July 10, 2019

Meet Klyde Wright of Haus of Klyde

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Klyde Wright.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started making clothes in high school,2008, this was right when Facebook started and the rise of what social media is today. I started making clothes as a hobby, but I wanted to go to school for art. After graduating high school I went to Virginia State Universit for art and used fashion socially. I presented my first collection at my high school art show and that presentation drove me to be the designer I am today. College was hard academically but socially I was able to build my brand through joining performance organizations and other groups that would help build what I was working on. Haus of Klyde went online in 2012, I sold my first few pieces through Instagram and Etsy, that gave me the drive and confidence to continue posting and being active on social media with my brand.

As an art student, I kept my fashion outside the classroom focusing on learning new techniques and building a brand as an artist and designer. It wasn’t until after college where the fun started. After college, I continued blogging about my work to keep my audience but soon gained a larger audience through social media and networking. A year after I graduated I presented my senior portfolio to my city with Rva Fashion Week, which later became my home platform to present my work. That year I also presented a collection in NYFW which was an amazing opportunity. Living in Virginia was very limiting, although I lived in a creative city, my city wasn’t open to the work I wanted to do so I sought out other areas to live and to grow my brand.

Despite the fact of being artist and designer jobs were very hard to find, resulting to me working in the hospitality industry as a server which I used as an opportunity to network and meet potential clients. I moved to California because the time was right. The transition was smooth and swift. My best friend moved to California directly after we graduated for a job, and after the loss of his mother I felt that my presence was important to him, so I made the move. I made the move with the hopes of being there for my bff, and rebuild my brand through new experiences. It didn’t take long because a year later I was presenting a collection in LAFW, this opportunity was huge because I didn’t have time to network in the first year so this validated my social media presence and my work. I used to opportunity to build my web presence and launch my website. Currently, I am working out of an Art Studio in Irvine working for a fine art print company, I am still building my web presence currently looking forward to presenting in NYFW this year.

Has it been a smooth road?
No, I’ve had so many struggles along the way that I don’t even like talking about it. My first initial struggle with life comes from the lack of support from my family which I’m no longer concerned about because of the support I have from friends and the families I created. My grandmother died while I was in college who was my only support system so while in college I had nowhere to go. During the summer and spring breaks, I had to find something to do and somewhere to live. I hustled everyday for what I have nothing was given to me. I used my own funds to finance my business and brand. I can go on and on about how hard it was to get on my two feet, how hard it was to have a nonsupportive family but that’s the past. When I moved to Cali I through away majority of my closet, including clothes I made that weren’t selling. I can go on and on about my struggles of being broke and hungry and having to sell my clothes for cheap just to buy dinner but there is beauty in the struggle.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Haus of Klyde story. Tell us more about the business.
Haus of Klyde is an emerging independent clothing brand that specializes in artistic wearable pieces that speak on the experiences of me as the artist and designer. I specialize in unique ready to wear pieces that are meant to stand out in your average setting. The brand is known for handmade Tshirts, one of a kind dresses, and innovative shapes. As a brand, I am most proud the journey as a whole, which started from a wearable art assignment in a sculpture class and led me to NYFW and LAFW. What sets me apart as a designer is that all my collections are based from personal experiences, you can look at my collections and see what I have learned, where I have been, and sometimes where I’m at emotionally. When people buy from me they aren’t buying just a Tshirt, or dress they are buying a dream, a thought. They are buying into something that was designed to live and the breathe through life.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Big Shifts are happening in the fashion industry big big big shifts. The first change everyone can see is the inclusion of different body types on the runway and the use of unique models or as I would say the use of regular people instead or models. Also in the industry people are changing how they present collections, and how they market their brand with physical stores dying out and online businesses became mainstream. In the next five years, I see the industry being more inclusive with different body types and people or color, seeing regular people on the runway would be a joy. I also see a change in shapes, a change in what is considered this or that. Isn’t a dress just a long shirt. I’m also looking forward to the trend of nonbinary fashion for personal reasons.

Contact Info:

Website: Hausofklyde.com
Email: klyde@hausofklyde.com
Instagram: hausofklyde
Facebook: Klyde Wright

Image Credit:
LSJ Photography, and Mr. Phunky Photography

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