Tough Love Nyc

First things first who are you? Where are you from?
JESone, NYC Queens.

Describe fashion, where you are based at?
new york has a plethora of fashionistas. but i'm just trying to do my own thing.

What major factors encouraged you to create the brand?
the lack of ill shirts for girls annoyed me. my friends and i would go shopping for men t-shirts and buy smalls sizes because they always had a better selection.

How has the brand grown since its inception?
when i first started i only had my eye on making shirts for females, but now I've got a few other light bulbs going off above my head.

You know, the number of true connoisseurs in fashion remains more or
less the same. There are those who originate with benefit, opposite
those who imitate with counterfeit. Though in streetwear, everyone eats
at the same table.. Having the wherewithal of this, how do you handle
something so personal without becoming plastic?
I'm not trying to eat off of anyone elses high fashion plate. other ladies streetwear brands have ventured into areas I'm not interested in, so I stay true to myself and my brand. Tough Love NYC is on some 2 middle fingers in the air type shit, we ain't bougie.

"I think that empowered females always catch a bad rap for being a bitch"

Tough Love seems like it is all about positive undertones. How do you react when people hate on your products?
before there was Tough Love, it was just me, Jes. and motherfuckers have been hating me since the day i set foot on the scene.. so hatred from so and so doesn't bother me much.

Being in business for yourself what are the pros and cons?
Pros not having a boss Cons not getting a paycheck from a boss

What were some of the biggest challenges for growing Tough Love in its early years?
well, money comes into mind. starting a brand is extremely expensive and time consuming. i work a square job for now and that's a big bump for me because I want to do Tough Love full time. Our classy criminals design was bitten by a corporate store, although I'm sure there are plenty more bumps to come.
Do you have any plans to expand the brand beyond t-shirts?
I have a few ideas flying around my head...

What's the biggest stereotype that your brand catch?
I think that empowered females always catch a bad rap for being a bitch. but being a bitch is really about being the opposite of what people expect from us vagina carriers. asserting yourself, not letting people herb you, calling it like you see it, all of these things are attributes of what most people would call bitchy. my label is all about knowledge of self, and coming to terms with the fact that girls don't have to be sex symbols in skimpy outfits with fucked up feet from stilettos.

"I stay true to myself and my brand. Tough Love NYC is on some 2 middle fingers in the air type shit, we ain't bougie."

Any other brands that you are planning or would like to collaborate
with?
I'm not looking to do any brand collaborations right now, but i am doing some collabos with individual people. especially people who have inspired me.

Where is the brand currently being distributed?
my house haha

How do some of the mission statement’s ideals (being self-made,
intelligent and street savvy) show in the design of the apparel?
our shirts clearly represent our attitudes. you can love it or leave it.

What are some of the themes behind you shirts?
the classy criminals shirt was a personal interpretation of what i thought it would look like if Chanel had streetwear. The love stinks was a piece I did in a show, everyone loved it so it only made sense to make it a shirt. My mood is real rude is self explanatory. My staff and i have a great sense of appreciation for all things street, so we incorporate that into our design ideas.

Any last words?
Nope, Last words are for people you'll never hear from again.


Vist Tough Love at Toughlovenyc.com