Between stitching and sketching, Ilian Akegan crafts not only clothes – but a brand that redefines student creativity and ambition.
Everyone, meet Ilian Akegan; an artist, designer, model, and the face behind “Destined Prodigy”. Ilian is one of our very own seniors here at ICSA and he’s a student who was able to turn his passion for fashion into a budding clothing brand: and here’s how he did it.
The Spark of Inspiration
Growing up, Ilian had always expressed his love for fashion and jewelry. This childhood love for fashion was the earliest spark of Ilian’s inspiration for Destined Prodigy. Destined Prodigy is a small business that not only Ilian owns, but his friends as well. He and his friends have always wanted to start up some sort of clothing business, and one day they had finally found the spark that set everything into motion.
The Destined Prodigy team were all together one day when they decided to finally do something to bring their vision into perspective. They got to work that instant, deciding what roles everyone would be in, seeking help from professionals, and brainstorming names and mottos. Now, they finally get to witness their dreams come to life before their eyes.
Inspired by various fashion models, the Destined Prodigy team was able to put their ideas together and create their hoodies. They are a team of very passionate individuals.
Building the Brand
The Destined Prodigy team is composed of people in multiple roles: a designer, editor, tailors, etc. The team goes through a long process in order to create their signature hoodies. They start off with the design, which then goes through a professional editor, who perfects and tweaks the design. After the completion of the design, a group of tailors work together to bring the design to life; however, this process comes with many various challenges.
Examples of these challenges are: financial hurdles or startup costs, production and marketing, and finding the correct audience to appreciate the message this brand wants to spread. Startup costs are a challenging aspect of creating this brand because manufacturing, buying fabric, and marketing their brand requires a significant amount of investment, especially for high school students. They also need to ensure that the hoodies are of good quality during the production process.
Lastly, they need to reach the correct audience and find the right customers. Even though the Destined Prodigy team is a team full of very different personalities, they all believe in one motto: “No Risk, No Story.” And they need loyal customers who believe the same.
“If you don’t take any risks in life, you’ Ll have no stories in life.”
This philosophy is what the brand is built on, and it has driven Ilian and his co-founders to step outside their comfort zones and turn their vision into a reality. Destined Prodigy is not only a clothing brand to its founders: but it’s a way for them to spread their message and beliefs. They believe that life is all about taking risks and embracing creativity in order to build something meaningful.
Looking Ahead
In the future, he has expressed that he would like to expand his clothing line and create not only more hoodie designs, but jeans and tees as well. He says that in order to stay fashionable, modern, and to adapt to the fast-paced fashion industry, they plan to make new designs every few months. In the near future, he also plans to include limited-edition designs to the mix.
We are only witnessing the first and early stages of Destined Prodigy, so make sure to keep up with them to see future new designs!
Destined Prodigy is not only a clothing brand, but a reflection of creativity and the power of taking risks. It started as a dream among friends and is now becoming an inspiration to others. This is just the beginning for Destined Prodigy. With a strong commitment to the motto: “No Risk, No Story,” they encourage people to chase their dreams.
Remember, keep an eye out for Destined Prodigy, because there are great things coming our way. If you ever happen to want to know about more ICSA entrepreneurs, make sure to check out this article!
Photo Essay by Naomi Zimsen:
Podcast by Soulayman Ba:
Video Essay by Bassel Kadry:
