[featured-video-plus width=770]

  

What you’ll hear in this episode

• How a college project turned into a thriving business
• Building a suit brand in a casual city
• Doing business across multiple time zones

You’d think that building a suit brand in a city known for being casual wouldn’t be a success, but Musa Ato the founder of League of Rebels is proving everyone wrong. League of Rebels began as a marketing project while Ato was in college. He chose suits as it was, and still is, his clothing go-to as he grew up wearing and loving the look of school uniforms. From that project, Ato turned to the unsaturated and growing market of Austin where he built a thriving menswear brand offering formal suiting and casual wear.

The business began strictly as a suiting company, but they have since expanded to offering dress shirts, accessories, polos, and even pajamas. Ato told us that he believes the product produced by League of Rebels is unique due to the level of work put into it as well as their small-batch production. Small-batch means they carry the staples, but when offering special lines they produce a small number of them and then never produce the same item again. This allows the brand to produce more unique items on a regular basis.

A typical day for Ato, as the founder of the growing fashion brand, is exceedingly busy. Due to the amount of work he needs to accomplish, he shared with us that he works around the clock and technically lives in three different time zones to keep up with business. He wakes up almost every hour to respond to business emails as to not get behind. It is a hectic life, but he lives it to build something great for his family.

The next step for League of Rebels is to expand to new markets. They have expanded to Kansas City and have their eye on Houston as a potential city to move into based on customer data. To hear more about the potential expansion and how Musa Ato built the League of Rebels brand, tune into the fourth installment of Founders of Fashion. If you like what you hear, be sure to share the show with friends or a colleague!

Host: Jennifer E.S. Millspaugh, PhD

Guest: Musa Ato

Find League of Rebels on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

 

Transcript:

this is a founding media podcast if hello everyone welcome to founders of fashion I’m your host Jennifer mills PA I’m the CEO of acetic ventures and the Austin fashion initiative on this podcast series I take you inside emerging fashion businesses to explore entrepreneurship in practice today we are in discussion with auto the founder of legal troubles a local men’s wear label and shop based here in Austin Texas what I love about what auto has created is how Polish his brand is right out of the gate and he’s doing an amazing job of not only filling a gap in the Austin market of men’s wear but also because his brand is so polished I believe building that market as well take a listen to hear for yourself about building the league of rebels brand

I’m so excited today to welcome Otto the founder of league of rebels a local menswear label and shop based here in Austin Texas I’m a huge fan of your shop thank you I and I love the aesthetic and quality of the line that you produce %HESITATION and you’re selling suits in Austin which is notoriously a casual city %HESITATION so we’re here today to hear your story of of how you came to launch league of rebels and and %HESITATION so let’s start there how how did you launch legal rebels and why launch suits in Austin well thank you very much for having me firstly %HESITATION lost like the rebels because initially assumed Brandon protest %HESITATION started out where you never see the same way I dress today %HESITATION subsidized in school and I studied international business marketing and branding in international economics book before I picked up markets in %HESITATION I used to be strict on them mystical signed fell in love with marketing and %HESITATION my last year of college and then decide to go after that the Greeks and league of rebels became my marketing pro ject must demand branded games which yes that’s awesome

so I like I love the name how did you come up with the name %HESITATION certain imagery prosecute basically the structure on my personal story so it’s more difficult to replicate %HESITATION which I think is %HESITATION the best way to go on it’s always nice when things are connected to who you are true true being a military brats and then some of the logs on leaves in different countries and I wanted something militia sounding firstly and then to also extend act I ended up in Ukraine for college and had a group of friends that we all have the same lifestyle plenty to get us started together so band of brothers so %HESITATION but from every single person was from a different country kind of different %HESITATION original language %HESITATION but we’ll focus in common we all did everything else in common and I think it’s something that wraps around being a private branded regardless of where you’re from what you doing and just have someone so that’s amazing

so how did you end up in Austin M. Boston College in Dallas while in the U. S. %HESITATION this place called Austin %HESITATION talking often offense and things yeah five years until I first go to %HESITATION come to Austin for an event and the minute we got off hi readers follies %HESITATION we’re blown away so like take from then on the step please once a year and about four years after tax %HESITATION we live in and then any time to make a move this time to build a brand seeded schools Austin that’s awesome okay so telco Phyllis in on kind of what your product line is and how you came to develop that M. sooner %HESITATION where did a much better place where spread across %HESITATION full sixteen and castles additionally we started out so strictly speaking company box tweeted calling the Brian coming six to say screw your lifestyle we need more products %HESITATION so we’ve now extended to dress shirts accessories and then a couple stuff like T. shirts polos and good jobs and contaminants yes %HESITATION I love that okay

so %HESITATION what is it about your line that makes you unique %HESITATION just the level of work that we put into the product perhaps I see %HESITATION but also will go very minimal so it’s common to see small batch companies %HESITATION but the scale at which retirees so we’ll have the essential stuff that will always carry %HESITATION we’ve got %HESITATION so lined up with the we’ll review the spice P. C.’s program and only five styles we’ll do that every other moms once that sells out regardless of health sciences sells out they’ll never come back %HESITATION secularization %HESITATION Kitty tells called please %HESITATION sort of companies that will some strong medication several social real materials %HESITATION tries to build a more unique instead story yeah

that’s amazing so are you always kind of sourcing new product or are you can you have your production facilities and and and suppliers you kind of have those guys in mind if you keep going back what does that look like we have when I cold though trying to re surprise dues will always stay steady does almost on a probation chief Paul always some searching for new ones I always like to some of them are usable salon de on different types of products but not all of them and when we go into new products also just something completely different fine and if you raise your possibilities awesome okay so when you were going back and like kind of first launching %HESITATION how did you go about finding your initial suppliers in your initial like developing your initial product what was that experience like for you it was really cool of course and investigates the mind and I guess he goes into my tell you what’s this wall the only shows our child about %HESITATION investigates and like horrible meets my heart as if that makes any sense all of that so I figure out the easiest way he bought some to some degree also quite difficult to get back on are you looked for who I can be reached at the most us the number one brand we still have to apply some products available pretty cool quality match and be off to that levels so to say forms that was cites a British prime cold packets %HESITATION just off the royal emblem trustees Charles princes and all of that has always being the number one brand in my position sales associate okay %HESITATION I’m going to go out to them said Wednesday minus optional I’m going to send the lines what production facilities that’s what I want to go so you just started digging in and and asking around and and that was the real hard work yes it is because people don’t want to share that stuff usually what he does but

I think that’s so important to you of that idea that you have another brand that you look to you as kind of %HESITATION as inspiration for your own %HESITATION like like okay this is kind of division that’s where I see we could be going not in the sense that you’re looking to match static or %HESITATION or you know in any way copying that brand but yeah it’s like okay I have a mentor essentially whether regardless of whether or not they know they’re actually mentor you but you have somebody like okay you know thank you I will get a sense mark yeah exactly so I hear that a lot with like designers and stuff it’s like okay yeah we always wanted to be like axe company and you just kind of fill in the blank %HESITATION so what what is your typical day look like now that you have how long have you had your store %HESITATION those face bring to bring him also starts been around since %HESITATION summer of twenty sixteen initially started our team he said yes show full of three months before control and converts it into opponents space so just roughly about times or not and so awesome and I just expanded in your stores banker so you’re growing and doing awesome things trying to yeah and %HESITATION and do you also have a direct to consumer %HESITATION or even mostly selling through the store %HESITATION mostly truly store we also have the website so you can only get out products %HESITATION to the brick and mortar store or a website yeah just for you guys %HESITATION and %HESITATION yeah so like what what what is your typical day what does that look like %HESITATION never changes said typical day for me basically I think I’m pretty much work almost around the clock %HESITATION juice because of the amount due for the last two days %HESITATION so I need someone to speak three times owns %HESITATION true tonight’s I saw my U. S. mornings about nine o’clock as I can get on %HESITATION but then by the time six o’clock reach reach is %HESITATION slowing down at the store but also we can open our time zone and called one A. M. we can open most times and I have to keep up with individuals and those times %HESITATION so while I sleep %HESITATION I’ll have to roll over it throughout our house respond to the email okay exactly saved Leslie back because I have to keep up with everybody else in that time zone so the mails you just can’t wait till the next day because if I would sell my morning they sleep the fine arts students researchers funding to what email address and then things just get back to you so %HESITATION

and so now how has your life changed since you’ve launched her company other than the fact that you get sounds like zero so which is a recurring thing I think among all on Turner yes it’s approximately %HESITATION lines has changed enough to think it’s just an old PC and he gets me more to pay more attention on details on the cheese steaks on being less effective as possible I’m not always the case %HESITATION just such is life but I paid the most attention we trying to be as functional and effective as possible as in the password if I was just going to work from nine to five all have to do is we look at the job on time and at five PM it didn’t matter what he got done now you’re like okay so much things done as possible in the shortest amount of time so well and and you know for me when you know in launching my company there’s I’m always I I enjoy the joy of being surprised by things that I didn’t think I would like %HESITATION and so that’s something I always find really interesting so what is it about your company that surprised you that you didn’t think that you would enjoy or or a lot of things but in that aspect I think what I’ve been through these realize so I ask myself the question what business some might be injured right now yeah %HESITATION so initially and some of them and you realize what I was already in that business outside calculated so came up with the Browns because yes men’s wear brand it’s like %HESITATION yeah it’s fast and even though I like logistics small %HESITATION and then six to face realize nam and retail success it’s not just brandy in all markets in have to figure out at least us properly and how to run it %HESITATION the logistics business of the source in business when it came time to get the products and get the product to market %HESITATION all you do realize that Lowe’s diligence six process much sign dues yeah really just the analytics the bottom walk think that’s my safe haven I can stay and allies alike wants to do research like marketing data yeah yeah I love little points %HESITATION the logistics on that to be very interesting for me navigates in costumes and imports %HESITATION what tax season how to schedule my tips to come to the market and then the retail part of sync it’s a love hate relationship for each of us or yeah but then I realized quickly once the day okay to open up the cultural psych I’m the only one here so I’ve got to deal with every single person you have to be out there and you have to get like put yourself out there it’s really about having store store yeah yeah yeah %HESITATION but I love it a lot more than I expected to use %HESITATION it’s still it’s still some work to it so to say %HESITATION but just you know hanging out with people talking with them explaining the brand of the product to them and making friends outside the house %HESITATION between more enjoyable than I expected yes but it

was is and ever scary I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and he was like Hey general are you like ever afraid about you know what you’re doing in the work that you’re doing and I’m like like I liken it back to like when I was you know doing my doctor and stuff I was like well that I was really afraid then because it was like I had to get done and I had to like put myself out there and and I was like but it wasn’t like a in a sphere of I can’t do it and I was like it kind of feels like that like it’s like okay I wake up every day like all I have so much I have to do and you’re almost feel like drowning in it and then you like go for it and so do you ever feel like that first day of that first that first opening your doors what was going through your mind so so many feet inside don’t even fully recall but definitely still trying to you know wonder how do I get to tease what though %HESITATION you say to people once they worked in a black dress them %HESITATION do you say hello how do you tell them about the product in the coaching data just retail in general and then I find myself trying to recall instances of the Sinatra stores and trying to see what’s all recall what they do you know how they responded right and to see a try to create a story from Bassett yeah you can find your formula yeah and then you like plugin check okay of take out what’s unique about them and put in what’s unique about me yeah find ways to make it easier yeah in an age of its and that’s how the market around two days after you talk with people for a while and the more realistic can I put your drink and if you’re not treating sculpture I bring deals is easy better for everybody yeah yeah

well I’m sure that was really fun to to go through your store and think about the different experiences you wanted people to have %HESITATION and so like walk us through what will somebody experience once they open the door again coming in definitely invite that person and say hello some quick question either already been there before or not %HESITATION if they happen to intimate creaking drugstore brand done try to make it as fast as possible so you don’t you know it from the monitoring of things %HESITATION and then just let them free the dictates how they wanted to proceed indeed there are individuals who say thank you you know it’s going to questions let them roam free when they do have they will call on unions %HESITATION individuals who are interested in or have questions that will help it to sit down relax also water Pepsi whiskey were consistent with sprint which is where the audience on actual things %HESITATION and they just make them feel as relaxed as possible the longer one stays safe they want to spend more time discussing sections to cater to women ready to wear a helmet to Michelle and we’ll just try to make it as easy as possible it’s awesome okay %HESITATION

but it’s been your biggest challenge and starting your company biggest growing at %HESITATION less one of them would be thirsty are skating too fast %HESITATION that’s full so many challenges and some just pops out from nowhere %HESITATION book the feels getting to class on time it’s a long time St tasty stories seven days respectively %HESITATION and then also controlling myself %HESITATION as fast stuff which still plays into skating so personally I see the brand S. you know put outside law protects up once we join we’re smaller companies so we’re always keen production and a challenge to speak if you time it wrong please he could hold on to you I think so to say %HESITATION book putting products into production when they come out of production the cost to get them to market the cost of production and knowing when to take a break when to jump back in sixty that yeah and it takes a while it seemed to be old enough detox detail okay face %HESITATION the key times of key moments to make those moves

okay and so and I had a I love that you brought up scaling and whether or not you scale to faster or not because I think %HESITATION I think that’s a really important issue for companies and especially start ups is especially as you start to develop computer IT and %HESITATION people start to learn about your brand it’s almost like they’re throwing so many opportunities out here with that you’re like wait a minute what is it what are we actually going to do what are and what do we actually want to do %HESITATION and so like to that and what is your vision for the company that you that you want to be happy thought about what the long term goal is or yes so much Sir even though according to %HESITATION and if it seems even type situation so in general I would say we want Austin to hold all cities the flagships here it would always be the major part of the brand %HESITATION we telling would want things funding to automatics and try to replicate as closely but also playing with the receiving markets because state will change so much different yes place yeah pros all in many ways very unsavory understanding markets decreased undated knowing when or how to break into those markets but Boston home %HESITATION cookies used an opportunity at that right now and then we’ll keep constitutes phone and you’ll go retailer retail shop by retail shop all around all controlled by you yes yeah so it’s a very it’s a very closely tightly held brand so almost like you’re sabotaging yourself as a legacy brands and building in that legacy as you go I hope so yeah which means less sleep %HESITATION all work and what to tell you know yeah so %HESITATION and

yes so what so what is next so you’re talking about Houston that’s super exciting yeah what are kind of some of the initial decision making factors for that that’ll make you say yeah this is a go or no okay so exciting and scary at the same time %HESITATION what I’ve seen but %HESITATION she said we could go to Moscow stressed that come up from there %HESITATION so we always keep track where customers coming from how long at the shopping and what is the %HESITATION percentage shows visitors from the sixties %HESITATION we get the data say Houston Dallas San Antonio and how to stay so you kind of are able to kind of do that people come in you ask them a few questions and you know and then when they leave are you guys making no Sir I know when they before they buy if you’re basically just don’t buy it doesn’t go it doesn’t matter yeah so we only when we check out this will ship a lot of stuff to individuals it just breaks up that conversation we know every stand from normal kind of C. T. mark down that which sees indigo color reports by the C. T. and see what sticks up next after posting %HESITATION said that’s the initial T. S. two lists of potential second location %HESITATION hotels have been a big team that’s how we started in the market did the public be in Austin downtown Austin Texas after three months before we came full time and then also a domain to for last year %HESITATION do do work well and after three months I feel that’s enough information to know you session where we are yeah the median check out so we pulled back out and then expanded downtown because that was a bit more about market %HESITATION so Houston however the first time we’re going to do a couple of shots %HESITATION but different location from the potential permanent location %HESITATION they moved to Sony I’ve got so many things on my plate so even once not accede or trying to get into that conversation they could face class make a decision let’s move %HESITATION I just sexy and baby moved to quickly so he scratched it and we’ll go strolled Skolian downtown because it’s all the data and research that I’ve been doing for quite some time the late fee income highlights that basically increase the protests right for one

I love it there so much I’m such a research geek that’s what I like about it this is I love it I love the way that you talk about going in and like okay we’re going to gather data from here were able to make decisions about %HESITATION like this is an opportunity but if that doesn’t work out we’re going to go and find a plan B. and kind of figure out what that are you know what the next opportunity looks like so you’re you’re constantly creating a funnel of ideas into the company that you can then filter and say does this fit with who link of rebels is or is that something that no we have to push that aside it’s an it’s just either a not the right time or be you know just not it’s just not right you know it doesn’t fit with who we are so exactly some have there been any like major things %HESITATION opportunities that sounded cool that you were that came across your doorstep that you were maybe initially excited about the ultimately were like no I have to like push this away this isn’t who we are %HESITATION hi yes maybe I just dump everything maybe we dress you wore I would %HESITATION act and so not quite yet but it’s been %HESITATION might happen eventually so %HESITATION

ends of what it what inspires you the question wasn’t sponsor me %HESITATION I just the the needed one to establish something that is independent of one cells yeah and also to be able to be a leading my goals quite simple really you’ve got a small families and twenty studies %HESITATION something great for myself at least an stimulant so I’d say Muhammad yeah I’m with you Sir okay

so before I ask my last question %HESITATION where can people find you downtown Austin second street district %HESITATION for eleven west second street as well as our websites W. W. W. dot legal troubles don’t call awesome and I one final question we’re asking our folks what is one fashion life hack that you recommend or a fashion to %HESITATION fussing the what would be the closest say in my mind would be just establishing what your stylist activities %HESITATION so for me this all came about the school uniform in the first place and I joke around if you can’t win any given day I’m wearing my school uniform into process colors change in five years so %HESITATION say find an identity and just stick to it I don’t have to think about too much of the same type products off each every day just calling you one time keep going so last time we more functional and effective but %HESITATION this figured out for me at school in the fall you are auto singularly

thank you for listening to our founders of fashion podcast don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts if you’re watching this podcast on you to be sure to subscribe to this channel and click the notification bell for new episode alert founders of fashion is produced by Mariah gossip and myself audio and video production by Jake Wallace and a huge thank you to the rest of the team at founding media who makes this podcast possible I’m your host Jennifer mills spa to learn more about my work at the intersection of fashion internationalization and entrepreneurship visit aesthetic dot ventures