The Beginnings: Airfit
How a casual high school senior project turned into a significant streetwear business…
Some dreams are visions that become reality. Airfit is one of those.
Started by a teen in 2018, Airfit was not intended to become the renowned clothing brand that it is today.
It started as an obligation, it was my last year in high school and for my business class, I had to create something for the school project. I chose to do it solo where I had no limitations to my creativity; we were given approximately 8 months to have everything finished. I was going back and forth with what I wanted to present to the class for my final grade presentation. I went through at least 4 ideas before I came up with my final idea. Coming up with names for the product/ business...Finally decided on the name Airfit, props to my sis for coming up with the name. The product that I decided to stick with was a backpack with built in features to make life easier, that was actually one of the goals for the project, it was to have the product solve a problem. After a successful presentation to my business class, my teacher offered me an opportunity to present in front of other judges. I agreed to compete with other student’s business projects from within my school, there was just that feeling where I knew I could smoke the competition.
The latter was chosen and Airfit was born.
Airfit was one of the three businesses in the school to move to the second round. I had to compete against not only the kids from my school but kids from the district. Going to a presentation at a college where I wore slacks, black Adidas sneakers, and a blue Polo Ralph Laren t-shirt probably wasn’t your most ideal outfit. I was that one oddball that stood out where everyone else was in a more professional attire; at the end of the day I still won one of the awards for the business plan that day. (I wonder if I would’ve been looked at differently with our current Airfit outfits)
However, almost all success stories have hurdles and Airfit is not exempt. Now we’re in July and I just got my first job at Kohls, after winning multiple entrepreneurship rounds in the school business project competition, making functional bags is not that affordable for a kid who came from nothing. I was currently into Elon Musk and his adventures, selling clothing and literally bricks to fund the “Boring Company”, so I thought to myself, maybe if I can sell just catchy graphic T- shirts to help fund the project, then this could be a slice of cake because the checks alone just wouldn’t help.
From 2018 till date, the mission has shifted from saving up for a startup to becoming an “official” clothing brand. It has since undergone different phases, ideas, designs and direction.
Nearing 2021, I wasn’t really fond of the designs that I have placed on the clothing. Where I was at the moment with the brand just didn’t seem right and I was having thoughts of shutting down the whole company because I didn’t picture a vision for the brand but it took a lot of brainstorming; it’s easier to enter my creative zone when I’m not stressed. Other creators helped me to realize I needed to stay connected with the brand and go in a different direction.
In March 2021, Airfit was reborn with the slogan “We Are Not The Same™” with the acronym “W.A.N.T.S™”. “We Are Not The Same™” re-enforces the original idea that Airfit is for the odd, the misfits, the free, those who don’t want to fit in; and those who are not considered normal. It symbolizes that there are no ceilings when it comes to chasing whatever you want, even if it may seem crazy to the world, your family, friends, peers, strangers and society. Everyone isn’t supposed to approve of everything that you do and that is completely okay.
Thats the beginning for Airfit.
Join us on this everlasting journey
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