Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Echevarria.
Chris, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been working in the fashion industry my entire career and have had aspirations to work in this industry since I was old enough to pick out my own clothes… which started at about three.
I started B&W in the living room of my apartment last year. I’m a native of New Jersey who moved to New York and pretty much just never left… How I even got to the west coast was through the Techstars accelerator in LA. Naturally, I loved it and decided to make LA my second home. What started as a one-man operation is now a six man team spread out through LA, Berlin, and NYC.
Techstars is great, congrats on being part of the accelerator. Has it been a smooth road so far?
There’s no such thing as a straight line or a smooth road. When I first started B&W, I met up with a few mentors that told me this would be the hardest thing that I’d ever do and it was well worth it. Luckily, I have a host of mentors, advisors and a great team that have made things that could have been categorically worse a bit smoother.
I don’t look at challenges as things that are going to keep me from getting where I want to go but as necessary growing pains. All successful businesses are built on growth and iteration.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
This isn’t about a product to me or what we specialize in. We see ourselves as more of an arbiter of taste, creating an open environment for guys to learn and mingle and a source for education. Our first product is footwear so we’re known for that at the moment. Over the next 12 months, we’ll be rolling out collaborative product with some great brand partners as well as creating content geared toward increasing a man’s quality of life.
I’m most proud of the positive interactions I’ve had with every customer. It’s a blessing to be able to create a space or product you believe was needed and have that validated and patronized.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I love LA. Everyone says LA is ‘Hollywood’ or snobbish. Although those people exist here, I’d argue that they exist everywhere… I’ve met tons of supportive and thoughtful people. You get the energy that you give.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blackstockandweber.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/blackstockandweber
- Facebook: facebook.com/blackstockandweber
- Twitter: twitter.com/blackstockweber
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