Turning Dreamers Into Believers a T-Shirt at a Time

Alvin Canty is sitting, poised and confident, in a Starbucks on Georgia Avenue, wearing a black T-shirt with intricate white graphics and “Dreamers and Believers” in bold letters.

Canty, the founder and designer of the Dreamers and Believers clothing line, is a walking billboard for his company.

“There are a lot of people who sit around and do nothing; those are the dreamers," Canty said. "And then there are those who actually make things happen; those are the believers.”
 

The junior fashion merchandising major at Howard University is a self-proclaimed believer.
Drawing inspiration from art, literature, museums, and life, Canty says his contemporary clothing intends to inspire the masses. His line consists mainly of snug fitting T-shirts bearing likenesses of religious figures such as Buddha and objects in nature. But he has his eye set on diversifying his line with blazers, button up shirts, couture pieces, and other looks.

“I like the quotes on some of his shirts and how each design is about a real aspect of life,” said Alex Smith, a psychology major from Ohio. “I have a shirt that says there is nothing to fear but fear itself and another one that says karma. Both are very real statements in my opinion.”
 

“I like the way his shirts fit and the designs are cool too,” said Jason White, a fashion merchandising major from Ohio.

Canty, a Pittsburgh native, began his fashion venture to fund his tuition. When he was accepted into Howard University, Canty could not get regular student loans. But one loan, Parent Plus, appeared to be getting through. He got so excited he threw a party at a night club in Pittsburgh. To his surprise, he made money on the party.

It was a godsend, he still remembers. Three weeks before he arrived at Howard, the university notified Canty that his Parent Plus loaned had been denied, too. He used the money from the party to register. Canty began throwing club parties to raise money to stay in school.

But other entrepreneurs broke into the club parties business. To beat his competitors, Canty thought advertising and promotion campaigns would make him stand above his competitors.

Two years ago, one party went bad. He lost so much money on it that he had to drop out of Howard for a semester. It was at that point that he decided to strike out into another field — clothing design.

Truly embodying the spirit of an entrepreneur, Canty not only draws his designs himself, but he also began manufacturing his clothing line in his father’s home. “I turned my room into a sweatshop,” said Canty. He still does some sewing but now he outsources to manufacturers in Thailand and a few local Pittsburgh businesses.
 

He generally relies on word of mouth to recruit stores to sell his apparel.
“It’s really hard to get your brand on the market,” said Canty. “Owners have to like your designs and your name. You hear ‘No’ a lot but you have to keep pushing.”
 

Dreamers And Believers clothing line is available in retail stores such as Time Bomb and 412 clothing stores in Pittsburgh, selling at $40 per item. Canty sells to Howard students at a discounted $20.

His party-throwing past reaped multiple benefits for Canty. Not only was he able to afford school, but he was also able to make connections that are useful for Dreamers and Believers. Those connections and their connections to other connections put Canty’s clothing on the backs of celebrities. Rap artists Red Man, Rich Boi, Mims, Lil Scrappy, and the premier of Bermuda Ewart Brown have sported Canty’s creations.
 

Canty has  fashion shows scheduled at Howard, the University of Maryland, Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and Edinboro University.

Canty’s motto is “Turning dreamers into believers daily,” and he is taking the long view.

“In five years I hope to be nationwide. In 20 years, I’m going for global domination turning dreamers into believers,” said Canty.

To purchase and Dreamers and Believers clothing visit www.timebombshop.com