Conversations with Donjai Ollie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Donjai Ollie

Donjai, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Im just a kid from Detroit who loves expressing who i am through clothes. It started with me seeing my parents and cousins in all the latest clothes and noticing the attention they got from people but back then I couldn’t afford the new clothes so i would wear my cousins old clothes that i could fit. As i got older i got into selling used shoes and got a job to come up with the money for new shoes and clothes. The crazy part is once i could afford them I didn’t want to wear them because I didn’t want to look like everyone else so I created my own brand and started to customize my shoes and make my own clothes. That way i know for sure no one would have what i had on until people started to ask where i got them from and wondered could they buy it too. This made me want to sell clothes instead of keeping it all for my self and thats where it all started for me.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road in the clothing industry my first pop up shop i only sold 2 shirts. It was discouraging but nothing worth having comes easy and i never quit anything i do anyway so this made me do more research on the industry. Also it made go to college for more information i learned how to make mock ups, sew clothes,find manufacturer, and most importantly in my opinion marketing because anybody can put their name on a shirt and say they sell clothes. Instead i rather sell a lifestyle/ belief system. When people wear my brand they also believe in investing in yourself finically ,physically, and spiritually. This is why I show my fanbase how to buy stock, fix their own credit, workout consistently, start a business, and most importantly seek always seek new information because the more you learn the more you earn. But to stay on subject this mindset came from me failing so many times and not having successfully releases for my clothing. Credit help you pay for ads to reach a bigger audience so i dont have to worry about people seeing my brand as much, Stock gives me another way to help my profit keep going and not splurge the money i do make from good releases i do have and marketing told me those bad releases were do to bad marketing because it my job to get my brand in-front of as many people as possible in a creative way. It took me a while just to accept every loss come with a great lesson that will help you later.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I feel like im known for making 1 of 1 pieces/clothing. Sometimes i take clothes that have already been created and adding my 3% to them like virgil would making the piece feel new again. Im proud of how far a came with the quality of my work I remember making shirts in my basement using vinyl and a heat press and the vinyl would peel off after a week. Now i have manufactured that make a quality work and see my clothes in public on people i dont even know which is the best feeling ever. The thing that sets me apart from everyone else in my opinion is my content because ive been recording my life on youtube since i was 13 so kids that grew up like me can see that its possible to become a better version of yourself and you can become that inspiring person you may have needed in your life. Not everyone is comfortable with recording the good and bad parts of their life but thats what shows other people your human too. Also i teach people how to do everything im doing for free with YouTube tutorials on how to do it. Thats what i think will set me apart from everyone else because ill continue to teach others as i grow to so i can help the next generation creators become even bigger then me.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Covid gave me the opportunity to learn how to find my own clothing manufacturer and it was my reason for dropping out of college because i felt like i knew what i wanted to do already. So i look at covid as a blessing in disguise it gave me the push i needed to go all in on my career.

Pricing:

• Custom 1/1 Jeans $200
• Classic jeans $100
• Varsity jackets $200
• Custom 1/1 Work Jackets $200
• Tshirts $40

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamdonmarion?igsh=dzlzeG91OGFranZx&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@donmarionvieriche?si=tc0EpEdYI0HaUGG5