United Clothing Company     

United Clothing Company | Leesburg, VA | Founder: Chaudry Ghafoor (Rocking a Muzik Lounge wristband)



My interview with the Founder of United Clothing Company, Chaudry Ghafoor

Muzik Lounge: What made you want to start up your own clothing company?
Chaudry: I fell into graphic design when I was real young, somewhere around the age of 13. I never had any design or software classes, I purely learned on my own over time. Design for me was always a hobby, off and on, but I didn't know if I would ever use it in the future.

Following my sophomore year of college, I had an internship during the summer. Great company, extremely successful, and would surely be a well respected job if pursued. However, what I realized at that time, is that being in a cubicle all day and only completing low level tasks was not what I wanted to do. Of course, every company has small objectives that need to be taken care of in order for it to grow, but I wanted the ability to make big choices and have an impact... and to be honest, I didn't want to wait.

When returning to school, I thought about what I could do that would allow me to be creative, make decisions that mattered, and most of all, would have an affect on others. I came back to the idea of designing. I could make ads, banners, possibly web graphics? Then I realized, a lot of people would see these things, but no one would ever know that it was me creating them. It's not so much that I was craving attention, but that I wanted a certain fulfillment in my work, a respect from others.

The idea of clothing came into my mind, specifically graphic tees at the time. This was art work that would be on people's chests, how much more could I really ask for? It would have an impact on everyone that wore it, and even if the impact was small, I would be having an affect on people's lives.

The story of trials and tribulations continues on, but as for how I fell into starting the company, I think that's a nice sum up.

Muzik Lounge: How long have you owned the company?
Chaudry: Around May of 2010 is when I first came up with the idea for United.

Muzik Lounge: How did you come up with the name and any significant meaning behind it?
Chaudry: When I was younger, I used to shop at stores like PacSun and Tilly's, who carried a wide range of action sport and music culture brands, each with their own respectable target of course. Many of the brands had some pretty cool shirts, but the separation between my own current hobbies and what those companies represented, left me feeling uncomfortable purchasing one of their shirts.

An example: I used to skate when I was a kid in middle school and early high school, but wearing skate companies tees just didn't make sense for me when I stopped skating.

United was made to represent our young culture as a whole. Action sports, music, arts - We all do these things because we enjoy the rush and sense of "being alive" that it gives us. I felt there should be a clothing brand that represents that. Therefore, the name United was used.

Muzik Lounge: What style and type of clothing wear do you sell?
Chaudry: Graphic tees and tanks has always been the staple product, but United has come out with fitted caps, snapbacks, hoodies, jerseys, and beanies. There are future plans for board shorts, socks, crew necks, etc.

Muzik Lounge: Where does one go online to order and buy your merchandise?
Chaudry: UnitedClothingCompany

Muzik Lounge: Do any retail stores carry your merchandise? If so, please state the names and locations.
Chaudry: We recently just began approaching some small retailers. As of now, our merchandise can also be found in at a shop called Premium Laundry in Pinellas Park, Florida.

Muzik Lounge: What sets you apart from other clothing companies?
Chaudry: Our connection with a our customers tends to be strong. It's not only a brand that is growing, it is a sub-culture and family, so we try to stay in touch with our fans as much as possible.

The design work also has a wide range to it which allows something for everyone. There are logo based designs, artistic and intricate designs, and there are "outside of the box" designs like Stack Your Bread.

A huge factor that sets us apart is that it is traditional for many companies to stay within a comfortable, specific target group (meaning they are specifically a bmx brand or specifically a snowboard brand, etc.), but that's not how we're approaching it. Whether you're a music lover, an action sport fanatic, or just enjoy some genuinely good graffiti street art, we respect and welcome that as part of our brand.

"If it gets your blood pumping, we're in."

Muzik Lounge: What age group do you target?
Chaudry: Specifically teens to late twenties. With the continued expansion of our line and brand, others outside of this target will obviously be repping our gear as well.

Muzik Lounge: I heard that you will be partnering up with WRV (Virginia Beach). How did this happen?
Chaudry: This hasn't been confirmed yet, but we are optimistically looking to have some of our gear stocked in their store coming this Spring / Summer 2013.

WRV is a great store that truly represents the heart and soul of VB. The guys that work there are good people and always willing to give local brands part of their time.

Muzik Lounge: Lastly, What are your responsibilities in the company?
Chaudry: This would be an absolute laundry list of things, Haha. To keep it short and simple, I am the graphic designer and overseer of everything that happens with United.

website: UnitedClothingCompany
Facebook: United Clothing Company
e: C@unitedclothingcompany.com

Back to home page