HBCU Frat Brothers Launch Fastest-Growing Black-Owned Luxury Hat Brand

Two friends and frat brothers, Archie Clay III and Tajh Crutch, have teamed up to create a fashionable fedora hat brand. Two years ago, they launched Brims and since then, they have been working hard to become one of the fastest-growing Black-owned luxury hat brands in the U.S.

Tajh and Archie first met in college where they were both members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. After graduating from college in 2012, they have separated ways — Archie worked in the Human Resources industry with reputable brands such as Marshalls and Target, while Tajh took on the Information Systems field.

A few years later, they met again for a different purpose: to start a fashion line. After being released from his job, Archie started looking for opportunities in entrepreneurship and then he realized the absence of new and innovative brands for fedora hats. He approached Tajh, whom he knew as a fashion lover as well, and convinced him to partner with him to enter the fashion world.

In 2017, after sharing ideas and feedback with each other, Archie and Tajh launched BRIMS. They admitted that they had to go through several trials and errors since they started the business.

“In the beginning, it was all about what sort of brand did we want to be?” Archie said in an interview with the Quintessential Gentleman. “We priced our product too low. We created 3 styles that weren’t the best and as we researched, we had to understand who we were.”

Eventually, the duo found the formula that would place their brand in the limelight. They took a more hands-on approach and listened to the feedback from their clients. Now, they are offering several unique designs of fedora hats and they are continuously learning to further improve their brand.

“Trusting your intuition and judgment, go over your product and don’t rush the process. Your customers want quality and exclusivity. Be intentional and have the ability to adapt,” said Tajh.

For more information about Brims, visit www.wearbrims.com or visit their Instagram @wearbrims