Politically Urban

Politically Urban

Website: politicallyurban.com
Contact: info@politicallyurban.com

Clothing and fashion can easily be seen as one of the most pivotal avenues one can take to express who they are. Whether it’s your political ideology, cultural, religious, spiritual beliefs, a company you love to support, or your style and comfort preferences, clothing becomes a part of your outward identity every time you get dressed. Quinnell, who owns Politically Urban, values this ability for clothing to showcase who individuals and communities are. 

"There is a lack of bold and original black art in the apparel form. With most of the fashion industry going through fast fashion it is also difficult to find organic alternatives that do not harm the environment," he says of his motivations for creating Politically Urban. The way he describes his brand is as an eco-friendly streetwear brand that showcases black art and culture through custom illustrations while also focusing on being environmentally friendly. His vision is to create an Eco-friendly streetwear brand that celebrates and uplifts Melanated people through original artwork that challenges social norms. He wants his brand to captivate his customers with his messaging and create garments that nurture the planet and our hearts.  Quinnell comes from a graphic design background and wanted to pursue his own direction in life out of college and formed his LLC in 2021. Today he operates one hundred percent through ecommerce, making his product available all over the world. He hopes his clothing designs for the black community will make an impact and showcase the richness of the culture to create sustainable fashion all around the world. The lines between fashion and art can and are meant to be blurred and ultimately make clothing its form of platform. 

When asked what his push was to get his vision off the ground Quinnell shared how he saw and felt this missing piece in the fashion world. There was a lack of black art available in apparel form and the options available were not so focused on their environmental impact. Through his own research and education Quinnell is all too aware of how the fashion industry can be wasteful. While wanting to be in the fashion space he most definitely did not want to fall into the trap of becoming a wasteful company as well. His vision for an “Eco friendly component, street wear component, unapologetic beautiful original artwork component, black excellence and being the brand for the black family.” became the driving force for diving into Politically Urban. 

Like most businesses that are newer and up-and-coming, Quinnell has faced the ups and downs of getting going. He shared his personal hurdles were time management, self-guided research into the type of business he wanted to operate, and navigating all the legal requirements. He says having a road map is important, managing your time, being honest with yourself on how you’ll best operate, making true use of your skills, education and gifts, and staying on top of your goals. From his research and digesting of how others have navigated their own business journeys, he shared: “It’s good to take tidbits from people. But remember you can never duplicate another human. You are your own unique person. You have the journey of learning yourself and helping to identify your strengths and weaknesses are going to be your best point… It doesn’t mean you can’t learn other’s tactics, but what they’re able to do, just through their own gifts, or by their own need, is going to be different from you.” He says his own life experiences and learning from others is an excellent “apprenticeship through life” and “a beautiful journey,” to get him where he needed to be.

On the topic of advice he received along the way, and what he would now say to others, Quinnell shared that no journey is easy right away. Understand that the tough part is still part of the passion. Have a work-life balance but keep yourself on track. Allow for trial and error because the errors will teach you where to improve. Asking questions of those around you, even if it requires you to be a little bold or out of your comfort zone. Absorb any and all possible information you can find. The internet is a powerful tool, but like a scavenger hunt, the information is there you just have to find it. 

For final thoughts on his company and his mission, Quinnell shared that his company is being built on resilience, perseverance and optimism. He hopes his company will fulfill its mission of “trying to make a new wave in apparel, e-commerce. Eco friendly component, street wear component, unapologetic beautiful original artwork component, black excellent. Being the brand for the black family.” If you’d like to check out and support Quinnell and Politically Urban check out their website and catalog below!

Politically Urban