The fashion industry is one of the most competitive industries in the world. A designer can be riding high on the wave during one season and washed up the next season. One designer who has the stomach for this this extremely volatile business is David "Juice" Gullett of Juiced Up Clothing. David has chosen the path less traveled hailing from the small town of Gary, IN where his company is headquartered. Juiced Up clothing is an up and coming apparel brand that was founded in 2013. Gullett created the brand to positively inspire the urban community with the acronym J.U.I.C.E. standing for "Just Use Intelligence and Confidence Everyday." "The meaning gives individuals the feeling of simply enjoying life to the fullest." Gullett stated during our interview. "Wearing “Juiced Up” clothing builds an image of self-assurance and positive street credibility, while also providing the person wearing the clothing with drive and motivation to achieve whatever they set out to do." Gullett concluded. I was able to get more indepth with David about how the company came together as well as future goals he has for Juiced Up Clothing.
Brickhouse: I appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to speak with me today. Let’s begin by talking a bit about your company Juiced Up Clothing. How did you get into the clothing industry? Juice: In 2012, I opened a mobile car wash and named it “Juiced Up Mobile Wash”. Once business picked up, I knew I needed to begin marketing and branding the name. This was a hard decision and I went back and forth on many different logos and ideas. I couldn’t decide what I wanted, so I hired a graphic designer to help create a logo. Together we came up with the original Juiced Up logo. Once the logo was designed, I printed it on a few t-shirts for marketing purposes and noticed the interest that people had in simply purchasing the t-shirts. I decided at that point to rebrand the “Juiced Up” name and make it more than just a mobile carwash. I wanted to make Juiced Up a way of life. Everyone in my hometown knew me as “Juice”. My parents gave me that nickname at a young age and it just grew up with me. I was considered pretty popular in school and played basketball, football, and ran track. It takes a lot of confidence to get out on that court and ball or run those football plays and do well, but that’s just what I did. I went out and did everything with “intelligence and confidence”. This is what helped me coin the phrase, “Juiced Up”….Just Use Intelligence and Confidence Everyday. It fit perfectly! I’m Juice and I stay Juiced Up, and now I’m encouraging everyone else to get Juiced Up with me. I thought a clothing line was the perfect direction to go with this phrase.
Brickhouse: What are some hurdles you faced while attempting to get your clothing company off the ground?
Juice: The most difficult hurdle in this industry is time. I have a young son and fiancé, a full time job, and a clothing line. Trying to juggle these things and keep everyone happy sometimes makes it difficult to get this line off the ground how I want to. I’m also a one man show when it comes to Juiced Up. I do it all myself: marketing, sales, design, printing, shipping etc. All of that is done by me. There are often times when I receive multiple orders, all with similar deadlines, and it’s up to me to make it all happen. I’m trying to establish my brand as trustworthy and professional, so it’s important that I meet all of my deadlines while still providing a quality product. So far, I have made that happen each time, but it gets really stressful at times.
Brickhouse: Talk a bit about some of the types of clothing you have produced up to this point.
Juice: Well as I said before, Juiced Up clothing started out as a basic urban t-shirt line. I’m proud to say that this brand has expanded to produce clothing items for men, women, and children. I also sell hats, underwear, socks, jackets and Juiced Up double cups for those who enjoy the night life. I’m looking to expand the brand outside the urban realm and make Juiced Up for everyone. In addition to selling brand clothing, I also do bulk item printing. For example, I’ve done shirt and jersey printing for school teams, designed shirts for cancer walks, and printed clothing for professional pictures. When I do this type of printing, I add the Juiced Up tag on the inside of the shirt. This way every item that I print is Juiced Up.
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