All Tied Up with Kwame Jackson

Garfene Grandison, Assistant Lifestyle coordinator

During a recent visit to Jamaica with his girlfriend, staying at the posh Jamaica Inn resort in Ocho Rios, former 'Apprentice' star Kwame Jackson sat down for a brief moment with Outlook for a candid interview about his life during and after the show nine years ago.

After deciding to take his trademark look to clothing stores around the United States, his line of neckwear, Krimson by Kwame, has been making huge strides since its debut at Macy's New York in 2004.

After scanning through a few episodes of the season, it was almost immediate that we were impressed by Jackson's performance.

Jackson was intelligent with great leadership abilities, very charismatic, as well, but his impeccable wardrobe was the most impressive attribute. He was always sharply dressed and well groomed.

Now, he's capitalising on his business chic with his latest venture: Krimson by Kwame, a line of high-end neckties for men. The name is a clever play on his Harvard Business School education (school colour is crimson) and his membership in the prestigious Kappa Alpha Si fraternity (organisation's colours are crimson and cream).

OL: What have you been up to since 'The Apprentice'?

KJ: I have been up to several things such as building my apparel brand, Krimson by Kwame, consisting of bow ties and ties expanding in 40 markets and sold at selected Macy's and Belk stores across the United States.

In terms of speaking engagements, I have been speaking all over the world, doing more than 300 engagements at London School of Economics, Harvard, General Electric, etc. However, I have never done any speeches in the Caribbean, so I'm hoping to do so soon. I speak mostly about entrepreneurship trying to inspire people to live better lives.

I am also working on television projects now because I would love to get back into television. There are two shows in the pipeline that might be successful: one is in the dating space, and the other is a talk-show format.

How would you describe Krimson by Kwame?

It's a luxury lifestyle brand. My neckwear is executive neckwear.

I decided to start my own line instead of endorsing someone else's. I always say, this is not an urban brand; this is a brand for global professionals, a broader statement for the young professional on a global basis.

It's for anyone who is well-travelled, well-educated, cosmopolitan and trying to move up the corporate ladder. It's not our grandfathers' style, but a new, modern version of our own style. It's for people who want to express a degree of personal style within the confines of corporate America.

Why neckties?

The accessories market is a little bit easier to break into. My business partner already had a neckwear company before, so we decided to use his expertise and rebrand it with the crimson brand to launch it into retail stores, because he wasn't in retail at the time.

What were some of your earliest hurdles getting the brand launched?

I didn't really have anyone with the retail or brand expertise to help me scale it, so I met with my fraternity brother, Corwin Thomas, who had his own neckwear company. And from there, we continued to build it and scale it into what it is today.

Getting the capital was our first challenge. We went to friends and family members, doctors and lawyers, who gave us thousands here and there.

The second challenge was getting national retail. It was about using and building relationships. We have had a few challenges and have been burnt a lot, but we are looking forward to 2014 and what it has to offer.

What inspired Krimson by Kwame?

It's the Harvard experience that I had - the whole well-dressed professional student, the Great Gatsby look from the turn of the century. And also, Kappa Alpha Psi, my fraternity.

Some day, I would like my line to be as big as Ralph Lauren because what many people don't know is that he started with neckties as well. I would love to expand to a broader household line of accessories - men's suits and maybe even some female fragrances.

How should people view your Krimson by Kwame line of neckties?

I hope that as the label grows people will see it as the resurrection of the professional man, the revitalising of elegance. I hope they see this label as injecting a little bit of Old-World elegance back into the workplace. I mean, that's what Krimson is all about: that Old-World, Great Gatsby, Harvard figure mixed with that modern-day cool professional.

You worked at Goldman Sachs. How did you transition into entrepreneurship?

I was an investment manager, before I saw the opportunity on 'The Apprentice'. I was motivated at that time by money and a friend told me about 'The Apprentice' and what it could do, so I explored the option thinking that, if it didn't work out, I could just go back to doing what I was doing.

I took a risk and it paid off.

"Ten years later, I'm now working for myself and can have time to visit places like Jamaica Inn. The show gave me a platform to put my name out there in a positive light. It gave me the opportunity to talk to people like Warren Buffett, LeBron James, Bob Johnson - all these icons whom I wouldn't have had access to before.

What brings you to Jamaica and how are you finding the visit?

I heard great things about Jamaica. My girlfriend took me to Cuba for my birthday and I wanted to take her somewhere that was just as great, so I researched a few places, including Jamaica Inn, and thought that this was the perfect place. There are so many great things about Jamaica: the people, the music, the culture, and the pride. I wanted to come here and experience that pride for myself and I realise that it's 100 per cent authentic. It's a way of being here and I'm proud to be a part of it. I will definitely be coming back.

grandison.garfene @gleanerjm.com