Today we’d like to introduce you to Ej Faulcon.
Ej, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
We all had “hoop dreams” growing up where I’m from. Around my sophomore year in college, reality started to settle in. I knew I didn’t want to work a 9-5 for the rest of my life or settle for a regular life of any sort. I began to brainstorm about everything I liked at the time. Sports, fashion, hip-hop culture, and everything in between. I have always had a particular interest in fashion for as long as I can remember. I had already tried to come up with a brand in my high school years but could never settle on a name that stuck.
The biggest brand I could think of at this time was Nike when it came to owning a household name. Between their culture, the stability of their brand, and versatility in brand collaborations… they were everything in cultivating not only a successful brand but also creating a lifestyle. The swoosh encompassed all of these attributes in one simple symbol design. Ultimately, in my mind, I thought, “If a check mark was the best, I want to go straight after that.” It began as one X and quickly grew to 2 (XX) as I sat in my small college apartment sketching out the first designs of what is now known as doublexxstudios.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In the beginning, I would say I struggled with problems that majority of your 1st-generation young Black business owners probably struggle with — having to learn everything on my own to build a foundation from the ground up. From not believing in my own abilities, being too vulnerable, yet still trying to rush “the process.” Of course, we all have our expectations of how things should go or how we want them to go, but God’s plan doesn’t always line up with ours. My faith was something that I always stood strong in, but it has tested me in ways that I couldn’t explain. It’s commonly said, “God has a funny way of working,” and I think my journey is yet another testimony to His greatness as I believe I still have very steep mountaintops and lower valleys to cross.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Doublexxstudios is a streetwear brand that stems from the Victorian slang “xx,” meaning double excellence. Excelling past limitations placed onto us as we’re brought up in life by those ranging from our peers to even loved ones. It’s a brand that promotes the importance of being in control of your own choices. Founded on the purpose of doing anything everyone said was impossible. That’s where our slogan ‘Control Your Own Destiny’ originates from.
I would say we are mostly known for our hoodies at the moment, but we design and release an array of different garments. I would definitely say what sets us apart is that we design 99% of our garments and graphics in-house. We’re always innovating and testing out new designs daily. We’re still a very small team, being only myself and my childhood friend Dame, and of course, our loved ones behind the scenes that push and supports us along the way. I’m mostly proud of how far we’ve came but I know we have yet to put out some our best work or reach even half of our potential. We have a lot of things in the vault that we can’t wait for you guys to see. I want the readers to know that we create very intricate and detailed designs and produce high-quality pieces. We may be a local brand, but we are not confined to our local market; we’re excited to continue expanding and growing as a business and as individuals.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was fun growing up around all of my family members — aunties, uncles, cousins, etc. I wouldn’t say my childhood was easy. I lost my father at a very young age. My mother was and still is a very hard-working and resilient woman. As she went through nursing school to support us, she eventually met my now stepdad, who has stepped up to the job head-on and whom I have great love and respect for. Around 2007, we moved to Raleigh, NC, for “a fresh new start for us,” as my parents said. If you didn’t know me personally, you would probably say I’m very laid back, quiet, and reserved. My close friends and loved ones would tell you that I am funny focused, and I carry a big heart. I like to say we made the right choice in relocating as I reflect on how far we’ve came and where we are today.
I was always interested in sports, especially basketball. I also love music. It’s like therapy for me; depending on how I’m feeling, I always have a go-to artist in mind that speaks to me. My dad loved fashion, so he always had me in the latest fashion trends… I guess that was just something that stuck with me. I also do photography for fun; it’s something I really enjoy doing as a hobby at times. I actually shot most of our content, which is an up-and-coming business, studiozerozerotwo, I work on as a project on the side. I actually had the opportunity to shoot at NYFW about 2 years ago.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://doublexxstudios.com/
- Instagram: doublexxstudios
- Facebook: Doublexxstudios LLC
Image Credits
photofalcon
tudiozerozerotwo
