Today we’d like to introduce you to Shayan Katana Selby.
Shayan Katana, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
SAINTWULF was always something I knew I had wanted to start since I was a teenager. But of course, at that point, it didn’t have a name. I was always into two things, that was certain. Fashion and Internet Culture. Expression was very important to me growing up, and I always tried to express that through what I was wearing or creating, even if it was a MySpace profile (at the time). I went through dozens of ideas, nothing felt meaningful. There was plenty of trial & error in regards to starting a “business”. I was never short of ideas. I’ve always been the “idea gal”, there was an abundance of that.
I ended up getting into Virtual Styling in 2013. I was 21 years old and creating mood boards online for fun, which lead me to build a real-life paying clientele. That was exciting for me. It ignited my love for clothing and fashion in general, but the most incredible purpose of that journey was what lead me to SAINTWULF.
I wanted to focus all of my visions and energy into something physical that could be shared. So in 2016, I started SAINTWULF as a brand. We had only made custom stilettos that were styled with authentic marabou feathers. Eventually, it leads to a blog then quickly turned into what it is today. SAINTWULF flourished into an entire fashion brand. I’m always going to make SAINTWULF my priority, so although it is still small in the grand scheme of fashion brands, it’s something that I am proud of.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I wish I could say the journey of starting SAINTWULF was easy. There was a lot of testing the waters. Seeing what clients/viewers liked, as well as making sure it was something I could be proud of. There were a generous amount of situations that made me feel as though I shouldn’t be jumping the gun and starting a clothing line.
The hardest part was getting anyone to care, to be honest. I think that was the biggest obstacle in regards to starting up a company. It became a mental thing, but I slowly realized that the growth of my brand relied on much more than exposure (or if it was something that went popular within an instant).
It relied on me to believe in my creation. Once you realize that half the challenges are mental, the journey comes easier. Of course, working night and day was incredibly important too. Keeping a mental note that “you are never done working” slowly became a positive thing for me. I don’t think anything worth keeping is easy to obtain.
Please tell us about your business.
Our apparel at ShopSaintWulf.com is our special luxury. It is a luxury brand that isn’t a luxurious price. From handmade footwear, accessories, clothing including incredible quality tees & hoodies. We make sure that we feed our fashion Wulf that lives among us. We provide a variety of garments- and even elevated some of our wear into jewelry and as of recently some kids apparel.
Our most recent fan favorite is our sneakers & chain bags. Those are two of my most proud creations, to be honest. They took a lot of time and effort to prepare. And production was tough, but the most rewarding!
I think there are a plethora of reasons as to why SAINTWULF the brand & the website itself is different than other apparel brands. Were not driven by money, believe it or not. We are more-so driven by the idea that everyone should be able to wear something that makes them feel exclusive. It’s our way of swapping the idea of something exclusive for something that is essentially inclusive to all. To be fair, we want that special feeling to remain.
SHOPSAINTWULF is more than just clothing, though. It’s something to be understood mentally as well. Putting the blog aside, we are influenced by the arts and the lover of the arts. It’s an energy, something made for the fast paced visionaries. A lot of our designs will showcase that. Essentially, some would say it’s a “mood.” Haha.
SAINTWULF will never be finished spreading its wings. We want it to live forever, and we are working on expanding a lot of our brand elements into more than just fashion. We are excited about that.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We want to expand SAINTWULF. Like I mentioned before, she will continue to grow even after my physical time on earth. Fashion will forever be our main focus and objective, but the world moves so quickly nowadays, we are constantly finding new innovative ways to spread our vision.
Our hopes and aspirations are much larger than we are. But as for right now, we are focusing a lot on preparing our SPRING/SUMMER 2020 collection. We’re dropping our S/S 2020 line end of December. Finalizing designs, and fabrics for our next launch- These seasonal launches will be a forever plan, as long as the seasons change.
Besides apparel, we just recently launched our first issue (ISSUE 001 ) of our E-magazine “The Uncut Diaries” at TheSaintWulf.com. We put a lot of focus on innovative creators and giving them the recognition they deserve. We are hoping to branch out into other areas on that platform. Our current secret project we are working on is influenced by the e-magazine. I am so excited to keep creating in that realm. The other goodies and adventures are to be seen later! Can’t give everything away just yet!
Contact Info:
- Website: WWW.SHOPSAINTWULF.COM
- Email: info@shopsaintwulf.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/saintwulf
- Other: thesaintwulf.com
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