A self-made fashion pioneer from Birmingham travels to America to present his clothing line at New York Fashion Week.
The brand, called “Jheez” consists of eye-catching tracksuits, t-shirts and a range of urban clothing for men and women of all backgrounds.
An eye-catching hoodie with “Dreamchaser” embroidery on the back perfectly captures the creator, 24-year-old Jashaan Gill.
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Born an Oldbury worker with humble roots, Jashaan struggled to be taken seriously and become Birmingham’s own version of Versace. He tells us how his ambitions were dismissed by teachers who thought he wanted to take a textile class because there were more girls in it.
But the determined British-Asian mogul launched his own brand out of his bedroom when he was just 17 years old. Slowly he sewed the patchwork quilt of his fashion ambitions together.
Jheez clothing line
(Image: Anjum James Francis and Viraj Shiyal)
Now, having won multiple awards and even graced the pages of GQ magazine, Jashaan is trading the streets of Sandwell for the catwalks of America.
Incredibly, this is not the first time the US has knocked on the door. The self-made designer has been hunted for New York Fashion Week for three years. But where did it all start?
Jashaan realized when he was 15 that he was fond of fashion. He said, “I was a typical soccer teenager, then I saw fashion designer Jeremy Scott collaborate with Adidas to create sneakers.
“I bought a pair of winged trainers and friends stopped me from looking at them when I wore them.
Jheez clothing line
(Image: Anjum James Francis and Viraj Shiyal)
“I then thought to myself, why can’t I create clothes that look so unique? That spurred my creative flow. “
Inspired by inspiration Jashaan was determined to study textiles in school. But here Jashaan would meet his first metaphorical monster.
Nobody took him seriously.
His teachers did not believe that the young man had dedicated himself to the creative subject, he was dismissed as a “foot pupil” and was only interested in one thing …
He said, “They thought I wanted to take the course because there were so many girls in it.”
Fortunately, his application went through and he kept his head down in class, he even got a valuable internship at a local clothing factory to learn about the business.
A young man of 15 years old wants to be the next Lagerfeld
(Image: Anjum James Francis and Viraj Shiyal)
The teenager worked on uniforms and workwear, learned the craft, and eventually asked if he could print his own clothing designs there.
At 17, he finally turned his bedroom into a storage room for his official clothing line called “Jheez,” aptly from the American slang exclamation.
The urban streetwear line consists of tracksuits, gymwear, t-shirts, joggers, caps, underwear and even Covid masks. Each item is crowned with the “Jheez” logo.
He said, “Urban streetwear is my style and I would advocate wearing tracksuits everywhere.
Jheez clothing line
(Image: Anjum James Francis and Viraj Shiyal)
“I like to wear loose and comfortable clothes, it never occurred to me to go into any other form of fashion.
“My designs are open and I also present my Asian heritage in the designs with bright colors.
“This is inspired by our big Asian weddings where people love to do their best.”
His entrepreneurial journey only got better when he received the Most Commercially Viable Business 2018 award from Nottingham Trent University for his early work with Jheez, who sold to clients around the world while studying business law.
Jheez clothing line
(Image: Anjum James Francis and Viraj Shiyal)
His biggest award to date is being named “Fashion Designer of the Year 2020” through a public vote hosted by Swish Media. The young man won by the greatest margin.
In 2020 and 2021, readers were able to discover the fashion tycoon’s streetwear in GQ magazine.
Despite his rising fashion star, the designer remembers being constantly underestimated and patronized by people in the industry.
Jashaan once had a business meeting with a high profile organization and immediately felt uncomfortable in the room.
He said, “When I presented my business plan, they laughed at me because I didn’t have any orders. That was silly since I had just launched my brand so of course I haven’t had any orders yet.
Jheez clothing line
(Image: Anjum James Francis and Viraj Shiyal)
“They didn’t take me seriously, so my mentor and I left. Even now, at 24, when I sit at business meetings, I’m not taken seriously and I’m seen like a kid. But I’ve been experiencing seven years now.
“However, I ignore it because I recognize subconscious prejudices. So I believe the Black Lives Matter movement and the cricket scandal helped start a conversation about unconscious bias.
“I think this will make things better for the next generation.”
Jashaan is laughing all the way down the runway now as his brand is slated to hit the US market at New York Fashion Week next month.
The designer’s new couture-like collection will be a rainbow of colors and mixed fabrics such as satin, velvet and leather (fake, he insists).
The line is titled “Dreams to Reality” and represents his path from selling in his bedroom to headlining a world-class fashion show.
Jashaan said: “My family has been very supportive and forward-looking in my dreams. I am blessed to have the parents I have.
“I am living proof that you can go your own way. Keep believing in yourself and one day you will shine. “
Check out Jheez streetwear here and follow Jashaan @jheezofficial
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