KENZO, Designer and CEO of -cide: From Homeless to selling brand in over 70 countries!

  In this world there are 2 different types of people: those who wait for things to happen and those who go and make things happen. Designer and CEO of -cide has definitely proved this to be true. Kenzo's passion and eagerness to not only perfect his craft but to out-do himself in each collection demonstrates determination, ambition and commitment. He has manifested his life, from overcoming homelessness to succeeding in building an impeccable brand that is now being sold in over 70 countries.
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"If I didn't go through that, I don't think I'd have the ambition that I have now." -Kenzo

   Kenzo, Guyana native, came to the U.S. at the age of 3. His family faced hardships that later led up to the unfortunate event of becoming homeless. He expressed this to be the most degrading time in his life and vowed to never be in that position again. Determined to provide for himself and his family, he chose to join the army. After being deployed into the national guard in 2011 for a few years, he returned to chase after his passion for fashion. It all started with the idea of a t-shirt line in 2014.

KENZO :"I wasn't crazy about it so I took up photography and videography. I was trying to find myself. During that time, I even invested in cryptocurrency. I was in shark mode."

   He utilized the open field of social media and connected  with other creatives in fashion. Manufacturing was too much of an unnecessary cost so he decided to take matters into his own hands. Early January 2017, he learned different techniques of sewing which blossomed into something life altering. His brand launched 3 months later! In addition to the capability of launching, he sold in over 70 countries within the first year. How amazing is that? I was so taken back by the time frame of his success. Although he wasn't 100% sure of what direction he wanted to head in when he first started, he invested in an idea and followed through. Hard work and faith can really bring you places you can't even imagine. I couldn't help but question how he felt when he got the news regarding sales.

KENZO: "It became a crazy passion after the epiphany that it really reached over 70 countries. I look at my pieces as art work. It gave me a feeling that I've never felt before."

  "The meaning behind -cide is to kill it." Kenzo focuses on keeping the brand fresh and stylish to assure that anyone who wears his pieces feel confident, comfortable and fashionable. One of the things I found really cool is that he is inspired by his early childhood obsession, Dragonball-Z. If you look at the style of the pieces, you can certainly see the connection and recognize his attention to detail. His motivation also stems from the inspiration from lyrics of Drake, Biggie Smalls and overall 80's and 90's fashion. He has even collaborated with the late rapper's daughter, T'yanna Wallace, to create a Biggie inspired line. Yet another moment of manifestation! -cide has been sold in Africa, France, China, Algeria, Dubai and so many other parts of the world.

  Kenzo is currently working on his new collection and I'm ecstatic for the launch! He quotes "I am aiming to outdo the last collection and break the boundary."  In addition to how excited he is about putting out doper content and getting more people involved with the brand, he also mentioned upward mobility. His consistent seek for inspiration and his aggressive work ethic doesn't allow him to miss a day. "Time is way too valuable to waste." In fact, he urges every up-and-coming designer to keep that same focus.

KENZO: "Upcoming designers, use your resources to the best of your ability and use what the internet has to offer you. All it takes is one piece to change your life."

  Kenzo's journey and rise to becoming designer and CEO of -cide defines the power of manifestation, passion, creativity and faith. From start to finish of our conversation, I was inspired and I am extremely encouraged. There is so much power in turning struggle into success. Faith takes you a long way and the passion behind that will get you to where you're destined to be. With the support of his beautiful wife and children by his side, his brand continues to break barriers in fashion in all parts of the world. After reflecting on his story and journey to where he is today, I asked Kenzo to give a word of advice to all creatives and  to those who are trying to find their way in life. 

KENZO: Creativity can change your life. Rest at the end of the day, not the beginning. Always stand at the brink of creativity. Make use of every day because every day matters. Whatever you want out of life you can get. It's really crazy how everything played out."