About Cameron Bangert
/CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?
My name is Cameron Bangert. I was born in New Jersey, but grew up mainly in St. Petersburg, FL. I am currently a student attending Florida Atlantic University, studying economics; however, I am still unsure about whether or not I will change my current major. I have always had a love for fashion and believe this is due to a variety of factors but the main one being self-expression. I believe fashion is an art in which individuals can express a lot—without having to say much.
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR CURRENT CAREER OR PROJECT?
I became involved in building this career for myself around February 2018. The project itself started in 2014, during my sophomore year of high school, when I began a small, custom t-shirt business in which I made custom designs for ironing on fabric. The business was short-lived because of the quality of the clothing, leading me on a journey to create my idea. Over the next three years, my primary goal was to finish high school, with the idea of starting a company in the back of my head. In my freshman year of college, I had many epiphanies; one of them being my brand idea.
By the end of February, I knew what it was going to be, who I wanted it to be for, and why I was doing it. So, in March, I began creating the brand: trademarks, designs, and networking. This effort led me to the first drop on May 29, 2018.
WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU THE MOST AND WHY?
My biggest inspiration by far has to be Virgil Abloh, who is the founder and designer of the label Pyrex Vision and Off-White. I didn’t know much about him besides seeing Pyrex once online and wondering why it was priced in such a way. When I went into my sophomore year of high school, I became more into street-wear. This varied from my style inspired by skateboarding when I looked up to designer brands—to something all new. With every new street-wear brand that I heard of, none caught my eye more than Off-White. After discovering it, I dove in trying to research Virgil. It seemed like I could relate to him in many facets. With different interviews, podcasts, and social media posts I just became more inspired and interested. He is truly a role-model.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WERE THE THREE BIGGEST STRUGGLES YOU FACED AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?
Coming Up with The Idea:
For the longest time, I’d come up with ideas, only to end up trashing them. It’s not like I was quitting or anything, they just simply weren’t good ideas. Finally, for the next three years, I decided to just let it present itself by being involved in things that would open my eyes to new opportunities and new ideas. See, when things are new, or I don’t understand them, I like to learn because it gives me a fresh perspective.
Ultimately, it was school that led me to my current idea; but not the things taught in school, the structure itself. This idea was difficult to manifest because it required me to commit to things I don’t want to do now, to achieve the great things I wanted later. It also required patience and thought. I often used to think I “overthought” but now I embrace it and am consciously aware of it.
Worrying About What Others Think:
I used to worry about starting a brand because those closest to me viewed me in a specific light. By this, I mean that I always played sports, did well in school academically, and was a pretty normal kid overall; however, I wasn’t a prodigy artist, or even an experienced one like my sister who went to art school, even though I generally looked at things from an artistic point of view.
Art is to be questioned and discussed. So is life. Therefore, even as a kid, I was creative and loved fashion, clothing, and music (along with sports). Luckily, I never lost sight of that and began to embrace who I was as a person: learning, observing, and reflecting, while listening to myself and others. It was then that I stopped worrying about what people thought of me, making it easier to overcome this struggle.
“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.”
Getting Started:
This has been difficult for me because there is no outline, blueprint, or anything like that. I also haven’t had any solid advice from anyone close or in the industry—a mentor. Since I believe that the first three years are for building, I know that I’m only at the beginning with a lot to accomplish in the years to come.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS? WHAT GOALS ARE YOU WORKING TOWARD ACHIEVING?
In the past four months, the brand has come a long way. I’ve released two designs in varied colors, have an up-and-running website, making some sales, and networked a lot. Most recently, I obtained a spot in the MESU360 Project Gallery, and in the next few years I hope to put out a few collections; hopefully bringing a permanent designer onto the team.
I also hope to achieve awareness for the non-profit and increasing sales of the art on clothing and individual fashion pieces, while using more efficient methods for manufacturing, which will help us create two sides to this one functioning unit: HeirsFTY Clothing.
And, it is my desire to make an affordable side to the street-wear, but also street-wear inspired, high end-designer fashion. A lot of “plans” still need to be made, however, with every second available we come closer to supporting the youth and creating a more cohesive society.
HOW CAN OTHERS FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU (WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, ETC.)?
I can be reached in many ways, so I will just list all pertinent information here:
Personals:
cameronbang@heirsftyclothing.com
+1(727)-421-7077
Business:
HeirsInquiries@heirsftyclothing.com
Instagram- @heirsftyclothing
Snapchat- @heirsfty
*Also* We are always looking for people to work with, connect with, and potentially bring into the team. Thank You!