A&K Clothing is a locally owned business and manufacturer operating out of Enterprise, West Virginia. Amanda Stevens, the one-man band and owner of the company, is a Fairmont State University graduate and a proud native of the Mountain State.
Since opening shop in February of 2021, the online-based storefront has taken off. Stevens is a naturally-born hard worker whose vision was to create something that would make people say, “Amanda made that for me.”
The name, A&K, is derivative of her children and exists as an essential motivator for Stevens. Her family and a passion for producing high-quality products at an affordable rate have been the keys to her success. While a percentage of her material is sourced internationally, the majority of her product is purchased locally, namely from small businesses just like hers.
Stevens utilizes a process called “sublimation.” She prints designs onto fabric and artfully bleaches the outside regions of the material by hand. Given that her operation is mostly outdoors, this process can take several hours to several days, based on the weather and the number of orders in the queue.
Stevens is a perfectionist and takes pride in creating a one-of-a-kind product every single time.
The happiest part of the journey has been the clientele she’s amassed over the last year. Making regular appearances at small business shows across the state, her customers have traveled far and wide to purchase an original A&K. Some she said, “close to an hour and a half.”
While she has no intention of shifting to brick and mortar any time soon, she desires to become more physically accessible to her supporters. In service to that end, she is committed to learning the ends and outs of social media to plan for an appearance closest to them.
Entrepreneurship isn’t easy, and despite its many challenges, Stevens says, “I refuse to let my quality suffer.” You can count on Stevens, and A&K Clothing, to work for her people.
If you’d like to keep up with Amanda and A&K Clothing, you can visit her Facebook page or a-k-clothing-boutique.myshopify.com.
Listen to the full podcast here: https://positivelywv.com/podcast/episode-184-amanda-stevens-ak-clothing/
PWV QUICK BITS | AMANDA STEVENS
PIECE OF ADVICE: “You’re never going to be ready to start a business. It’s working hard [afterward] that will make it amazing,” said Stevens.