It’s never that you win silver, but that you lose gold.

That is a phrase that Kaiden Long lives by, especially carrying out this idea through his fashion brand, Krafty.

Kaiden grew up using his creativity to keep up with his passion for clothing and fashion. He lacked access to many of the popular fashion brands worn by his peers, so he learned how to create statements that were on-trend but were also unique to his own sense of style. The way he felt wearing his own clothing inspired him to create Krafty.

The brand started three years ago with custom-made bleached apparel items. Kaiden’s peers would pay him to bleach their clothes in order to make personal fashion statements.

Kaiden also developed his brand into a logo and started to sell logo-based clothing designs. He recently rebranded, and his logo is now more reflective of Krafty’s personality: bold, unique, and forward-moving.

The name Krafty is inspired by Kaiden’s optimism in the face of adversity, and his creativity in the process. Krafty’s goal is to promote self-love and create a positive environment fueled by fashion and confidence. When people wear Krafty clothes, Kaiden wants them to feel genuine happiness.

Eventually, Kaiden wants to expand his clothing line to include upward-trending pieces such as fanny packs and satchels. He hopes to grow his brand through influencer and social media marketing, but also through mentorships.

Kaiden was hand-picked to attend the 4WARD/Believe in a Dream Pave the Path Youth Leaders Summit. Through his time there, he was able to connect with Robert Johnson (Fortitude Founder and creator of Bukal Beverage, Co.), who now offers Kaiden advice on entrepreneurship.

As Krafty grows, Kaiden wants every group – from athletes to journalism students – to feel comfortable and confident wearing his clothing. Krafty aims to empower young people to make bold, unique statements that are true to their individuality.