BY: JADE LEONARD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Michael Grant, Cam Evans, Mary Moments, and Aaron Peters
"The same boiling water that softens a potato, hardens an egg. It’s about what you’re made of not your circumstance” -- Unknown
It’s what is inside, what you believe, what you manifest, your willpower, and what you put into the universe.
AP stands for Aaron Peters. There are a few parts to AP; AP is multi-layered, very well-liked, a friend, an entrepreneur, and father to 2-year-old son, Aiden who’s AP as well. At the end of the day, he’s just another man trying to do the best he can in this world, fulfill his dreams for his family, and be a light to others.
AP has always had a knack for creativity and entrepreneurship. In middle school, he sold ring pops and Twizzlers. His dad wanted a cut so he knew he needed to make enough to where he could buy them over again and get a profit. He also used to put faces on t-shirts for people.
In high school, he printed out t-shirts with toilet paper and ironed on I’m on a roll. Then, he put a barcode on a shirt that said, Don’t Label Me, and many other ideas he brought to life. AP loved that people liked his ideas enough to wear it on a shirt.
So when college came around, it was destined that something with clothing would emerge. Another Perspective was founded in James Hall, his freshmen year at Hampton University. He created a sweatshirt that had AP on the front with Cleopatra inside the silhouette. People kept asking what it was... He and his boy were in the dorm trying to think of a name and...
They came up with Another Perspective, meaning the feeling that he got when other people wore his clothes from back in middle school; they wore it in their own perspective. “Whatever you do it’s your perspective. When people wear my clothes they’re not going to wear it the same way”.
His logo, the gas mask, is an image of when he first started, symbolizing “blocking out how the world wants you to see things and thinking of your own perspective. Kids have no filter with what they say, and haven't been conditioned to think a certain way, and the gas mask is like keeping that childlike mindset. Don't wear it how people wear it, wear it how you wanna wear it.”
The UN: How many hours a day do you work on average for your business?
AP: After work I pick Aiden up around 5. From 6 to 8 I play with my son. 8 pm to about 2 am I work on business, making new designs, and preparing orders.
A quote I’ve heard that fueled me was, “if you don’t have enough time, borrow some from your sleep.” People say they don’t have time and I have all these things going on and I still have time to do what I want to drive towards my passion.
As an entrepreneur, there’s a lot of ups and downs. To balance the fluctuation, AP has the steady check to always pay his bills on time, ensures his son has food, clothes, and a roof over his head. The 9 to 5 keeps that stability for him and he’s able to put more money into his passions. When business is on a low streak, he can borrow from his 9 to 5 instead of the business. “Utilizing your 9 to 5 the right way can serve as a tool.”
The UN: How did COVID affect your business?
AP: COVID enhanced my business. People are in the house and can’t go anywhere. Naturally, people want to shop anyway, they’re not paying for parking or lunch, so those expenses are saved. Online shopping. Black lives matters protests. A lot of people getting involved in the movement and wanted to support black-owned businesses.
The UN: Tell us about the State of Emergency Tour (6 major cities, 3 black-owned clothing brands). What are some of the things that went into making it happen?
AP: Gave an avenue for people to come shop and get out (while following the precautions). There was no Homecoming so it was like a reunion for some people. In California, so many people came out I couldn’t believe it. You never realize how many people you’ve met through your college experience. Everywhere I’ve gone was a little mini-reunion for each pop-up mixed in with new people. Hawkins brought a new demographic because he’s older than us, so we had people of all ages coming to our pop-up shops.
In an iMessage group chat, they brainstormed ideas during the pandemic. Assigned people for each event. AP was in the DMV area, he found the location. Rocky lives in Jersey, he handled the NY venue. Since they already did pop-ups before, they already knew people and had connections. Different responsibilities for a venue, contracted MoThoro to getting the flyer made, RSVP lists, posting content, and promoting and sending to people. All the vendors were black-owned businesses. They posted on the flyers the slots for vendors. You can benefit from other people as a new business so they can see your brand and an established brand.
4 Tips to market your business
Establish your own brand, do your own events
Social media - Instagram and Facebook Ads
Direct Marketing, going up to people
Word of Mouth
The UN: What person is your brand for?
AP: The Youth. Not youthful in age but youthful at heart. Streetwear for high school to about 30.
The UN: How do you generate new ideas?
AP: From different ways; I could be socially impacted like with George Floyd or Breonna Taylor; the social injustice that may prompt me or something I want to bring awareness to.”
Creative, skillful, and thoughtful, AP frequently uses a play on words to make a meaningful connection to his customer and the larger themes in the world. Such as appreciating people now instead of when they’re gone or producing an item representing black lives matter.
Seeing his parents work and move away from their own passions ignited a drive in him to ensure he lives out his own. Also enhancing his confidence within himself.
The UN: What does being a father mean to you? And how has life changed since becoming a father?
AP: Handle responsibilities, drop everything to be by his side, leading by example; show and tell; patience, and selflessness. If my son needs something, imma do it for him. I wanna make sure he has the time that I never got with my biological father. Changed me for the better; being a dad changed how I managed my time. Gives me more structure and balance. I’m living for somebody bigger than me.
5 Ways to give back to yourself
Workout
Eat right
Keep good relationships with friends; check on people
Friend Visits
Therapy
The UN: What’s a challenge you faced recently in your business? How did you solve it?
AP: I had a crazy designer's block and I wasn’t inspired. I had a lot going on with moving out of my apartment into my new home, my focus wasn’t clear… now I got my living room situated, Aiden’s room, and my office situated, so now I’ve been able to think more clearly and have those thoughts come through in my mind. The solution was clearing my plate so I can more room to put things on my plate.
“ I want everything to be perfect at all times; it was stressful on me cuz it was like dang, I’m not dropping anything, I didn’t post anything, and I had to tell myself to chill, I just did a whole tour; tell myself the accomplishments and what I’m doing well in order to move forward.”
The UN: Where do you see your business 5 years from now?
AP: If you would’ve asked me 5 years ago, I would’ve said my own storefront, but I changed that, I do want to open a space, but it’ll be for the different avenues of my business. Clothing is at the forefront of it, but I wanna make Another Perspective an enterprise, a studio setting where you can buy clothing, do pop-up shops, and creative things.
5 pieces of advice for starting a clothing brand
“Do it.”
Scale
“Just because you like something doesn’t mean that everyone will like it, so if you have an idea that you believe in start off small. I did 12 shirts, 3 pieces of each size: Small, Medium, Large, and XL; that way, if people didn’t like what I did, I didnt lose that much money because I only did 12 pieces of product.”
Invest in Marketing
“Don’t think that things are just going to magically happen.”
Get a Social Media Manager
Build a Team
someone doesn’t have to share the same fighting passion as you
You can be the owner, but you don’t have to do every single thing
“Jeff Bezos isn’t shipping packages”
Shop Another Clothing Line and follow on IG! @anotherclothingline & @a1peters