Aidy Lennox and Liam Green

Young and fresh minds coming up with brilliant ideas. One such example is the story of UK’s Aidy Lennox and Liam Green. They have been the most awe inspiring duo of young students who became brilliant entrepreneurs. When they started their business in 2011, few could’ve guess that retail giants such as Topman, Asos and Footasylum would be in the race.

At a young age of just 17, Liam Green, the co-founder of HYPE, launched his brand. When he started his university at De Montfort in Leicester Where he realised his passion for graphic designing. Their primary investment was about £400. Their designs were so remarkable that they were sold within hours. This not only boasted their morale but further encouraged them to get bigger and bitter.

In a short period of just two years, HYPE has gone from creating t-shirts in their rooms to 350 orders online each day. After Aidy retired, Liam has been handling major business decisions on his own. Total of their sales were up to an astounding £1m. It is estimated that the company’s total sales will reach up to £8m in 2013.

Hype’s warehouse is located in Leicester with a total of 17 workers employed. HYPE connects with the youth which many other brands have failed to do in the UK today. Many celebrities such as One direction, Rudimental and Rizzle kicks have been seen wearing HYPE.

We decided to interview the man behind HYPE’s phenomenal success, 20 year old Liam Green!

SQ: Everybody is wondering, why did two young boys decided fashion as a career?

Liam Green: I was always interested in fashion. But studying graphic designing made me more interested in fashion. Initially I was designing flyers and branding designs for clubs and music industry. Later I met few guys who were involved in both clothing and printing. From them I met some mutual friends and in no time I was designing clothes for leading market brands.

When HYPE was still young, I met Aidy. I started helping him with design related things. Our main purpose of starting this was to earn extra money because I was managing between university and a job and I was in dire need of more money!

What does hype signify?

We don’t differentiate. We love our customers. HYPE represents everyone. Everyone has their own sense of styling. Anyone who thinks that our designs represents their fashion sense and they vibe with it, buys it. Our designs are unique and trendy.

What did you had to overcome to bring HYPE where it is today?

We won a couple of competitions, which helped us a lot to push start the business. Or brand is being recognised by many people. It’s growing at a fast speed. To think about it is intimidating. On top of that we have started staffing, which is a bit hectic but we still have to do because the demand has increased and we need more workers.

Were you able to complete your degree?

I started this company when I was on my summer break. I was only able to complete one year at DE Montfort in Leicester, studying graphic designing. I had to give all my attention to the company because it was growing so fast. And I don’t regret quitting because it has all been worth the effort.

Has your life changed in anyway after HYPE?

Two years back, I was just a regular guy who had a regular life. Who partied at night and studied during the day. But it all changed since HYPE came into the picture. I just entered my 20’s and I have so much extra responsibility. Since my partner decided to retire, I am the guy who makes decisions and has become everybody’s go-to-guy for everyday minute problems regarding the company. In all honesty, I don’t get much time for myself. My social life has become minimum. I have worked hard for this and I wouldn’t want it to change and have it any other way.

Did you guys have kind of inspiration before you started this project?

No, we didn’t have any kind of inspiration exactly. We didn’t even have any plan to start our own brand. We just had a product and set out to sell it. In a short amount of time we have come so far. We have gained so much recognition from our customers. We were able to get attention from leading brand store, which I think is a huge accomplishment. Our hard work and dedication paid off realizing that these kind of things don’t happen often.

You are the only independent brand who has been stocked on Topshop and Topman. How did you achieve this?

Initially we were showcased in Footasylum. They were our first and major stockholders. Topman discovered us from their buyers who were mainly men. They wore our brand and gave a positive feedback to the companies who stocked our brand. On top of that, I’m highly astonished to see social media’s influence, it has a lot of impact on people’s lives. We gained major chunk of our publicity through Facebook.

Your brand shot was done in Briton. Why here, specifically?

Briton is the city with mixed ethnicities. And I think it represents our brand perfectly. It’s fun, exciting and full of life. People there have complete freedom to express and to be true versions of themselves. The landscape is stunning with its sunny beaches and piers. Initially, we shot our summer collection there because we wanted a nice English weather and on top of that we had very little time. But unfortunately.

You obviously have a business mind, do you think you’ll enter another industry?

I had never intended to enter fashion industry but I somehow did. And it also worked very well for me. As far as the future is concerned, I don’t know yet. I could be doing something entirely different, something I’ve never done before.

What’s HYPE next step? What should we expect from HYPE furthermore?

We can proudly say that we aim to set trends. We primarily got famous due to our sublimations and prints styles. For future we want to take things back to fundamentals and set ground-breaking styles. You just have to stay tuned!