Top Notch NME is an urban clothing brand created by Craig Washington, the man who handles all aspects of the brand; from designs to marketing to running the company full time. Craig Washington was born in 1983 in Detroit, Michigan, an arts city known for its great music and unique sense of fashion. Craig defines Top Notch NME as a black-owned company that specializes in making clothing for all cultures, whose goal is to have something for everyone, including children as well.
A sneaker fan since the age of 17, Craig always wanted to have unique and eye-catching clothing that expressed his personality. Soon the need to make your own brand was born with a great influence on the cultural side of things.
I not only wanted to make clothes, but also accessories. I want my clients to be able to find what they need in one place. So the goal is to make sure we cover everything, even your shoes, with 4 pairs already released and a new one on the way that we have you covered.
Craig Washington
The first Top Notch NME products were a red hoodie and the black and gold hoodie that Craig pressed at a friend’s house at the time, he didn’t even have his own equipment.
“It has definitely been a hard road full of bump along the way, and then there are the days when everything plays out the way I want it too. “But that happens with any business, you just have to always be prepared and plan for the unexpected. A lesson I learned the hard way”, he confesses. The other lesson Craig learned is that you should always have more than one manufacturer, that way if one can’t meet your requirement or deadline, you don’t get stuck or search at the last minute.
Craig Washington: Creating Top Notch NME brand has definitely been a hard road full of bump along the way.
As an entrepreneur, Craig learned that hard work, patience, and a good marketing strategy can go a long way. “Great things take time, don’t be discouraged if someone doesn’t like something you created for everyone. What one person doesn’t like, the next will like”, he advises. You should also keep in mind that marketing is a big part of any business, it is difficult for people to buy from you if they do not know it exists. “And in everything you do, you have to give everything you have,” says Craig.
Now the Top Notch NME team is working on a new project called Anime Bubble Coast, a new shoe designed by Craig, with custom colors for each client. More suitcases and luggage, sunglasses, jeans, casual clothes are on the way.
“We just finished the Galaxy collection and more themed t-shirts, hoodies, joggers and hats. We always do a pop-up store in New York with more destinations on the way. “
I would like to thank my wife Lenora Washington, my brother Gary Washington and my mother Sandra Washington who is no longer with us. I have had her support from day one and those days I thought it was not possible, they were always there to remind me of who I am.
Craig Washington
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