Designer of brand ‘Antagon!st’ is the protagonist of youth fashion at North High
Zelaun Black poses with with a handful of his customers. Photo by Jaivon Hill
By Jaivon Hill, North High School
Most teens get their first job at an ordinary fast food chain, retailer, or other odd jobs. Not Zelaun Black. He wanted to make sure his first job was of his own creation.
Zelaun Black started his own new clothing brand that is a hit with his fellow North High students. Black started Antagon!st in August and has sold more than 50 hoodies and t-shirts in his first few months of business.
His brand name was inspired by his favorite music artist, who also uses an alias. Antagon!st came to mind because he’s always felt different.
“Sometimes I feel like an antagonist,” Black said. “I feel like I think differently about life. That's what made me choose the name.”
With so many sales on hoodies priced at $50, Black has generated more money in four months than most students his age can make working part-time in a year.
Black has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and was never attracted to the idea of working for someone else. He grew up loving fashion and wanting to make something revolutionary for his generation to wear with the same pride as big luxury brand-name clothing.
“It gives me a good feeling. Whenever people put on my clothing I want them to feel comfortable and stylish. Antagon!st isn’t just a clothing brand, when you wear it, it’s the persona you adopt.”
Leading up to his debut in August, he spent a majority of his freetime crafting logos, designs, and a business plan. He taught himself how to sew, run a successful business, and graphic design all on YouTube.
When he approached his senior year, he knew this was his moment to start his dream before graduating. He sat his family down for a Shark Tank-like presentation and showed them his business plan.
His family committed to his plan, and funded his first order of hoodies.
“After receiving donations I instantly got to work,” Black said.
He still hand-makes a majority of his products, which span leisure and streetwear hoodies, t-shirts, and hats. You can find him, always working and coming up with new ideas.
“I work on new designs whenever I'm inspired, sometimes that's during class, afterschool, and on the weekends,” he said.
His marketing chief is a good friend Gabe who helps with promoting the brand to people online and at school. The two deliver all of their products.
“People can purchase from the link on my Instagram page or text me personally,” Black said. “I do drop-offs and pick-ups.”
His fan base is steadily growing, and he's been able to see his hard work pay off when walking the halls of North High.
“Personally I love his brand,” customer Stephan Rendo said. “It's not just me wearing/buying the brand, at school. Lots of others support Zelaun and his come up.”
Seeing his peers wearing his clothes makes Black feel optimistic about the future of his brand.
“It gives me a good feeling,” Black said. “Whenever people put on my clothing I want them to feel comfortable and stylish. “Antagon!st isn't just a clothing brand, when you wear it, it's the persona you adopt.”
He wants people to feel like it’s okay to be different, and to celebrate it because standing out is how people are remembered. Black wants to be remembered as someone who is always himself, regardless of the status quo.
As he finishes out his senior year, Black wants to continue pursuing his clothing career and dive deeper into e-commerce. He is currently working on a new line of streetwear that will drop in the coming weeks. Keep up with the brand on his Instagram @antagonxst.us.