As an only child, Kyle De Govia said his parents spoiled him rotten while he was growing up. His wardrobe was only filled with top brands like Nike, Adidas and Jordan. This fuelled his passion for fashion and inspired him to create his own clothing brand, No Malice.
"Growing up, I could have easily been an ambassador for high-end brands," he reflects.
De Govia said the name represents love, peace and vibes.
The 25-year-old businessman said he wanted to be known for more than just wearing the latest brands; he wanted to leave his own mark on the fashion landscape.
In 2018, he started an online business with a straightforward model: he would buy brand-name clothes and accessories and resell them online. By 2019, he had outgrown this model and decided to take a leap and test the waters with No Malice, eager to share his creative vision.
“I would buy plain tees and take them to a printer to have my designs printed.”
At first, he didn’t have a set structure on what colours to use or how much inventory to buy. His operation was mainly based on pre-orders.
“Three to four times a week, I would drive back and forth from Port of Spain to get clothing and deliver it to the printer in South. It felt like the customers had more control over the brand than I did. At the time, I thought it was normal because I was getting sales.”
His goal of opening a physical store by 2020 was interrupted by the covid19 pandemic which hit many industries hard, particularly micro-businesses like De Govia's. Faced with this setback, he shifted to operating entirely online, using social media, especially Instagram, as his primary marketing tool.
Today, No Malice has a store on High Street, Siparia. De Govia said the brand’s customers range from 18-40 years old.
[caption id="attachment_1142765" align="alignnone" width="768"] All set for a Carnival fete, a customer sports sunglasses and T-shirt from No Malice. -[/caption]
When he moved to the US in 2021, De Govia's perspective on fashion and business began to change. He immersed himself in research, learning more about the fashion industry, sales strategies and how to take control of his brand.
He paid close attention to the details when buying clothing, such as the construction and thickness of the fabric, whether the print faded after washing and if the clothing lost its shape. These observations became the foundation for improving No Malice’s products.
"It became a whole different ballgame. The tees I provided got thicker. Now our signature style is oversized-tees. Everything is branded No Malice: socks, sunglasses, and even real 10k gold earrings. It’s all in the details."
He stressed No Malice believes quality should always take precedence over quantity.
"That’s something I truly believe and honestly, I think that mentality and policy set the No Malice brand apart from everyone else."
When it comes to production, everything is manufactured internationally in China. De Govia says China has "some of the best factories in the world and a wide range of diverse mater
