Winnipeg-based clothing company Unorthodox Clothing mixes streetwear culture such as hip hop and skate style into a continually changing and evolving brand.

Edward Generao, 22, initially brought up the idea of starting a clothing company and added Johann Generao, 28, Frendell Cano, 27, and Glenn Generao, 27, to take on different duties of the business based on their individual talents.

“Frendell Cano on the business end, Edward Generao on customer relations, Johann Generao on marketing and development and Glenn Generao on art design. We’re all family and equal partners,” Edward stated during a recent interview.

Glenn and Johann design the clothing after having discussed ideas and designs as a team. Being a family affair, arguing and criticism ensues but is all part of the business of coming to an agreement.

Their inspirations derive from culture and everything around them.

“We’re individually inspired by music, art, digital media, subcultures and design,” Glenn said.

Although their biggest customer group so far has been younger people, being able to cater to an array of styles and people of all ages is extremely rewarding.

“It’s been amazing and humbling to also see different age groups and people we don’t know personally wearing our clothing out of the fact that they like it as well,” Johann said.

The fashion scene in Winnipeg has motivated them to work hard as they’ve received positive feedback. They’ve met talented people in the process who they consider mentors. They also feel fortunate people are supporting their movement.

“People look at Winnipeg as late in fashion, but there’s tons of people doing original and amazing things.”

Currently they are in the works developing their fall/winter line, and are collaborating with Lennard Taylor.

Paying closer attention to the women’s line is something the guys from Unorthodox are concentrating on, as it’s an area they wanted to further establish.

“Expect to see the unexpected,” is what they said when asked about the upcoming line.

They would like to step out of their usual designs and try something different that people aren’t anticipating. It’s also important to them for people to see growth in their clothing and art.

They have learned a lot from running a business and the guys of Unorthodox say that the highs outweigh the lows.

“It is very tough; we as a team take care of everything from the daily operations, designing and manufacturing, to delivering and distribution, to the financial aspect and promotion, while having daytime careers,” Edward said.

“We like the fact we’re given opportunities to inspire and make a difference in our lives and others’ around us.”

As for future goals, they aim to expand throughout Canada and North America, creating new designs and accessories as well as meeting more people in the industry.

“To grow as a company and continue supporting causes and giving opportunities to others we believe in” is something they always would like to continue doing, Frendell said.

Unorthodox clothing is constantly looking for new ideas and ways to design and make their dreams into reality.

“Our main goal is to eventually have people on their toes wondering what we will do next,” Edward said.

You can purchase Unorthodox apparel from Phat at Polo Park or visit unortho.com.

Published in Volume 64, Number 6 of The Uniter (October 8, 2009)