For the last nine years, Bronx designer Jevaughn Williams has turned heads with his show-stopping athleisure clothing line.
The designer, who goes by Mugzy McFly, grew up being raised by a single mom. His clothes are inspired by his longing to both fits in and stand out as a kid growing up in the Bronx.
“When I grew up, I had hard times, my mother was a single mother. To escape the feeling of being poor, you dress well,” he said. “Nobody can tell you anything, when you put on a good outfit, it doesn’t matter what you have, it’s how you look.”
Clothes were a huge part of his childhood, but he majored in accounting at St. Johns University. He hated it though when he got a job.
“I was like ‘no, this isn’t it.’ This wasn’t it at all. I hated it,” he said.
So after working with some local designers and with a $1,00 credit card limit, he took a leap and created his own brand. He said the brand is “the representation of the dream. The idea, the energy, what it is, no middleman, just exactly how you want to feel and look.”
The designs take undeniable inspiration from New York street swag.
What started out as t-shirts and phone cases has now grown to include sneakers, bodysuits, and quintessential pieces for any fashion-forward athleisure wardrobe. His signature designs are also being worn by some of the hottest stars in music and entertainment.
“One of my favorite placements is Young Thug. For someone that fashionable to wear it on New Year’s Eve, a day when you have to get dressed up, that kinda was one of those moments when i said ‘I’m not to doubt myself again,” he said.
He hopes he can inspire other entrepreneurs to own their swag.”
“They take our styles and sell it back to us,” he said. “No. I’m making the style. We need to control the narrative more often, and that’s the problem.”
Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Jevaughn Williams’ name. The story has been updated.
