Business is good in Linden!

LOOKING back, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of New Generation Clothing (NGC), Joel Waldron, a young and upcoming Linden designer, does not regret sprinkling some bleach on his favourite black t-shirt and turning that ‘spoil’ into a style. Four years later, he is on his way to building an empire with his NGC line of customised and uniquely-created clothing with bleach and other locally-sourced ingredients.

He started at home, and after building his clientele base, he registered his business, and established his first public location in the Wismar Market. After perfecting his skill and starting to utilise upgraded techniques with modern equipment, he created a storm in the local designing industry, and has now opened a second shop in Vreed-en-Hoop, on the West Demerara, where he’s managed to also ramp up many clients.

This is just the beginning of greatness for the young designer. He sees himself steering this industry with his custom designs. Let us take a walk back down memory lane at how it all began for Joel. One day he was doing his laundry and mistakenly ‘bleached’ a black jersey. Using his artistic discernment, the spoilt jersey now looked fashionable and Joel took a gamble and wore it.

“I wore the jersey and a guy saw it and said that it looks good. So I went home back and decided to try the same thing, because I wasn’t working, but it didn’t come out exactly as the first one. So I tried it on another jersey, and this time I did the design into the shape of a Batman, and I wore it and a guy saw it and bought the jersey off of me. I had to go home back with my vest,” Joel said.

The unemployed Joel decided to capitalise on his new-found skill and birthed NGC, which speaks of clothing for millennials. With the craze for customized clothing, the young designer upped his game and moved from designing only t-shirts to other clothing and accessories such as hats, undergarments, pants and even shoes. NGC is unique, and has a local twist to it that cannot be found anywhere else. He uses bleach, acid, fabric paint, and vinyl to customise his clothing for all occasions.

Social media advertising played a major role in him gaining clients and now he has moved to bring unemployed to employing persons. “I am very proud of myself, I now have my own registered business. I had to spend a lot, first when I started I only used my hands, but I have invested in machines and other stuff to give my clients better quality,” he said. “Now I have two locations, I have increased my line and I also have a hookah service that I added as well.”

NGC has made strides its clothing were modelled at several fashion shows and were also worn by local artistes and their dancers in their music videos. Joel even sponsored several artistes at the Soca Monarch Competition, in an effort to get his clothing line out there.

“I want New Generation Clothing to not only be a shop but a company; a brand that can be identified anywhere and will soon go international.”

The young designer is encouraging youths to take the baton of entrepreneurship as it is one of the main gateways to independence and financial stability. “Stop waiting for things to happen for you, get up and hit the road, be whomever you want to be, follow your dream and don’t settle for less,” he said.

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