Brockton man creates 6-figure fashion biz and pays homage to his Cape Verdean roots
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
BROCKTON — From the sunny islands of Cape Verde, Freddie Mendes' family traveled over 3,000 miles to their new home in America. While here, Mendes built a six-figure business over seven years selling his unique streetwear line, Dreams From The East.
The line was created to pay homage to his family that immigrated to America, longing for more opportunities and a better life.
Ever since he was a child, Mendes knew he was special and dove right into his passions of art, music and culture.
As a result, he spent a lot of time clipping magazines of '90s rappers and fashion influencers, including Pharrell, and listening to the rapper Biggie Smalls.
One song that played on repeat was "Juicy" by the famous rapper and the lyrics lingered in Mendes' mind throughout the day.
"It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazine
Salt-n-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine
Hangin' pictures on my wall
Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl
I let my tape rock 'til my tape popped"
"Looking back at my bedroom wall as a kid, I was creating a vision board. I didn't know what a vision board was back then, but everything on my wall slowly manifested itself into my adult life," Mendes said.
Art was a staple in Mendes' life and carried over into his adulthood, leading him to create his own clothing line.
Success story: Brockton man lives childhood dream, names limo biz for cousin Kenny 'K-Face' Monteiro
Dreams From The East is an urban streetwear line that started in 2015 as a way for Mendes to express his creative vision that eventually blew up after many years of consistency.
"The brand is everyday streetwear. It's a way to express my creativity and '90s inner kid," Mendes said.
Items consist of cut and sewn sweat suits, hats, hoodies, and T-shirts. In the future, Mendes hopes to introduce a home décor line.
The Dreams From The East logo is layered with imagery unique to Mendes's experience.
Brockton-area real estate report: $1.3M oceanfront Victorian estate in Wareham
Three components of the logo are the Boston and Atlanta skyline and the superman building in Providence.
They symbolize three phases of his life when he graduated from Brockton High School, went to college at Johnson & Wales University in Providence and later graduated and left New England to live in Atlanta.
These experiences shaped Mendes's character and allowed him to immerse himself as an artist and creator.
"It's an amazing time for young people to be creative and make money from their phones with an eCommerce business," Mendes said.
The entrepreneur made six figures in four months by utilizing his iPhone for marketing and dropped merchandise using Instagram and his website.
"A misconception people think that I'm an overnight success when it took seven years and I'm still nowhere close to where I want to be," Mendes said.
Success to Mendes is the ability to be financially free and own a warehouse filled with everyday clothing from his line.
It may seem like a lot of money when you hear the words six figures, but in reality, the money goes back into the business to restock items.
"It's a constant investment in yourself and your business," Mendes said.
The fashion designer broke the norms of society by quitting his 9-5 sales job and chasing his passion for designing clothes, and it worked out in his favor.
The best part about owning a business you love is that it never feels like real work, Mendes said.
"I want to thank my grandmother Marcela and Kathleen Quigg for always believing in me and pushing me to be the greatest version of myself even when I deflect the attention or accolades I receive. They're my biggest support till this day," Mendes said.
Mendes's ultimate goal in the future is to take profits from Dreams From The East and open a center similar to the Boys & Girls Club for kids in Brockton to enjoy and have a space to grow their creativity.
Enterprise staff reporter Alisha Saint-Ciel can be reached by email at stciela@gannett.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @alishaspeakss and Instagram at Alishaatv. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton Dreams from the East: Freddie Mendes creates streetwear biz
