Talia Q: Heart of Haλo
I'm always fascinated by young business owners who drip with originality, so any opportunity I get to connect with them, I jump on it! I recently got the chance to connect with the face behind the brand, Halo, an up and coming hat line that is not only dope aesthically, but conceptually.
Enter Talia Quarles, a 23-year-old Philly native who unlike a lot of other young designers, is stepping out of the box when it comes to running her small business. Instead of focusing on one "recognizable" design, Talia offers a range of different hat styles that boast a variety of logos, patterns and colors. In this approach she is not only expanding her reach in terms of her cutomer demographic, but she is also attracting the attention of potential retailers and other major buyers. Halo, in my personal opinion, hits a lot of the major points needed to launch and maintain a successful brand. Talia's line of hats will defintely fit into almost anyone's wardrobe and compliment those who think hats "just aren't they're thing". The Halo line already looks like an established collection with its cool ass aesthetics and urban vibes.
HeartofHalo.com $35 Duck Camo Snapback
Check out the interview below with Talia where she dishes more on the work put into Halo and her future goals for the brand!
TheWriteFashion (TWF): How did you come up with the name and the design concept for your line?
Talia Quarles (TQ): The name Haλo pretty much came from the principals of what a halo actually stands for: symbolic for something inspiring and spiritual that protects the head. Why not wear you hat as a symbolic form of your halo. As Chance the rapper said "Wear your halo like a hat, that's like the latest fashion" I thought that was dope because the line was already in the works before the song Angel came out. I guess great minds think alike.
The concept of the line is to promote graphics. I didn't want the line to be infiltrated with logos or really connected to a name. Oddly as it sounds, I wanted the consumer to appreciate the graphic and art put into it rather than just the name.
TWF: What type of gear is included under your brand? Like are there hats, T-shirts, hoodies, etc.?
TQ: As of now Haλo is a hat line. We sell multiple styles of hats. Snap backs, camp hats, dad hats, and more we're looking to expand our hat styles as we speak. Eventually we will add apparel to Haλo but it's just hats for now.
TWF:Tell me a little bit about the team behind the brand. For example: How many people do you have working with you? Are they designers as well? or are you a "one person show"?
TQ: I pretty much work alone as the sole proprietor as of now but my friends help me with ideas and photo shoots.
Tiger Headdress Cap $35 HeartofHalo.com
TWF: Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?
TQ: In the next 5 years, I would hope to have my own official flagship store, as well as having my brand sold in a few urban stores like Urban outfitters, Ubiq, PAC Sun, even Barneys.
Yellow Penguin Cap $35 HeartofHalo.com
TWF: Do you have a target audience/market for your apparel?
TQ: I would say that my target audience would be anyone that is true to their self who isn't afraid to explore and think outside of the box.
TWF: Do you have any favorite brands/ people that you look to for inspiration?
TQ:I definitely get a lot of inspiration from Urban Outfitters but I mainly get my inspiration from the streets' ,the people , places and things I see.
Black Penguin Hat $35 HeartofHalo.com
