Hidden Gems: Meet Cecilia Gonzalez of Hype and Vice, Inc.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cecilia Gonzalez.

Hi Cecilia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We started Hype and Vice out of a very real frustration we experienced as both sports fans and women who cared about style. Back in college, we noticed that most fan apparel was designed for men, even though women made up a huge part of the fan base. We were left cutting up oversized t-shirts or settling for options that didn’t feel like us.

So we decided to change that. We built Hype and Vice to create elevated, fashion-forward fan apparel that women actually want to wear, not just on game day, but every day.

What started as a small idea has grown into a nationally licensed brand across collegiate and professional sports leagues. Over the years, we’ve scaled the business, expanded into new categories, and built a strong community of women who love both sports and style.

Today, we’re focused on continuing to grow the brand, expanding into new leagues, and redefining what fan apparel looks like for the next generation.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Building Hype and Vice in a traditionally male-dominated industry came with its own challenges, from navigating licensing to proving there was real demand for women’s fan apparel.

Operationally, scaling brought another layer of complexity. As we grew, we faced challenges around production, inventory planning, and fulfillment, especially when we were working with made-to-order models that created longer lead times and customer frustration.

We’ve also had to learn quickly as founders, hiring the right team, evolving roles, and making tough decisions as the business scaled.

That said, each challenge has pushed us to build a stronger, more efficient business. It’s forced us to be extremely thoughtful about our product, operations, and customer experience and ultimately made us better operators and leaders.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Hype and Vice, Inc.?
Hype and Vice is a trend-forward sports apparel brand focused on redefining fanwear for women. We design elevated, fashion-driven pieces across collegiate and professional leagues that are meant to be worn beyond game day.

What sets us apart is our focus on fit, quality, and design. We approach fan apparel the same way a fashion brand would, rather than traditional merch. Our goal has always been to make women feel confident and stylish while supporting their team.

Brand-wise, we’re most proud of building a community and a product that truly resonates with our customer, creating styles that fill a gap that existed for so long.

As we continue to grow, we’re expanding into new leagues and categories, but staying rooted in what we do best: creating styles that fit every fan.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
We definitely believe luck plays a role, but more in the sense of timing and being prepared when opportunities come. Starting Hype and Vice when there was a clear gap in the market for women’s fan apparel was, in many ways, good timing but it only mattered because we were willing to take the risk and act on it.

We’ve also experienced “lucky” breaks through key partnerships and opportunities, but those came from consistently showing up, building, and putting ourselves out there.

At the same time, some of our biggest growth has come from challenges that didn’t feel lucky at all in the moment. Overall, we see luck as something you create by staying persistent, adaptable, and ready to capitalize when the moment comes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hypeandvice.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hypeandvice
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hypeandvice
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/hype-and-vice/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChhrPvVeqEm29pi4aXqWAXg