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‘Street King Designz’ …taking customised sneakers to another level
“Young entrepreneurs play a big role in society because they provide jobs for people and give hope to persons looking to own their own business.”
By AllyiahAllicock
Some of the young man’s work.
Kaieteur News – Driven by a flair for uniqueness, 26-year-old Shumaul Hutson decided to embark on a journey to offer his exceptional talent to members of the public, a decision that sees him customizing sneakers under his own brand – ‘Street King Designz’.
The talented, Shumaul Hutson owner of ‘Street King Designz’ displaying one of his customised footwear.
Hutson, who resides with his grandparents in Campbellville, Georgetown, said that from long as he can remember he always had a passion for art. It is with this passion he was able to bring forth the business he now owns today. But how really did it all get started? In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, the 26-year-old artist related that his business is something that has been about since 2015. “I started to change the factory colour of my own shoes because I like to be unique, I don’t like to wear the same things everyone is wearing,” he said. He recalled that the first time he wore his customised sneakers out in the public it caught the attention of a woman and her daughters who had asked where he got them from. “The first time I ever wear my custom sneakers out, every one was watching my sneakers. To myself I was like they don’t like them, but later that same night I was approached by a young lady and her two daughters and she told me that her daughters keep pointing at my shoes and that they like them. So she asked where I got them from and I told her that I did it myself and she was amazed and told me to keep up the good work. That inspired me to actually do it as a job,” Hutson said. The young man, who now operates his business with his younger brother, Shermarke, said that since joining the local fashion industry, people have grown to love his work and demand his services even more.
Hutson noted too, that his support system has been nothing more than great over these past few years. Clients he said have not only been pleased with his services but would oftentimes recommend his works to others. “When they come, they actually bring in more people. I love my supporters and I really appreciate everyone that continue to support me,” he added. But there have been challenges. Among them, he shared, was finding customers, at the start-up phase, who wanted their footwear customised. Another difficulty, too, was limited financial support. “So I used the money I was getting to do the sneaker and used it to buy paint and other materials. I wasn’t making any profit for the first few months or year… I overcome some of the challenges by wearing my own work so people can see my work. When I wasn’t doing that I was posting step by step photos and videos to social media platforms to build a base to showcase my work to get more recognition,” he noted. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic also proved to be a challenge as well. When the government had imposed a number of restrictions on social activities, he had noticed a decrease in the number requests for his services. As such, he said, it was a hard time for his business. Hutson, however, was not prepared to give up. In fact, he revealed that he used his time to improve his craft. Noting that “this is only the beginning phase of an amazing journey in the business world,” Huston stated that his ultimate goal is to one day own his own store, through which he will sell his own merchandise, including clothing. A part from that, he hopes to one day share his knowledge with younger artists, like his brother. Not only does he plan to be an influencer but, according to Hutson, he wants to “give back more to the young ones trying to follow in my path.” Hutson is of the view that “Young entrepreneurs play a big role in society because they provide jobs for people and give hope to people looking to own their own business.” Huston is convinced too that there is need for more support from the relevant authorities to enable young entrepreneurs to flourish. Persons can contact Hutson on Instagram, TikTok, Youtube and Facebook @streetkingdesignz, or via WhatsApp on telephone number (592) 630-9016.
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