. With the Lyfestyle mantra rooted in “Your Lyfestyle might look weird to others, but when you look down, its right side up to you. Your Lyfestyle,” it embraces full-on individuality and all walks of life. With that visual experience in play, people can’t resist the inner voice that tells them “you know your lifestyle will be better when Lyfestyle is on you.”
On any given day, you can see mothers and fathers with their children, high schoolers that made the trip to Williamsburg, Brooklyn after the final buzzer of the school day released them into the real world, and fashion savvy adults walking from a location with an all black or white bag with a small green rectangle placed in the middle of it. After getting closer to the bag, one can see the word “Lyfestyle” affixed within the rectangle. As more people are walking past with the bags filled with clothes, you can’t help to think that coppin a fit is similar to getting a fashion fix. Let’s just say that green label carries a similar brand awareness of a potent product like “blue magic” from the movie “American Gangster” that starred Denzel Washington. As he said in the movie, “That’s a brand name. Like Pepsi, that’s a brand name. I stand behind it. I guarantee it. They know that. Even if they don’t know me any more than they know the chairman of General Mills.” And with fashion junkies flocking to the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn to satisfy their fix, people clearly stand by the brand with firm belief.
Upon taking the journey to their location at 1852 Flushing Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, one would think of the Lyfestyle headquarters as another industrial building located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. While the historic section is known for its graffiti painted walls, the no longer used Domino Sugar Factory, and its L train residents, people will quickly realize that the building is nothing more than a bat cave cover for a clothing brand that is placing its fingerprints on the fashion industry.
After the passing of green labeled bags and stepping foot into their showroom on the third floor, any Lyfestyler is quickly greeted by their Head of Security who is affectionately known as Melz. This greeting is complimented with a vibrant and energetic environment. Amid people customizing their own pieces, patrons having conversations with sales reps, customers voicing their online order for pickup, and many others browsing the feature pieces that are displayed in glass cases, the hype is combined with your favorite Kendrick Lamar bars, Tory Lanez rhythm, or any other artist that places an upbeat vibe in the air to make you feel like you’re in the comfort of your own home. With a fashionable suite that hosts a wide range of sweatshirts, sweatpants, tees, hats, letterman jackets, and motorcycle jackets among other clothing items, full customizability is offered to anyone who is looking to cop. Additionally, their clothing customization allows for patch variations to include their signature multicolored patch, Biggie Patch, Black Bart Patch, Deadking Patch, along with several others that instantaneously distinguish any dope fit that is put on.
With their showroom releasing a sense of calm and non-chaotic activity similar to most showrooms or boutiques anyone may come across in NYC, one would think behind the scenes would be a calm and tame process as far as the clothes-making process goes. Think again. Behind the showroom curtain presents a Willy Wonka and chocolate factory kind of vibe where instead of having Oompa Loompas bounce around the place, the entire Lyfestyle team is on the grind. With the full team on deck, the creative process is in full swing with design collaborations being debated, the management of boatloads of inventory that range from colored letters and signature pieces that are being tossed from one member to another like a chef curry jump shot. To keep the business boomin amidst the laughter of team and productive chatter, it’s commonplace to hear comments like “Tekashi 69 is in the building. Where is his bag with his custom fit at!?” or “Stop chillin. Ya’ll think you off the clock? There are customers up front.” It’s that kind of mentality that has nothing short of excellence and a customer-friendly interaction at the top of mind for everyone that is a part of the Lyfestyle collective.
While only offering products at their showroom and their Lyfestyle Boutique online at the moment, the Lyfestyle app is in development that would allow for an enhanced experience by turning their own customer base into clothing designers themselves. The app will deliver an à la carte experience that facilitates full control over colored patches, signature patches, and their placement of them over pretty much all articles of clothing that the Brooklyn brand offers. With this experience soon to roll out, Lyfestyle will soon their customer base into instant fashion designers without them having to hand in a resume or participate in a lick of fashion school.
When asked about the inspiration behind the brands creativity and design concepts, it was immediately apparent that a collective effort was valued more than any one particular individual. Director of Online Sales and Graphic Designer, Clinton Ballard, said “It’s no one person that’s a “creative director” that is coming up with all of the ideas. We all pull our ideas and thoughts from one another and then move forward as a collective. Everyone has a passion for fashion and we see it as a benefit that everyone can contribute their own creative perspectives.” Clearly, this philosophy has served as foundational pillar for their mobile app development that the team wants their customers to experience as well.
It’s that kind of customer inclusion that has led to the gradual rise of the urban brand over the past several years. Over the past several years, the Lyfestyle brand has developed itself from a grassroots approach by touching the youth of New York City and all of its five boroughs. Gaining much traction by way of word-of-mouth and cultivating a devoted social media following with over 40,000 followers, the brand was able to receive significant placements with several celebrities and media outlets. Notable celebrities such Diddy, Cardi B, Safaree, and Faith Evans, and many others have been seen donning the Lyfestyle brand and various signature pieces. Additionally, the brand has been seen on a several television programs and specials that have aired on Revolt TV, MTV, VH1 and BET. This combined recognition by industry heavyweights and media powerhouses has only propelled the Lyfestyle name towards higher expectations and into conversations that now have them as a factor within their fashion lane.
Gaining significant momentum over the past two years, the brand plans on expanding through the NYC area, while taking its show on the road in order to expand its footprint to a nationwide audience. Beginning May 15th, the brand will kick-off a series of pop-up shops in SOHO (South of Houston St.) at 7 Cleveland Place, as the world famous neighborhood is the go-to for all things fashion and where the freshest of the fresh find new pieces to drape themselves in. And as developments like these continue to blossom into more opportunities, the team is aggressively positioning itself for further expansion in order to tackle increased volume and higher visibility projects. “With every advancement comes another level of volume and we know we have to be prepared for that. As far as our current location goes, we even have to tell celebrities to come at particular times because our in-store volume is so crazy. We do that because we can see it becoming like a mosh pit if certain celebrities are seen considering the long lines we have around our block. In seeing that, we’ve begun to quickly and smartly develop an infrastructure for our warehousing, sales, and online departments.” said their Head of Press and Media Outreach, Kamau Harper.
These steps are of course a part of the bigger picture that will cultivate national and international awareness that would spread the brand across the US and land it in multiple continents in order to rival any of its larger competitors fashion industry. But no matter the outcome, the entire team is down for the journey they have been taking full advantage of within the fashion industry. In short, they’re only concerned with creating a stellar experience, promote individualism, push creative limits, and delivering a one-of-a-kind Lyfestyle.
