#UpCloseAndPersonal Interview w/ the Creators of @Lyftd x @ISETRENDS X @Just_Lyftd

MS = Malcolm Sawyer​​ 

MB  = Matt Burke

1. Where are you from?

MS - McDonough by way of Riverdale, Ga.

MB - Born: St. Catherine, Jamaica

Raised: North Plainfield, NJ

Currently: Atlanta, Ga

3. Why choose "Lyfted" as a name?

MS - That is a great question! Our logo “the brain with wings” has been something apart of me since my early childhood. I’ve always been a daydreamer, sometimes I was referred to as “space case” because I’d get lost in my imagination. As I grew older, I used my imagination as an escape from the interminably long days of high school. When I spaced out it was like I was “lifted” from a colorless, drab reality and placed in a world of infinite possibilities. I had one of my friends draw a brain with wings because I was going to get it tattooed to remind me of the limitless possibilities that dwelled within my mind. Once I saw the finished piece I fell in love with it! The word “Lyftd” kind of just popped into my head, so I printed our first design using the money I had saved for that tattoo.

4. What lines do you look up to?

MB - Some clothing lines I look up to are Benny Gold, Fli Pelican, Ilthy, and The Hundreds to name a few.

5. Which pieces were your favorite?

MB - I don’t wear hats often because of my dreads, but The NEW ERA fitted with the Lyftd logo would have to be one of my favorites. We started out making shirts, so when we finally got our hands on snapbacks I was excited. Especially since the quality of NEW ERA is the best option out there. People wear hats daily as opposed to shirts, and our logo associates perfectly with headwear. No better place to wear a brain than on your cranium.

6. Did where you grew up have an influence on how you dressed or now in your clothing?

​- MS - Yes, I’d say that my environment amongst other things influenced the way I dressed. I spent the early part of my life in Riverdale, but I never really got into the baggy jeans and tall tee style because it was not me. I went to visit my cousins out in California once and I absolutely fell in love with the culture street art, skate boards, and street-wear. I tried my hardest to bring that culture with me back to Riverdale; they were not nearly as enthusiastic about it as I was. I moved to McDonough towards the end of middle school and found a group of skaters to hang out with, that shaped my attitude and my style. Although, I dress a little more eccentric now, I still feel most comfortable in skinny jeans and a worn our pair of vans. That’s just me.

9.How do you get ideas to sketch?

MS - I pull inspiration from everywhere. As I mentioned before, I have a very active imagination so sometimes I will look at something and it will trigger an idea. My partner, Matt and I, are very adamant about staying true to our brand and enriching the minds of our wearers. We try to ensure that most of our products have enough depth to make people look at it and think. Most of our design concepts are cultivated organically, either one of us will come up with an idea and call the other one and discuss every single detail of the concept to ensure that it is executed well.

10. What is so special about your line that is so different from others?

MB -  The message we are conveying is what makes our brand different from others. There are a lot of brands promoting positivity, but not enlightenment. We encourage others to stimulate their brains. Not just by learning, but passing on that knowledge to others in their community. Often you will believe what you hear or see without researching it. Our motto is “Expand Your Mind, Seek Truth,” we are in the age of technology, so take advantage of this opportunity.

11.  How many ideas do you usually have for a piece? 

MS - Over the years, I have had at least four spiral notebooks that I always carried around to capture impromptu ideas. Most of them I’ve lost, but luckily the ideas that I felt were extremely important I would sketch them up and hang them on my wall as a constant reminder to get it done. Ideas come and go; it’s a matter of weeding out great ones and building upon them.   

12. Who inspires you?

MB - My peers inspire me the most, no one specifically. Just to see the people I grew up with succeeding has instilled in me the same type of drive and determination. They are the ones often giving our line compliment as well as critiquing. Not to mention the one question that gets me going “When are you dropping something new?”

13. What is the next thing you will release? 

MB - The next thing we are focused on releasing is Lyftd bucket hats. Moving forward, we will be focusing on our spring collection.

14. Why should people buy your clothes instead of others?

MS - Lyftd is different from other brands, because we are passionate and consistent. We are very passionate about upLyfting our #LyftdCommunity. We strive to maintain our brand by not associating with anything that goes against our company values. We post inspirational messages on social media and once our website goes back up our blog will feature thought provoking articles that are meant to inspire. We want to offer value to our community of followers. It is deeper then fashion.

15. Where do you see your line in 5 years?

MS - In five years, I’d really like to break into the street-wear industry and become a well-respected reputable brand that is known for inspiring our followers. By then I’d wish to have enough influence and capital to actually help others touch the sky by investing in their dreams and providing support throughout their journey. Along with that I’d like to remain active in the community by encouraging our wearers to join us on community service projects and outreach programs.

16.  What opportunities did having this line provide you?

MB - It has allowed me to have enough insight to help others who want to pursue their own projects. So I guess one can say the ability to work with others on their dreams. Besides that, headlining a fashion show titled “The Lyftd Lyfe” in the summer of 2013 took the cake.

17. What advice would you give someone who wants to start their own line?

MB - Plan everything out before releasing. People want instant gratification when you could be mastering your craft in the mean time.

18. If you could have a conversation with a you favorite designer who would it be and what would you want then to say to you?

MS - It would be Shepard Fairey the founder of the popular street-wear brand Obey. I would love to speak with him in depth about the many dynamics of his career as a street artist, ad designer, and political activist and how he effectively fused conflicting ideals from each of these disciplines to form the Obey brand.

19. What's the difference between you and the other so-called "designers" in Atlanta?

MB - Our creative marketing techniques differentiate Lyftd. I credit this to Malcolm, with the use of posters, graffiti, stickers and other promotional items. Not many designers in Atlanta are using street-art as a form of advertising. It gives you a wider range of people to reach, especially those that are not interested in solely fashion.

20. Describe your line in 5 words. 

MB - Inspiring. Unique. Universal. Exciting. Creative.

21. Has there been any failures in the making of the line?

MB - The only problem we have ever had was having a consistent website!