Meet Preston Lilly of Inland. (Clothing Company) in Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Preston Lilly.

Preston, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a youth I always had a weird connection with the product, I think we’re either just naturally consumers at an early age. I always paid attention to the nuance and the simplicity of art, product and life. So naturally, I always had an idea I would fall into a career in product and artistry. I grew up in Southern California for the first 13 years of my life bouncing around from the city to the Inland Empire (how I got inspiration for the name). I had a really close connection with my grandfather, I like to think that I am just an extension of him and my father. He used to work on a military base fixing old utility vehicles and repurposing them, which is where I think I drew most of my inspiration from nature. I always wanted to start my own brand after I went through this phase where I was obsessed with Japanese Streetwear. I just did not know where to start, I started with some other ideas but I felt like they would not stick. So I walked away from the project for a bit to come up with something that stays true to who I am and my life up to that point. So early 2017 I came up with the name “Inland” after that everything kind of snowballed. The first small collection came out in January 2017 it included my Inland arch logo on champion blanks and a Champion track suit with my script logo. My second Collection I wanted to incorporate more accessories, so I was inspired by this old military ammo bag that my grandfather used to carry miscellaneous items in, so I did one of those and I was also inspired by the great Martin Luther King Jr, and I always thought his death was unjustified and unexplained by our school systems and in general so I plastered the quote “WHO KILLED MLK?”. I was not trying to be problematic or political I just always thought that the narrative was a little foggy to me. I think those two first collections mean a lot cause it got me where I am today.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I have always found myself having a tough time being “consistent” when it came to the idea of a timeframe when dropping collections. I never imagined myself providing content on a weekly or monthly basis. I poured more effort into creating art/clothing that was not oversaturated. I rather stay true to my brand rather than just putting out whatever because it fit a frame of time that others believe brands should follow. I also have gotten a little bit older since I first started so my “vision” has altered a little, I see myself being more patient with myself and focusing on the bigger picture. I just want to make great, smart and intriguing pieces that people of all ages can piece together. I also have always had writer’s block where it takes me a little to pull a full collection on my own because I have to dip my toes and curate everything from the designs to the blanks and the photos.

Please tell us about your business.
I specialize in clothing and apparel, I am most known for my t-shirts, accessories and lounge wear. I am most proud of how we have been able to age if you look at my older pieces or own any of it, it ages beautifully. I have been able to incorporate pieces into my archives that I only seen bigger brands do. I think what sets Inland apart from everything is the attention to detail, I have always tried to be ahead of the curve and also incorporate art/message into those pieces to give them some type of life where it can last years on from the initial release.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I were to start over I wouldn’t really change anything but being better about being nervous to drop stuff at the wrong time. I’ve always been self cautious to release things that I do not think fit the aesthetic of what I am doing.

Contact Info:

• Website: inlandus.bigcartel.com
• Phone: 7146121611
• Email: inlandusa15@gmail.com
• Instagram: Inland.co
• Twitter: inlandco

Image Credit:
The Picture of the slide are done by my friend Jared

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