I'm based in Atlanta so there weren't a lot of people to talk to about fashion because no one was really doing it on the scale that I wanted to do it. I had to do a lot of research on my own.
Fred FosterI started out doing everything on a custom scale and when that started paying the bills I started making more pieces.
Fred FosterThe thing is you can be a great designer but you can also be lazy or not understand the other person's preferences or be more concerned about being a star than being good at what you do.
Fred FosterI was working a corporate job for years and it always felt restrictive, it felt like I was doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing.
Fred FosterI was at work but my soul wasn't there, my body was there but I wasn't connecting to what I was doing. Eventually I decided to get out of there and do something I believe in.
Fred FosterI want to represent the street, not in a negative sense, but in the sense that when I was growing up, that's what I grew up on.
Fred FosterI started designing and getting into cutting and sewing, I also started learning how to do patterns and tech packs. From there I transitioned from challenging myself to make T-shirts to starting to make custom pieces for celebrities.
Fred FosterI believe that if you work hard enough and do things the right way recognition will come.
Fred FosterIf you don't have customers to sell to, you can't commit to anything with textile factories or manufacturing factories because you don't know if you'll be able to sell the quantities they're asking you to fill.
Fred FosterI didn't go to school for fashion, I didn't have anybody to teach me anything about fashion - that's all I knew how to do, graphic design.
Fred Foster