Mitchell Young, founder of Truthis, talks about turning an idea he had at university into a fashion brand.
Explain your business in thirty seconds or less
After seeing and experiencing several challenges throughout life, the brand, Truthis, means to represent the strength and unity that friends and community have for each other. The brand, in itself, is a fashion statement. We wanted to create a community; bringing everyone together, sharing stories through creative media and showcasing the journeys of talented individuals. Being brought up in an urban subculture, music, skateboarding and art have had a massive impact as to how Truthis was born.
How did you come up with the idea?
It began when I was studying at university in Bournemouth. Having been involved heavily within the arts’ world of music, skateboarding and media it made sense to start something of my own. It was originally just a saying - “Truthis” - which then began growing into a fashion brand, building a community of talent. We wanted to prove that we aren’t like any other fashion brand but are growing through collaboration and exploring different outlooks on the world.
What stage was your business at when you applied for the Start Up Loan?
I would say when I applied for the Start Up Loan it was the “make or break” time. Having enjoyed building the company in Bournemouth as a student, I started to realise that it could potentially turn into something bigger. The Start Up Loan gave me the opportunity to turn my hard work into a reality.
How have you used it to grow your business?
So far, I have been able to fully complete the website, build my social media platforms and also was able to finally order in the first full complete line of clothing for 2019, which has been a really exciting process.
Biggest achievement so far?
The biggest achievement so far was seeing Example wearing a pair of my sunglasses. I managed to meet him at South Central Festival backstage, whilst collaborating with a Talent Artist called Ben Brown- who is now an ambassador for Truthis. I gave Example a pair of our 2019 white Truthis colourway glasses and he’s since worn them on Instagram and even his tour poster! It’s a pretty good feeling!!
What’s next for your business?
The next step for Truthis is to continue to grow the brand’s awareness. After that, I’m hoping that we will be able to expand into more than just a fashion brand: that we’ll host awesome events with live music and that many more ambassadors will become part of the brand, to grow our company. As well as that, I’m hoping that we will be able to model our next range of clothing at London Fashion Week, which would be an incredible opportunity if we get there!
Who was your Business Advisor and how did they help you get a Virgin StartUp Loan?
Kieran Wright was my Business Advisor and he was amazing to get advice and help from whilst applying for the Virgin StartUp loan. Kieran understood my idea and was able to help push and motivate me into getting the loan complete. Not only that, Kieran has been great guidance even after the loan was granted and we are still in touch now.
