Background:
The “Born Southern 74” is a clothing brand that is made up by three different morals. These morals are God, family and friends. Eric Smith is the owner, founder and is from North Carolina. Smith feel blessed by being rasied with such strong values.
“Southern 74,” is a tribute to Smith parents who got married in 1974. During the last 40 years, his parents encouraged these values in Smith and his three siblings and are now passing their Southern legacy to their grandchildren.
Q&A:
1. Hello can you tell me a little bit of background about your apparel line? Born Southern was founded in June of 2017. The name, “Born Southern 74”, is a tribute to my parents who were married in 1974 and have raised our family with southern values and a “God, family, friends” example since birth. I wanted to develop a line that would appeal to those who hold the southern way of life as part of their core values.
2. How did you decide on the name “Born Southern,” and was there any other names you were going to choose instead? I knew I wanted “southern” in the name from the start. One other option was “Southern Raised”; however, this was not available. “Born Southern” appeals to those who were raised with our core values. Born Southern doesn’t mean you have to be born in the south; you just have to ascribe to the southern way of life.
3. Where do you see “Born Southern,” in the next 5 to 10 years? I see Born Southern growing into a household name/brand. Anyone wearing a BoSo or Born Southern hat or shirt will be recognized as someone who holds dear the same Southern way of life.
4. Have any famous celebs worn any of your items before? Yes, Jacob Young (star on the Bold and Beautiful and the Young and the Restless and is also a up-and-coming country artist) and Morgan Ashley (up-and-coming singer/songwriter out of Texas), and Steve Freeman (multi-platinum album producer in TN).
5. Is there anything new coming up with the company for the rest of 2018? Yes, will launch our new fall apparel line in early October.
6. What is the first item you made for “Born Southern?” The first item created was a white t-shirt with the initial BS logo. Since then, we’ve offered both men’s and women’s tees, hoodies, sweatshirts, performance fishing shirts, tank tops, hats, and decals.
7. What advice would you give to an up and coming apparel company? Starting an apparel company is hard work; it’s not as easy as just making a shirt or hat and selling it. You need to brand yourself and identify your target audience. You need to identify, research, and trademark your name, review market trends, look at supply/demand, and a host of other factors to get started. Social media is very important; it helps to get the word out about your brand. And, lastly, have some patience…Rome wasn’t build overnight.
8. What is one of your favorite quotes? “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.” ~Vince Lombardi
Website: https://www.bornsouthern74.com
Social Media Accounts:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/officialboso
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialboso
- Born Southern: https://www.instagram.com/officialboso/
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