For as long as he can remember, Ty King, owner of Urban Vintage Clothing, has had an inclination for fashion. To him, style is more than the clothes on your back. It’s a feeling – and a really good one, if you’re intentional about expressing yourself through your attire. 

“People can buy expensive, name-brand things, but something might still be missing,” said King. “You may have on a thousand-dollar outfit, but how do you rock it? Does it speak to you? That’s how I’ve always felt.”

That passion, combined with an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit, is what drove him to open his storefront for Urban Vintage Clothing in December of 2022. But the origins of Urban Vintage go back much further than that.

The Beginning

Like many of us, King used to frequent big-box stores like Target to help build his wardrobe. He was especially into their collection of graphic tees featuring nostalgic imagery like Atari games, classic Coca-cola logos, and Marvel superheroes. However, something was always not quite right about the fit or construction of those mass-produced garments. King knew he had the capability to produce something better, but bringing his ideas to life was a daunting task.   

A phone call with Kelvin Swint, a close friend and Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brother, changed everything.

 “By the time we were through with that conversation, we had changed the fashion industry,” King joked. “It was all kinds of grand ideation, but it really was a good talk.” 

About a month later, Swint called King again, inquiring about his progress since their lifechanging chat: “What have you done since we last talked,” he asked. 

King’s answer? Nothing. 

“That moment made me understand that most people – including myself – are prone to talking without doing,” said King. “From that day forward, I was committed to starting my clothing brand.” 

From there, King began writing. By putting pen to paper, he was committing his dream to action. He didn’t dwell on finances, either. Rather, he focused on removing the obstacles he could control and allowed for his creativity to continue flowing. 

“When you make it real and start doing everything you can do that doesn’t cost a dime, the money comes,” said King.

Before long, he had a way to order shirts. He sold those shirts, and used that profit to make more and make them better. He didn’t have a brick-and-mortar, but he had tenacity. Once word spread about the quality of his apparel and the vision King had, his supporters grew.

“There’s no question that I’ll produce something that draws your eye and piques your interest visually,” said King. “But across the board, I wanted people to know that when you buy Urban Vintage Clothing, it’s going to be quality.”