INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PATRICK MIRZAYAN
Based on living young, wild, and free, L I V Clothing Co., which was founded by friends Jonathan Kelly and Patrick Mirzayan, is on the verge of taking the Northern Virginia market by storm. Currently, the brand is working with PLR Music as a sponsor for their upcoming music festival JamCamp Music and Arts Festival, which will be held June 5-7 at Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville, Va. In addition to L I V, the festival will feature a wide variety of bands, breweries, rappers, DJs, and artists — not to mention us. But we got to know Mirzayan and his brand a little better, as well as get the inside scoop on what they are planning for JamCamp.
What inspired you to start your own clothing company?
My parents own two of their own businesses, so I have always been taught how to live with a business mind. My parents came to this country with nothing, and they lived in a car for almost a year and a half. Now, they have two very successful businesses. As for the clothing line itself, I know nothing about clothes; I know nothing about graphic design; but I know the business side of it. A buddy of mine, Jonathan Kelly, came up with the idea in January 2012 to start a clothing line. He came up with the name and the concept. We had some friends that were graphic artists, and we had a friend that owned a print shop. So it started off with me and my buddy, and eventually, he went on a different route. Then, I took it over, and it is picking up slowly.
How would you describe the concept behind the name of your brand?
When we first started, there were some marketing issues with it because we call it L I V Clothing Company, but when we were branding it, we forgot to put the periods between the “L,” the “I,” and the “V.” So then people followed it as “LIV” Clothing Company. But what it stands for is “Leadership, Inspiration, Virtue,” and our slogan is “We are right now.” We are trying to encompass a live-free lifestyle, not a 9-5 job. Our generation lives through music, art, and we are just trying to encourage people to take their own path.
What are your parents businesses?
They own jewelry stores. Not even close (laughs). But I have an online jewelry story as well, and I also work at a retail jewelry store, so I’m well-rounded in a bunch of different things.
Do you plan to incorporate more accessories into your brand?
Last year for the summertime, we had anchor bracelets with a sea theme. A lot of women and girls like the nautical theme. We were getting into it, but it was becoming a hassle to keep track of the inventory because they are small and we would give them out to people as promotional items.
I actually sponsor a DJ company called DC Productions out in Austin, Texas, and they throw these huge boat parties out in the bay area. They were using [the bracelets] as promotional items for me. Now, the only type of accessory I have are those rubber “Live Strong” bracelets.
How did you get involved with being a sponsor for DC Productions?
It was just through Facebook. I’ve never met the guy, and I have been working with him for two years. A lot of my photos come from him. I have a couple other people that I send stuff to in different states, and they take photos and promote for me. But the DC Productions guy is named Dean Campbell, and he is the head of it, if I’m not mistaken. He actually uses my wristbands as tickets to get into their boat parties, which really promotes the brand because everyone has to wear one at the party. All of his DJs wear the clothing, and the girl hosts wear the women’s line we just started a couple months ago. The photos that are on our website were shot by our graphic designer, Daniel Bennett.
How did you get involved with JamCamp?
I met Ray [Chambers, one of the founders of PLR Music] through a mutual friend who I went to college with, and he knew I had a clothing line. My fiancé and I moved up [to Northern Virginia] in July from Roanoke, and L I V had kind of stopped for six months because of the move and transfer of everything. So I shut down the website and cancelled everything, and when I was talking to Ray, I told him that I really wanted to relaunch it because I feel like the market up here is a little more open than it was in Roanoke and I have a bigger reach with the people. So Ray asked me to help out with the music festival, and I thought that would be the perfect venue for it.
So do you have any special promotions or products you will be doing exclusively for JamCamp?
Right now, my website has a pre-JamCamp sale on all the women’s clothing and guy’s t-shirts, and I have a lot of new stuff coming out for the event that is being printed right now. Also, we are using the wristbands as tickets again where if you buy a wristband online for $3, you will actually get $5 off your ticket at the door, and you will also receive a discount at the L I V tent.
Also, if you show up in L I V clothing, then you will get something for free at the tent. I just got 400 koozies in that we will be using with the Biergarten, and we are trying to get some of the DJs to wear some of the clothing out. It’s all about promoting.
