Meet Carl Ulysses Bowen | Master Tailor/ Designer/ Stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carl Ulysses Bowen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carl Ulysses, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In 2017, I officially opened a brick and mortar, in Buckhead, branded Carl Ulysses. In my eyes, this was never supposed to be a showroom for just my brand. I was told about this location, by a friend who wanted to open a three person co-op. We were going to split the rent and all of the expenses three ways. When I went to see the location for the first time, I walked through the doors and said to myself, ” This would be amazing if it was all mine, but I’m not ready for that!” Little did I know, God had different plans for me. On the day that we were supposed to move in, I was elated and couldn’t wait to move forward with our business venture. To my dismay, I was notified by the other two individuals that they would be unable to move forward with our plans. I immediately called the property secretary and informed her that we would be unable to rent the property. Her reply shocked me. “Do you want the retail space, do you still want to move forward?”, she asked! I had never even thought of this possibility. “You need to pray about it and let me know because we would love to fill this space with a tailor”, she added. Immediately, I said I wanted the retail space and asked God to order my steps. I relinquished all control to Him, I moved when He told me to move and most of all, I believed that the retail space was my showroom, despite my current financial situation. I definitely couldn’t afford it, but through prayer, God made it possible.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think what sets me apart from other tailors, is mostly that I’m self taught. There is no format that follow. I do what looks and feels right as opposed to what I was told is the right way to administer a garment build or even alterations. Now, I did take a basic construction course at Clark Atlanta University, where we had to make two garments and also model them the last week of class. We received our grade, solely based on our construction and the fit of the garments. Because I was a second semester junior at the time and most of my peers were freshman, I had the grandiose idea to make a pair of trousers and a suit jacket. My professor told me that I couldn’t make these items and reminded me what I would be graded on. I wouldn’t let go of my desire to make trousers and a suit jacket and after a semester of long, sleepless nights, I modeled my suit (made from Muslin) and this is where my undoubted belief in self was really catapulted. From this point on, I truly believed that if I worked hard enough, I could achieve anything. My belief in self and trust in God has gotten me to where I am today. It definitely wasn’t easy, but it is my level of mental acuity and mental acumen that allowed me to trust my skill after matriculation from Morehouse College and tailor Janelle Monae’s iconic black suits from 2007 to 2009. I then moved to New York city, with $500 and no place to live. The $500 became $350 once I boarded my one way flight because my bags were overweight. In New York, I worked as an assistant buyer, barely making more than minimum wage and I was a suit salesman for Hugo Boss at Macys Herald Square. In addition to those two jobs, I also tailored for celebrities and some of the most loyal clients ever. In 2013, I returned to Atlanta to tailor for films and tv shows, thanks to a friend that referred me to tailor for a movie. To date, I’ve worked on over 50 (Black Panther, The Color Purple, Captain America, They Cloned Tyrone, Emancipation, Just Mercy and so on).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To tell you the truth, I’ve really grown to be a homebody. If one of my close friends visited, we would definitely be going to eat a lot. I’m not really a drinker but the first place we would go is my good friends’ lounge, The James Room, which is located on the beltline, for drinks and tapas. On another night, we would have dinner at another friends restaurant MCK, which is located in the heart of Buckhead. If you haven’t been there, you need to go. I am now 40 years old and every year, I’m realizing the importance of supporting friends that are entrepreneurs. Tulum, Apt 4B, and Milk & Honey are a few other restaurants that friends own, that I’d make sure that we went to. Bar Vegan any day of the week, Whiskey Mistress on Thursday nights and also Sunday nights are amazing. I’m not saying that I frequent these places simply because they are owned and operated by friends, that’s just a plus, but they are businesses with some of the best foods, ambiances and customer service in Atlanta.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
To tell you the truth, God deserves all the credit. Don’t get me wrong I’ve worked tremendously hard and overcome insurmountable odds that were against me, but I couldn’t have done any of it without God’s promise. Time and time again, He has shown up, for me and my business, when I didn’t think that there was any way possible for me to move forward. Overtime my faith has grown, to the point where I know if I do my part, no matter how small or large the obstacle, God will create a way to conquer whatever is in front of me.

Website: www.carlulysses.com

Instagram: @carlulysses

Facebook: Carl Ulysses

Image Credits
All of these photos are of myself and garments that I have made for celebrities.