Founder: Antwi Atuahene
About Antwi and Noir et Noire…
I’m a proud Ghanaian-Canadian entrepreneur from Toronto. My culture is extremely important to me and played a big role in me starting an apparel company. I grew up in Rexdale, starting my basketball career off at Father Henry High School. I also had a rap career at the time, which gave me the opportunity to be involved in music and apparel at a young age. After high school, I went on to play basketball at Arizona State University and eventually graduated with a degree in Mass Communications and Business (Antwi played alongside current NBA guard, James Harden). I went on to play professional basketball for 6-7 years and that’s where I discovered I wanted to pursue an entrepreneurial venture and Ball Noire was born.
Overtime, the brand has developed into Noir et Noire. Noir et Noire is a brand that specializes in men’s and women’s tees and hoodies. This new line embodies growth, excellence and class. I want my customers to feel these three traits when they wear my products. (These traits are extremely clear in the quality of the clothing and messaging shared on them). Noir et Noire as an organization is also largely focused on community initiatives, events and sport.
Advice to Other Millennials Looking to Attain Greatness in Business?
Act on it! Action cures fear. If you’re fearful of it, or on the fence about starting something, just act on it. Do as much reading and research as you can. Learn as much as you can about business first. Learn as much as you can about strategy because a big part of business is having a unique strategy, like anything in life. Additionally, you need to listen. Don’t just hear people, listen as well. Lastly, find mentors that can help you and guide you along the way. Find someone that you feel has been successful in your field that you can look at as a measure of success. They’ll provide a good example and help you answer questions like “Am I hitting certain milestones?” based on whether you are at the level your mentor was at when they were at the same stage as you. Find a way to measure yourself up to someone who is at the top level.
Cool Things Coming Up for Noir et Noire…
There are a lot of things coming up this year! This first project I have coming out in Toronto is our 3rd annual “Why Are You Becoming An All-Star Student Athlete” event, taking place from April 11th – 12th. This year I’m collaborating with SLAM Magazine so I am excited about that. We have a lot of other events and surprises coming up this summer in both Toronto and Houston so stay tuned. I’m excited about Noir et Noire taking huge steps in fashion, apparel and in event coordination and event architecture!
Find out more about Antwi and Noir et Noire at https://www.noir-et-noire.com/shop.
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