Devin Lee

“ We dream big at "Ambition Worldwide" and we have big plans. "

Q. Tell everyone who you are and what you do?

A. My name is Devin Lee, of Black and Puerto Rican heritage, born and raised in New York. I am an artist and designer as well as the co-founder and creative director of the fashion brand Ambition

Worldwide.

Q. Tell us about “Ambition

Worldwide” & how the brand got started?

A. Back in 2012 or 2013, a good friend of mine from high school, Juan

“Blanco” Fernandez reached out to me with an idea to make some t-shirts. He knew I was working as a freelance Graphic Designer at the time and wanted to use some of my talents. Blanco then asked me how involved I’d like to be. I could’ve chosen to design just a few shirts and split profit or go in as a partner to grow the business instead. The concept at the heart of the project really intrigued me and I thought there was great potential in it, so I chose to partner up. were growing as a side project until we were able to commit 100%. There were some tough years as I eventually was recruited to work at an Ad Agency for 5 years and my partner had his hand in many entrepreneurial projects. We made it work though. He came up with our former name “Ambition Apparel NYC” which we had for the first few years of operation. But after Blanco passed, I had to take the brand to a new level and refined the name to Ambition Worldwide not only usher in a new phase but really to

re-imagine the brand for today’s modern global and digitallyconnected men and women.

Q. What makes your apparel line unique?

A. It starts from a level of authenticity and reflects the daring attitude of New York. They’re the kind of garments people wear not to look like everyone else but to express their true selves. Then, the word

“Ambition” is the fuel that inspires everyone to dream and achieve.

You don’t have to be a successful entrepreneur to be ambitious.

You could be a school student, a parent, a good friend. The name speaks to anyone and everyone in the world who want to make a difference.

The designs are also tied very closely to my personal story and style. I create pieces to be youthful, but timeless, simple and wearable by all ages. Rather just making pieces look cool, my thought process is “this design looks great but how can I discuss one piece with meaning”. Every design detail is intentional, from fabric to fit, from silhouette to color palette, from concept to graphic placement. When I’m in the design process, I like to look at my own wardrobe and see what’s missing. I think about what inspires me - I’m inspired by many things whether it be architecture, film, food, lifestyle or travel as I’m sure many people are - this is where we connect with our audience as well.

Q. Tell us more about your collection and the motivation behind them?

A. I released our SS21 “World’s

Fair” collection to kick things off because that fair in 1964 was an optimistic look toward the future and a way of embracing the world.

I also wanted to represent not just

New York but Queens in particular where the fair was held. 2020 was very much a rebirth for me and so what better place to start off than at the beginning on home turf?

There are brands from Queens,

NY but I hadn’t actually seen a full upscale collection dedicated to the borough. I wanted to fill that void and do something different. And as a minority owned business, it is important to me that I show the youth that it can be done.

Q. Where do you see your brand in the next five years?

A. We dream big at “Ambition

Worldwide” and we have big plans, so I see us being carried in select retailers globally with much more robust collections. We’re focusing on providing a successful entry level line that serves as a way for people who don’t have the budget to spend a modest amount of money to be part of the Ambition

Worldwide brand. I want the world to know about Blanco, and about what we started. I have always admired A$AP mob for keeping

Yams’ legacy alive through their work and I wanted to do something similarly, so Blanco’s memory stays alive in the collections. I would also love to get the brand involved in working with underserved communities. Too many in these communities are struggling so it would be important to me to keep everyone motivated and well taken care of.

Q. What has been the biggest challenge you have had building your brand?

A. The biggest challenge I can say I’ve faced is trying to grow the brand’s audience in a saturated market where “clout” comes first before the work. Another is assembling a consistently reliable and dedicated team behind the brand. It’s not easy finding the right people with the necessary skills as well as the commitment to helping us bring Ambition Worldwide to life.

Q. Are you working on any new projects?

A. There’s always something new we’re working on at Ambition Worldwide - definitely! I’m currently working on an Ambition Merch line which includes tees, hats and sweats.

The Merch line includes entry level pricing to allow those who may not be able to afford our cut and sew to still be part of the Ambition

Worldwide brand. Our devoted fans can also look forward to new cut and sew shorts coming soon!

Q. How do you come up with the ideas on what the fans want?

A. I found that coming up with ideas isn’t actually too difficult. As a fan and student of fashion myself,

I’ve watched and followed other designers and brands from the early stages to growing into successful businesses. I think the fact that

I could see potential in others’ designs validates that I already had an eye for design in general for what was good. It’s just a balance between trying to stay on trend with cuts and silhouettes and maintaining the integrity and truth of myself in what I like and wear.

Q. What advice can you give to others who want to start an apparel line?

A. I would advise anyone who wants to create their own line to make sure they have a solid business model and a plan for at least the next 6 months. There will be naysayers but that comes with the territory of being an entrepreneur. They should also take a look at what’s already out there and see if there is something, they think the industry is missing or if they can capitalize on something unique to themselves as a brand.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. Everyone can follow the brand on Instagram at @ambitionworldwide. And on my personal page @ thadotman, I always post sneak peaks so they can stay informed about new products, new designs and BTS before the final products make it to the brand page.