Meet Tavon Davis | Fashion Designer

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

Hi Tavon, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
As a socially conscious consumer, supporting brands with founders that looked like myself and offered more than just product outside of streetwear was nearly impossible. Many of the brands out didn’t offer a compelling story or value proposition, they simply sold product.
I saw an opportunity to merge my love for sports and fashion in an industry that had Nike/Adidas on one end of the spectrum and Y-3/Zegna Sport on the other end. There wasn’t a company that sat in the intersection of the marketplace and spoke to men like myself, who wanted transparent values at the forefront with exceptional quality, service and felt like you were a part of something bigger than the product being sold to them. Most companies that targeted my demographic often used language and visuals that was forced and not authentic in its presentation. I believed there was an opportunity to cultivate a community that was centered around shared interest, aspirations and building a collective legacy. Victory Lap was established to fill that void, with a focus on creating high quality investment pieces, intertwined with the functionality of sport and the elegance of contemporary and high fashion.

Rather than calling the people that purchase our product “customers,” we refer to them as investors. Why?, because we believe when you invest in something(i.e 401k, health insurance, a great handbag, power suit for work) there are benefits that surpass the immediate tangible features. Helping our investors be better at what they love to do while simultaneously providing them with garments that uplifts their experience and the way they look/feel is and always will be the focus. In life, we may not hit the game winning shot or score the game winning touchdown to seal a Super Bowl victory. That doesn’t mean you life’s journey is less significant and we can’t experience victory. Victory Lap is there for the times we hit a winning shot without a sold-out stadium full of fans to witness.

I believe we are more thoughtful in our sustainable output, being an independent, black owned brand with limited resources has meant focusing on creating timeless pieces and not putting out uninspired product that ends up in an already overfilled landfill. Most importantly, the stories and narrative centered about BIPOC that is often overlooked in the fashion industry is something we strive to tell authentically, uncompromisingly. We’re selling more than just a product, we’re selling aspiration.

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 am the founder of a sportswear company in New York called Victory Lap. It’s not something I give much thought about because I’m focused on the future, but I’m proud of being in business for over ten years. Many people didn’t think it was possible and I’ve watched many brands come and go. I’m incredibly proud of myself for staying consistent in my work even without the recognition and just keeping my head down and focusing on building the next great sportswear company.

My journey hasn’t been your typical route for a fashion designer, while most designers work for famed fashion houses to learn and make mistakes on the companies dime, I got a job working for a financial institution to learn how money works. This was most important to me because I didn’t come from a wealthy family, my mom worked two jobs to support us. Understanding how to read a balance sheet, profits and loss statements, investing and how to operate a business have played a critical role in my career. My journey has been anything but easy and I wouldn’t have it any other way, because you learn more from your losses than any win. For the first 8 years I was in business, we produced 100% of our goods in the USA and much of that was New York City. It was costly, but I believe in supporting American manufacturing and there some incredible craftsman and craftswomen in the USA. Covid unfortunately hit my industry pretty hard and forced several of the factories and vendors I worked with to completely close their business. We had to pivot to producing some of our categories overseas, but it was for the best because we’ve built relationships with some of the most storied factories in the world. Challenges always come up, whether it’s a retailer that closes and doesn’t pay you for goods they purchased ( this has unfortunately happened several times) a factory makes an error on your production inventory, goods being stolen from freight… these are just a few hurdles I’ve had to overcome. It’s important to be creative and take a moment to gather yourself before making decisions that can impact the future of your business.

I remember having a conversation with a peer in the industry and she said “If your vision your company doesn’t scare you, then you’re not dreaming big enough.” Not only does my vision for Victory Lap, I always remind myself that building anything worthwhile takes time and consistency.

What I want the world to know about me and the brand is that all of the work is intentional. It’s about leaving a lasting impact and preserving generational resources for the continued growth and development of future generations to thrive.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Wow that’s a great question! The first thing I’d say is bring some comfortable shoes, because we’ll be walking everywhere.

We’d spend some time in every borough so that you really get to experience NYC.
Day 1: Take the ferry to visit the Statue of Liberty then head to Staten Island to visit The Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, followed by a walk around Silver Lake Park and dinner at Shaw-naé’s House.
Day 2: Museum trip to The MET Cloisters then head to Pine Restaurant for dinner and drinks before watching the Yankees play!
Day 3: A trip to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Louis Armstrong House Museum, we’d grab lunch and drinks at Khao Kang, which has some of the best Thai food in the country. We’d then head to Astoria to Astoria Park which has great views of Manhattan and then grab dinner at Hamido Seafood.
Day 4: We start the day by visiting the Brooklyn Museum and the Botanical Gardens then head to Sweet Chick for lunch. We’d then head to Barclays to catch a Liberty game and enjoy some dinner at Piccola Cucina.
Day 5: Spend some time in Williamsburg and get some food and drinks at Hole in the Wall, we’d then walk around Dumbo and get some food at Grimaldi’s and end the day by walking across The Brooklyn Bridge.
Day 6: Sunday Morning Cinnamon Rolls for a snack followed by walking around Soho, we’d head to the MOMA to take in some art and visit Rubirosa for some delicious pizza. We’d have to catch a Knicks game then visit a speakeasy that shall remain nameless.
Day 7: Visit One World Trade and walk around Lower Manhattan, walk around Central Park and visit a couple landmarks, then head to Cafe China for lunch. and Cosme for dinner. Walking along the Pier 17 and make our way up until we can’t walk anymore.

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?
There are so many people that have played a major role in shaping me and supporting me throughout this journey and I’m forever grateful. I’d like to shoutout God, my Mom, my wife and extended family, brothers Sean and Donté for their unwavering support. It’s important that I also shoutout Dr. Ann Gill, Tommy, Terrence, Dan, Coach Beranek and Coach Garretson for continually inspiring me to be better each day.

Website: https://www.victory-lap.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victorylap_official/