Meet Khisha Asubuhi of Originalitees

Today we’d like to introduce you to Khisha Asubuhi. 

Hi Khisha, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Before I start the story, just know that I am 5’11” and I was tired of years of shrunken shirts. You know, the kind that you wash and then have to figure out who you’re going to give it to. I also felt like I had some pretty cool ideas to put on some shirts. I brushed the idea of starting a clothing brand off for a year and then I realized I was called/cut out to do it. So, I did a ton of research and went for it. I received my LLC in Dec of 2008 and we opened our online store on July 11, 2009. Initially, our shirt sales were very slow. I remember days of conducting pop-up shops with little to no sales. I decided to put together a team of people who could help us develop different shirt designs. I didn’t want people on the team who would just agree with everything I said. I wanted people who would be real and honest and tell me if they didn’t think my ideas were good but could also provide some design ideas as well. I started by creating an Ohio: Born & Raised shirt. I wanted to create shirts that gave people a sense of pride about where they were from. At the time it was one other clothing brand that I knew of that created Ohio-focused apparel. That shirt began to take off and we began getting retail placements for it as well. We began creating Cincinnati & Neighborhood apparel. That took off as well. I then created our first shirt with a powerful message. It stated “Product of Public Schools”. We began shipping this shirt all over. Over time, our internet and in-person sales were rising at a rate where I felt like a store was the next best step for us. I didn’t want to have a store just to have one. I wanted to open a store when the time was right. At the end of 2019, I finally found a location that was the right fit. In January of 2020, I signed our lease. We were working through construction plans and then everything came to a halt. Covid had entered the US. Everything was on lockdown. Once everything opened back up, we launched our store location in E. Walnut Hills. We had a small grand opening because of the obvious (we just got off lockdown). 12 years later, we are still going strong. City Beat named us as “Best T-Shirt shop with a Message” in 2021. We are a part of our community and always in the community. We are still pushing a message. We are still bringing people and communities together, one shirt at a time. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Entrepreneurship is never always smooth. We have had some ups and downs along the way. We have been in business for 12 years so as you can imagine there have been obstacles. In 2020, Covid happened. All People aren’t ready to step into stores still. Our online sales are risen a ton. When we have different pop-ups, the number of people that attend events are sometimes smaller than before. Now that covid is slowing down, there are supply chain issues. We are very particular about our shirts and our customers can expect quality apparel from us. Therefore, not being able to find exactly what we are looking for means lots of adjustments have happened in the meantime, without sacrificing quality goods. Staffing was an issue for a short amount of time right when everyone else was looking for staffing. I’m just thankful that we constantly have people reaching out to us with hopes of getting employed at Originalitees. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Originalitees is a clothing brand that has been around since 2009. We create city, state, neighborhood, and community pride apparel. Quality is very important to us and our clientele can’t be placed in a box. You might see a child rocking Originalitees, a high schooler, a Middle-aged person from the city as well as an older person from a rural area. We pride ourselves in making shirts that all types of people can relate to. That alone sets us apart – our shirt quality and messages on our apparel. I am most proud of Originalitees for giving back to the community. We even gave back at a time where we needed the support most, in the height of the pandemic. We have some t-shirt collaborations where we give back to some organizations that are doing great work in our community. We will always find ways to give back and are always open for new collaborative ideas. 

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I tell people to find a business they highly respect and just learn from them. Some of it can be from the outside looking in. Watch how they move, visit their events, watch how customers engage with them. Reach out to the owners. I have given a lot of advice during my time as a business owner. Not even necessarily for people who want to run a clothing brand but just people who want to know how to become an entrepreneur. I didn’t have a mentor when creating Originalitees. I did a lot of trial and error. I want to make things better for the next entrepreneur where they don’t have to have as much trial and error that I had. I will continue to lift as I climb. 

Pricing:

• $26 T-Shirts
• $45 Premium Sweatshirts/Hooodies
• $10 Lapel Pins
• $4 Stickers

Contact Info:

• Email: info@originalitees.com
• Website: www.originalitees.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/originalitees
• Facebook: facebook.com/originalitees
• Twitter: twitter.com/originalitees
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/originalitees-cincinnati

Image Credits
Dorese Jenae Portraits
Katie Trevino
Joe Loving