Today we’d like to introduce you to Bahar Atilgan.
Bahar, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started FOURGUNSDOWN when I was 25 and it was completely different than what it has blossomed to be now. I had a mentor that took me under her wing and showed me the ropes of the retail world and offered me a small space in her boutique to carry my own stuff. When I first started, it was just your traditional buying and reselling. At first, it was great. Then over time, I somehow got lost. I started carrying things that weren’t aligned with the style or vision I had and took TOO much advice that altered my overall vision. About a year later we had to close up shop because the owner of the building decided to sell it.
And I was completely ok with it. I was left feeling drained, a bitter taste in my mouth, and my creative juices went dry long before that. I took about a two-year break and finally asked myself, “What made you want to do this in the first place?” I went back to my childhood, growing up as an awkward, skinny, short-haired girl that always got made fun of for not having the right clothes or even ones that fit me properly. I thought that if I could afford the “cool” stuff, then I would finally be accepted. Once I hit high school, got a job, and was able to afford it, I started dressing the way that I thought was fit.
But guess what? Nothing changed. It wasn’t that I wasn’t wearing the right clothes. It was that I wasn’t in the right mindset of accepting myself for who I am and loving who am and owning who I am. I finally said, “Fuck it!” and started dressing however the hell I wanted and with that mindset gave me confidence within return gave me the power to change my outlook on life and what it truly meant to be happy in life. The reason why I started the brand and based it around the motto “Fuck what they think” is because we as humans are meant to live our lives for that exact reason. For us. It’s our life. Let’s do what we want with it.
I’ve been obsessed with the fashion world and so I figured combining this newfound outlook on life with the fashion world was my calling. I’m not just selling clothes and accessories. I’m selling confidence. Confidence that we all in ourselves. We just have to tap into it. So instead of getting up and getting ready for the day and looking at yourself in the mirror wondering, “Will people think I look good in this? Will they like it? What would they think?” We have to realize that no matter what, people are going to have something negative to say. Whether you’re fat, skinny, tall, short, have long hair, short hair, red hair, black hair, there’s going to be one person on one side saying, “yes!” and another person on the other side saying, “no.”
So instead of wondering which side you want to worry about, why not worry about what YOU think? How YOU feel? Enter: FUCK WHAT THEY THINK. It takes confidence to wear such a bold and misunderstood word. So many people want to be offended by it, but why? It’s just a word. I still have customers come up during my pop up shops with the funniest expressions on their faces. Some are like, “Fuck yes! This is my jam! You were made for me!” and others, not so much. I’ve even had some vocal ones straight up tell me they were offended. My response, “If you’re offended by my company, that’s your choice and you’re more than welcome to shop elsewhere.” Not everyone is going to jive with you. And that’s ok.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh man. Absolutely not. I’ve had so many people from all sides coming at me trying to give me advice whether it’s changing the name of my company, my price points, where I should source from, who should model for me, down to completely turning around the meaning behind the word “FUCK” itself. It took me a long time to realize that it’s ok to say no and move along. I’ve always just tried to be open. You never know who you’re going to meet that will help you navigate through this crazy business world.
The most important thing is to stay true to you and your vision. Leave some wiggle room for some magic to be created with other like-minded individuals, but don’t let anyone try to take what you’ve created and morph it into something that is no longer YOU. Remember that you’re going to fuck up. And it’s ok. It’s all apart of the process and what makes success taste so much sweeter when you win small victories like being able to find a company that will print a four-letter word on a pen. (My most recent struggle/victory).
What should we know about FOURGUNSDOWN? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My company is based around the word FUCK. Motto: Fuck what they think. But essentially it’s, however, you want to connect to the word. The mission behind all of this is for us to look within ourselves and realize we already have the confidence we’ve been seeking outside. We need to figure out that we are enough just as we are. And once we do that, it’s almost like there is this “ah – ha FUCK YES!” moment.
So really, I sell confidence through clothing and accessories. These last couple of years, I’ve gotten into making customized bags, backpacks, and wallets. For those that love what the brand stands for but personally don’t want to wear the word, are able to create WITH me and I whip up a customized bag with a word or phrase of their choice that will bring them the same confidence as the word fuck does for me.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Just try. Go for it. Make mistakes. Learn. Keep fucking up. Keep learning. Keep growing. You never know what you’re capable of unless you try. Also, you are your own worst critic. Go easy on yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fourgunsdown.com
- Email: Bahar@fourgunsdown.com
- Instagram: fourgunsdown
- Facebook: facebook.com/fourgunsdown
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