Two friends, Archie Clay III and Tajh Crutch, turned a shared love of style into a growing luxury business with the launch of BRIMS, a contemporary fedora label. The pair met in college as members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, where their friendship and early conversations about fashion took root. After graduating in 2012, their careers diverged—Archie built experience in human resources with brands like Marshalls and Target, while Tajh pursued information systems. Those years apart sharpened different skill sets that would later prove essential: Archie’s understanding of retail operations and people management, and Tajh’s systems mindset and analytical rigor.
Their paths crossed again when a career setback became a catalyst. After Archie was laid off, he began exploring entrepreneurship and noticed a gap in the market: few fresh, design-driven fedora brands speaking to a new generation of consumers. He called Tajh—also a fashion enthusiast—and pitched the idea of a hat company that combined modern silhouettes with luxury details. The concept wasn’t just about selling hats; it was about restoring the fedora’s cultural cachet and building a brand that reflected their community, values, and aesthetic.
They launched BRIMS in 2017, learning quickly that building a premium label requires far more than a good idea. Early on, they struggled with brand positioning and pricing. “In the beginning, it was all about what sort of brand did we want to be?” Archie recalled in an interview with the Quintessential Gentleman. “We priced our product too low. We created 3 styles that weren’t the best, and as we researched, we had to understand who we were.” Those missteps taught them to slow down, refine their craftsmanship, and set prices that matched the quality they aimed to deliver.
Listening became their competitive advantage. Rather than guess what customers wanted, Archie and Tajh engaged directly with buyers—at pop-ups, through social media, and in post-purchase feedback. They adjusted crown heights, brim widths, trims, and color palettes based on real-world wear and preferences. The founders also leaned into storytelling, highlighting their HBCU roots and fraternity bond as a source of discipline, service, and brotherhood. That authenticity resonated with consumers who value brands with a point of view.
Today, BRIMS offers a lineup of distinct designs that balance classic lines with contemporary flair. Each release emphasizes quality, fit, and thoughtful details that make the pieces feel collectible. The duo’s approach—test, listen, iterate—has helped them build momentum and a loyal community while they work to become one of the fastest-growing Black-owned luxury hat brands in the U.S.
Their message to aspiring founders is as clear as their aesthetic. “Trusting your intuition and judgment, go over your product and don’t rush the process. Your customers want quality and exclusivity. Be intentional and have the ability to adapt,” said Tajh. Archie echoes that sentiment with a focus on brand identity: define who you are, price with confidence, and let the market see your standards in every stitch.
BRIMS is more than a hat company; it’s a blueprint for purpose-driven entrepreneurship—rooted in community, powered by resilience, and refined by relentless attention to detail.
