Meet Ian Moses | Entrepreneur and owner of Reverse Descent Clothing

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ian Moses and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ian, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

The building blocks and process behind starting my own business and brand is definitely not the traditional route. To understand the fundamentals of starting my own clothing company and brand, you need to understand some of my past and background.

I grew up in a single mother-raised household where the root of our faith and the foundation stemmed from our roman Catholic and subsequent Christian religion. My mother and I went through an array of difficult times in my upbringing, as she worked as a single mother providing for the household. Seeing my mother’s sacrifice in a single-parent household for the majority of my life shaped a lot of my thoughts, views, and perspectives. My love of fashion and clothing started when I was younger as my mother loved dressing me up in intricate clothing when I was young. Ever since then I’ve been obsessed with clothing. I went through countless phases of clothing styles growing up and through high school.

In college, I found myself in New York City modeling for men’s high fashion brands and even walked in New Your Fashion week for a handful of men’s wear brands. Ultimately, I decided to leave modeling as I found myself searching for a greaterpurpose and a career path in more alignment with my passions and where I wanted to be in the future. I decided to leave NYC and finish my education in Columbus, Ohio at The Ohio State University where I majored in consumer science with my minor in entrepreneurship. One thing I can look back and reflect on now is that when modeling I never loved or identified with the modeling aspect, I loved the clothes and the styling of luxury fashion.

That leads me to today. The creation of my clothing brand ‘Reverse Descent’ is what I believe is missing from fashion today. The thought process behind the creation of ‘Reverse Descent’ was birthed by blending my high fashion luxury clothing background with the apparel and inspiration I pull from today which leans heavily into street style pieces and accents. This is accompanied by visuals and illustrations which have an immense influence stemming from my upbringing and my faith. By the unification of luxury clothing and my faith/religion, you get Reverse Descent, “Luxury Inspired by Spirit”. The name Reverse Descent is just that, the feeling of falling, looking for something to grasp onto, the feeling of not knowing but falling into place, and coming into who you are and exactly where you’re meant to be. By infusing luxury and purpose into clothing my team and I look to prioritize the finite details that make the sum a whole. We are fascinated by the grey space between falling and becoming.

Essentially, the thought process of starting my own brand is a story of alignment and stepping into my true self. Combining aspects of my past with my love of fashion.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I believe what sets Reverse Descent apart from other traditional clothing brands is multifaceted. First, obviously the background and meaning of the company. Essentially the origin of Reverse Descent, and what it means personally to myself and then for consumers to identify with. Another thing I believe that sets us apart and something I’m extremely excited about is how my team and I have honed into the finite details within the clothing. Blending luxury with streetwear is no easy task, so little details that play into clothing make a big difference for us. Wanting these pieces to integrate into any closet to make a difference for our consumers is a key focus for our brand. How we can take high-quality materials, fabrics, colors, and construct a silhouette that fits different than your traditional copy and paste clothing. The team and I have spent countless hours constructing the clothing and the way it fits to really shape the brand itself.

Over the course of running the business, The team and I have run into a lot of roadblocks and learning experiences. I believe the main thing I’ve learned is to have the right people included in the brand. You don’t need someone to fill a gap, you need someone who believes in the company so much they will fill the gap when necessary. Finding people who connect and resonate with the brand is difficult, but worth the sacrifice in the long run. I’m very focused on making Reverse Descent a family rather than just another clothing brand. This starts fundamentally with who is on the team and how passionate the team is about the message and purpose of Reverse Descent itself. I’ve handled the challenges that I’ve faced in the creation of Reverse Descent like I’ve faced any other issue in my life on a personal level – and that is to keep moving forward. Even if it was doing one thing a day, I was going to keep putting one foot after the other to eventually get the brand off the ground and create a shift in fashion.

The story of Reverse Descent is one of redemption. By its name, ‘Reverse’ means a complete change of direction or action. While ‘Descent’ is defined by the action of dropping or falling. When the two combine it creates an ascension or coming into one’s self. At Reverse Descent we are redefining luxury. Reverse Descent is Luxury Inspired By Spirit.

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?
First, would like to thank God for leading me and allowing me to step into who I am today. Would also love to shout out my mother who’s sacrifices and dedication to being a mom molded the man I am today. Additionally, would like to give praise to my RD team and everyone who has helped mold the brand – Elise McMurry (Lead Designer), Pete Ferrin (Visual Director), Tony Ogletree (Lead graphic designer)

Website: ReverseDescentClothing.com

Instagram: @Ian_Moses & @Reverse_Descent

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-moses/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ian.moses.16

Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/dmstudi0/