Here we are once again! We hope you enjoyed our last interview with Joe Cirincione of J.Ciro Designs!  This week, we are headed to Chicago with Karla Rivers, creator of The Krive Shop. With only one year in the game, The Krive Shop offers high quality and amazing merchandise that will keep you coming back for more. So, let’s be kind and get to know Karla a little better. Check out her full interview below!

Let’s discuss the history of your brand. When and why were you created?
I’ve always been an artistic person but never quite knew what I wanted to do. Originall.y when I was attending classes at Columbia College Chicago, I was a game design major. But in the midst of those courses, I took a graphic design, class and I instantly fell in love. My parents supported the decision in switching my major to graphic design and almost immediately after, I found myself designing shirts for my dad’s fraternity. It was an amazing feeling seeing people purchasing the shirts that I created, and knowing that they would be rocking them out in the open and at their greek events. So my love for creating t-shirts pretty much stemmed from that event. Five years later on October 2016, I finally opened my own online shop, The KRIVE Shop. “K” being the first initial of my name (Karla) and “RIVE” being a portion of my last name (Rivers).

What is the objective of your brand?
The objective of The KRIVE Shop is creating apparel that people can relate to. Whether it be pride in the skin they’re in, embracing their nerdy qualities, being a lover of God and more. I create shirts with my audience in mind.

What does your brand offer to your consumers and customers?
With The KRIVE Shop you can always expect original, quality apparel. I offer the type of apparel that will go through hundreds of washes and still maintain its quality and won’t wear off. I also pride myself in great customer service and fast shipping times because I know how anxious and excited customers are to being able to rock their KRIVE apparel as soon as possible.

How are you able to distinguish your brand from others?
Although there are plenty of apparel brands out there with great messages, the shirts that The KRIVE Shop puts out are original. I always find that with some apparel brands across the globe, a lot of them have very similar designs or the same exact messages. Also, my apparel focuses on a variety of groups. African Americans, Christians, Nerds and more! So you’re getting everything all in one shop.

What are your long term goals for your brand?
I want my brand to be a force to be reckoned with. I want people to walk by and see the logo of my shop and know they’re getting quality every single time. Heck, I would like to see everyone wearing my shirts! A girl can dream, right?

Where do you see your brand in the next five years?
I see The KRIVE Shop being a more recognizable brand with millions of followers and loyal customers. I’m already off to a great start when it comes to having customers coming back for more. But I would love for even more people to know what The KRIVE Shop is all about. And someday, I would love to open up its first physical location in the city where it all started, Chicago.

So, are you in love with The KRIVE Shop yet? If so, head over to the website here.

Also, let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading!