In today’s world, standing out is perhaps our biggest underlying goal in everything that we do. We all aspire to emulate something or someone, but our uniqueness ultimately shines through everything that we do. But how does one stand out in a crowd wearing similar threads? The answer is Kink Imprints. From t-shirts, to jeans, caps, bags, and plenty of accessories in-between, all of them can be customised to show your style at this popular store. Dazzle Magazine got the chance to chat with the brains behind the business…
Daran Rosemond is an entrepreneur of a T-shirt printing and accessory business called Kink Imprints.
Daran: The way I see it, an entrepreneur is someone who’s a risk taker; who would do whatever it takes to climb and succeed in whatever field they’re in.
What drew you to this field of business as an entrepreneur?
Daran: I was drawn into this type of business because I got influenced by my younger brother. He was into dancing and a friend of his was into videography. So I got them to merge their talents and post it online for a larger crowd to see. After that took off, I noticed
that my brother’s style of clothing wasn’t the kind of clothing you’d normally find here in Saint Lucia, So I started a retail clothing company called Vladrozr. Eventually, I took it to the next level and it evolved into Kink Imprints. Plus, with my longstanding passion for being a visual artist, I used it as a way of making Kink products even more unique.
How did you initially become successful?
Daran: It’s just about having faith in God and faith in what I’m doing. I’m always trying to be different, and out of the box. More importantly, I kept taking risks and they’ve benefitted me. I always listen to my instinct and intuition. Others would try to convince you that it would not be worth the risk, but as an entrepreneur for about 7 years now, I understand how risks can be rewarding…but first you have to take them.
Describe the defining moment when you knew that this is what you wanted to do
Daran: There was no ‘one moment’. But I realised that generally, everyone wants to be themselves; they want to be different and unique. When it comes to the clothing industry, no one wants to buy a piece of clothing and see someone else wearing the same
thing, especially in a small country like ours. Because of this, Kink Imprints was born, to give each person the chance to create their own identity with their clothing. That’s what I believe the brand represents.
What were your childhood aspirations, career-wise?
Daran: I always wanted to be a professional motorbike rider. I truly believe it was passed on to me from my mom because she was a rider herself. She rode bicycles with her brother and sister when she was growing up. Plus, my older brothers were into it as well. Me being
so young, I wasn’t really into it until a particular day.
When I was 3 years old, my brother was flipping through the channels and I saw a bike flying through the air and instantly asked him to put it back and from then it stuck with me. Then I started to run around with diving goggles over my eyes and a stick that I’d use as handlebars on my pretend bike, running over the sand bumps around my house.
Later on, that same brother bought me my first bicycle from his first paycheck when he started working. I’d put a plastic bottle on the back of that
bicycle to get that motorcycle sound when I rode it. From then I continued watching lots of videos and reading magazines about professional bike riding. Because I was passionate and talented I kept at it up to this day. I’ve even rode in the United States of America and quite a few Caribbean islands.
How did you build your clientele?
Daran: I had a loyal youthful following from my Vladrozr store. Back then, when customers came in to buy apparel, I’d mention that they could also get their custom printings done and a lot of them gravitated to that service.
At Kink Imprints, the quality inks and materials that I use as well as word of mouth, is what brought in lots of attention initially. For me it’s the best form of marketing because when you provide excellent customer service people naturally come back for more and they tell their friends about it.
What do you learn from your competitors and how do you use that to improve on your own craft?
Daran: I studied the market and noticed that the majority of printers on the island were into mass- production. I noticed that the individual who wanted 1, 2 or 3 shirts were left out. Naturally, I sought out to fill that gap and provide for an already present
audience.
What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in your years of experience and how did you learn them?
Daran: First of all, you have to be disciplined and focussed. I faced a few significant setbacks and instead of closing the doors of my business, I applied that principle to my experience and kept going. Overall, I see them as good experiences because it
made me stronger and I learned from them. I believe it happened for a reason and if it weren’t for it, I wouldn’t have been where I am today.
How does the future look for Daran?
Daran: A big expansion!…I plan on going into embroidery and laser printing on apparel. It’s a totally different type of printing and I think it’s going to be huge success.
We wish Daran all the best in his endeavours and we hope he continues to inspire others to follow their dreams!
