Daily Inspiration: Meet Kenan Flagg

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenan Flagg.

Hi Kenan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started designing in High School. There was this graphic design class and I immediately became obsessed. I was also a fan of streetwear at the time. I wasn’t the most fashionable guy but I knew a lot about the culture. From Bape, The Hundreds, and Stussy, these brands were pretty influential back then and still are. The idea of actually starting a clothing brand started from a library conversation that I had with one of my close friends. We were talking about clothes, specifically crewneck sweaters. Keep in mind this is 2011, Crooks & Castles dropped the airgun crewnecks, Supreme bogo crewnecks, and the OVO crewnecks were popular at the time. A couple of days later, I started watching YouTube videos on t-shirt printing. That Summer, I created The World Clothing which eventually evolved into WRLDWIDE© in 2015.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Yes and no. I think anything in life worth having has some sort of struggle. Nothing is easy. And to be honest, I don’t think I’d still be doing this if it was easy. Luckily, over the past 2-3 years, I feel like everything is coming full circle and things are really materializing. When I first started money was the constant struggle. Starting a business at 16 with no money of my own and no knowledge of the shirt business or connections was definitely a challenge. Also, figuring out what printing method I was gonna use, what shirts to use, what is the best design software to use, etc. My mom bought me a heat press for my 17th birthday and from there, I started heat pressing shirts. I just found a way. My graphics were pretty bad starting out but I never gave up. Looking back, my operation was bare bones. And it was a constant cycle of trial and error. Today, everything is smooth. It’s gotten to a point where the brand kind of runs itself so to speak. I went from heat pressing shirts in my bedroom to domestic and overseas production. Hopefully, as time goes on and things get bigger, my story can be used to help another young kid who doesn’t know where to start. Lord willing.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I design and run the streetwear brand WRLDWIDE©. It’s kinda like my child. Even though it’s a small business, I couldn’t be more proud of what it’s becoming. The brand is influenced by my childhood and some of the movies, music, and sports, that were/are around me. The brand was originally going to be called “Spacely Sprockets” which is the company that George Jetson worked for in The Jetsons. Thankfully, I didn’t settle on that name and decided on The World which was influenced by the song “It’s your World, pt.1&2” by Common and then WRLDWIDE©. I think what sets this brand apart is the perspective. I was lucky to have family in California and Georgia. I used to travel back and forth as a kid and I think it gave me a unique perspective. I was exposed to a lot of dope things as a kid. I am also a diehard Lakers fan. So every now and then, you’ll see something inspired by the team. Shoutout Laker Nation.

Any big plans?
Expansion and growth. Seeing what the brand has become and seeing where it’s going is exciting. I want WRLDWIDE© to stand for more than just the standard screen print t-shirt and hoodie. This latest foray into cut in sew is kind of the first step into new creative endeavors that are related to WRLDWIDE© in some way. Even though I’m pretty seasoned now, there’s always new things to learn, new techniques, and methods. I never want to stop learning and creating. I want the brand to continue to evolve and grow. And who knows maybe it won’t just be clothes we make…

Contact Info:

• Website: http://wrldclo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrldclo/