I started designing with Fred Quinn, in his Mother’s living room, she laughed at us saying how I was crazy for thinking up an idea and he was crazy enough to do it.  My family knew I was the type of person who always had a head full of ideas, but most of them didn’t pan out.  Each time I would announce to my family that I had an idea, they would wave me off, saying, “Another idea?”

After spending all those long hours and days and consistently working on laying out our design plans in his Mother’s living room, we gained the respect of family and friends.  Especially after they examined our final product and the quality of the fabric and saw the fresh new fashion style that we created.  The U/U support base grew from my Uncle Scotty who full heartedly supported the idea from its conception, to family in Savannah, D.C. and Chicago.  My national circle of supporters play a major role in promoting the U/U design line in those cities, where my clientele base is also on the rise.  

 

Marketing and promotion are very important tools in building your clientele base, and one of the more costly expenses.  In the beginning I utilized the most important marketing tool for a small business owner, ‘Word-of-Mouth.’   Once the interest and inquiries began to heighten, I took U/U marketing and promotion to a new level by organizing cabarets.  The people who attended U/U Cabarets were treated to more than a great evening of food, dancing and mixing with friends, they were entertained with a live fashion show, showcasing the latest fashions from Uptown/Uptown.  From one idea grew another, seeing the success of the cabarets as an excellent marketing tool,  I made the decision to network with other emerging artists and include them as participates in the U/U Cabarets.

The cabarets were one of my first “best” happenings with U/U.  It gave me the opportunity to meet my public, and hear their suggestions/comments on what is needed in the urban fashion world.  Also gave me the opportunity to have some fun, as I remember my first cabaret with comedian Ty Mack, we did a tribute to Black History Month, which we thought was funny, and thought was hilarious.

By organizing the cabarets and working with various groups was an excellent learning experience.  From the cabarets, sprung the idea to establish a non-profit community foundation.  At the present time I work with several foundations one being the Wesley Center in conjunction with the YMCA, in the Hill District.  This event is sponsored by the Wesley Center AME Church,  Pastored by Reverend Glen Grayson, where I buy trophies for the children during the Ronald Wilburn Community Day events.  

Using the blueprinting from the original U/U Cabarets, I will be organizing a Fashion Designer Ball.  This event will include a team of high school students interested in fashion design, and those who have already started their own lines.  The mission of this event will be to showcase the up and coming young talent, as well as an open invitation to artists in the music entertainment sector.   We plan on placing Pittsburgh on the fashion map as the place where fashion is happening.

I like to take this public opportunity to thank my mentor Curtis Brown of Jireh Clothing, who has been by my side from the start guiding and offering advice.  To this day Curtis still plays an important role in my growth as a business man.

Grand Master J also had a hand in the conception of U/U fashion.  I ran into him at a local restaurant in Pittsburgh during when their tour stopped in Pittsburgh, we had a conversation about their Raising Hell tour and also about the name of my company.  Our initial logo T-Shirt was a quick visual way to push our name out to the public.  The signature logo Uptown/Uptown #45 has a special meaning to me as it represents me, Chucky IV and my son CJ V.  I am building a business to be a positive role model for my children, to show them how a small idea can grow into a successful business.  I am a firm believer in family and my children will be a part of U/U.

Now that U/U is about to burst back on the fashion runways with our new U/U logo shirt, our products will still maintain the quality we established in the past.   Some of the new designs will be matching jeans, shirts and hats.  We plan on having this new line ready to go out on the road to the 2008 fashion trade shows.  Being in a business where changes and fads are constantly changing, we cannot afford to become stagnic. U/U will be evolving with each new fashion item, but always making sure to keep the element of quality.  

The Franklin family is a notable family of recognition in the East community.  My portrait is part of the Wall of Fame located on the wall of the Shakespeare Giant Eagle and Sneaker Villa, in East Liberty, who recently closed.  Sneaker Villa has been a long time supporter and outlet for U/U, gave recognition to U/U by placing our poster from their store’s ceiling.  This was a show of respect, as U/U was the first local designer poster to be hung in Sneaker Villa.

From experiencing the highest note, I have also experienced the feeling of being thrown into a black abyss.  While going through a very rough time in my personal life, many of the people I held close to me, turned their backs to me.  This gave me a hard knock on the head, telling me this is not the place where God wants me to be.  That was my biggest motivation to make a change, to grab back my life.  This included taking hold of U/U and pulling it back to the top, and to show to those who said I’d never get back on track.  I’d show them that no one could fit my pants, or walk in my shoes, no matter how many of my discarded dirty clothes they wore, no one can  take my place or reach my level.

Uptown/Uptown is not only for the growth of Chucky Franklin, it’s for the people who want to feel a part of something big.  No matter how large Uptown/Uptown grows, it will always be about the people who made it happened, and those are the people who supported the business by purchasing and wearing the label proudly.   It is a great reward for a company whose mission it is to grow in respect, be quality driven, and to create designs at an affordable price.  These are designs you will be able to wear to any occasions, formal or casual and have people say, “That’s nice, it must be an Uptown/Uptown fashion.”

This is the time for Pittsburgh designers of urban wear to make their move, there is a hungry urban population searching for clothing they can relate.  Our young children should grow up witnessing success stories of Pittsburgh African Americans building successful businesses locally and being supported by the communities.  Especially when 70% of the population is over the age of 50.  Where has our younger generation gone?   Establishing, mentoring, and supporting the establishment of African American businesses is an important tool in building a future for our children.  Pittsburgh can be a place where they grow and settle, to truly call home.      

We will have available soon a merchandise brochure and website which will include our complete line of fashion designs.  By using these techniques we will be able to reach new clients nationally and internationally.   We are in the midst of working with some of Pittsburgh’s more advanced clothing stores in stocking the Uptown/Uptown fashion line.

While networking with several large Pittsburgh based clothing business, I was shock to learn that many did not see the profitability in sponsoring a home based product.  They don’t realize the large community following or the influence that Uptown/Uptown designs have had on those who purchase them.  Our business has had many requests for purchase from the D.C., Chicago and Savannah areas, simply by seeing family members and friends wear the clothing line.  

If you want something to happen, you have to make it happen.  I’m going to make it happen.  One collaborative event will be to hold a local fashion show which will include some of Pittsburgh’s African American designers, this means those who are established or just getting started.  Such excellent designers such as, Uptown/Uptown, Ike Wear, ME (Michael Edwards Urban Clothing),  Nappy Headz, Headz 4 Dreads, and others.  This affair will the feature a showcase for all lines of clothing, clothing from formal wear, to resort, to sports, to casual; lines featuring children, teenagers, women, and men of all ages.  It will cover all your clothing needs.

This fashion show will feature the natural African American woman, the woman who goes to work everyday, raises a family, the women who attends college, the ones you see going to exercise class on Saturday mornings.  These are the real African American women, the women who look most like the women standing next to you in the checkout line.  Real but stylish women.  

This is an exciting time for me, I’m back where I belong.  I’m doing what I love, designing clothes.

I like to give thanks to my supporters, Bonita Penn and The Soul Pitt, Donna Baxter, Starla Williams, Esquire, Fred Quinn, Vice President of Uptown/Uptown and designer, Dionne Solomon, Seamstress, Kristy McCormick, Production Assistant and Conrad Hampton for believing in me and everyone who worked behind the scene in making Uptown/Uptown a household name and success.