By Cassell Ferere originally published on Forbes.com

Brent Faiyaz, a singer-songwriter, has partnered with his long-time Creative Director, Mark Peaced, to launch a new fashion brand called NUWO. NUWO stands for "Not Unless We Own," and it aims to revolutionize streetwear and culture with its debut collection. This is familiar territory for the R&B singer as a newly independent recording artist.

Brent Faiyaz recently shocked the music industry after he officially signed with independent label leader UnitedMasters. The groundbreaking partnership empowers the soulful and introspective artist with more creative control over his projects. The collaborative efforts of Faiyaz and UnitedMasters undoubtedly foreshadow a new era of creative brilliance and success for the rising star and with NUWO, Faiyaz opens up a new lane to seduce audiences. 

NUWO is a work in progress, worn by Faiyaz over the years, but with resistance to officially launch until today. “I like so many different brands and aesthetics that I never found one thing to stick to,” Faiyaz describes of finding his sartorial notes. “I couldn’t call any brand my favorite. So, I'd pull from silhouettes I always gravitated to as a kid - that made me go, ‘Yeah that’s it,’ and made it for myself.” 

Faiyaz continues, “'Let me make my favorite brand and live in it.’” He knows the marketing schemes of fashion well, having taken part in it before his music career took off. But he understands the power of building a community around brands with a deeper message for audiences. 

Faiyaz is a generous storyteller in his music, doing so with his fashion after wearing some exclusive NUWO looks. He notes, “Then we gave [it] to our friends,” noting the distribution of his early NUWO designs. “It wasn’t to sell or anything. It was just for us to wear.”

Similarly, with the NUWO brand, he and Peaced are launching a label that reflects their sentiment as talented artists and marketers. “My mom introduced me to fashion,” Fiyaz recalls. “As a kid, she always instilled in me the importance of taking pride in my appearance, so I just held onto that.” Faiyaz understood the branding effect of fashion in having a seductive message, like in his music. 

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