Start It Now: A Conversation with Kawaun Love of The Supermarket Co.
Featured on Owen’s Exhibit — Season 3, Episode 1
There’s a certain kind of builder who doesn’t wait for perfect conditions. Who learns the law by filing the paperwork, learns finance by withholding every dollar until he understands what to do with it, and learns marketing by studying the most disciplined companies on the planet — I am that kind of builder.
I sat down with Owen Patterson on Owen’s Exhibit for an hour-long conversation that covered everything from Brooklyn stoops to business credit lines — and what came through clearly was that I have been doing the work quietly, intentionally, and on my own terms.
Where It Started
The Supermarket Co. didn’t begin as a streetwear brand. It began as a children’s clothing line built around one idea: teaching kids about food groups and balanced diets. The name made sense then. But the brand had other plans.
“More adults were like, that looks tough — I want that for myself. And I was like, oh, we only have it for kids, but I can make it for you.”
That pivot wasn’t forced. It was earned. The market pulled the brand toward a new customer, and we followed the signal. we kept the name, shifted the vision, and built something that now speaks to a generation of people who understand that what you wear is a statement about where you come from.
The Uniform of American History
TSC. pieces aren’t just clothing. The Milk & Honey tee. The Robinson cap. The Tuskegee painted tee. Each piece carries a deliberate story — Black American history woven into wearable form.
“I just want to make cool stuff, but also give kind of like an ode to certain parts of my history.”
It’s a quiet but powerful design philosophy. The clothes don’t lecture — they invite curiosity. If you’re wearing the Greensboro shirt and someone asks what it means, that’s the moment the story gets passed on. That’s the whole point.
Building the Foundation Right
Before there was a collection, there was paperwork. LLC, operating agreements, business bank accounts, a trademark filing. I did most of it myself — including writing the response to a trademark office action challenging The Supermarket Co.’s name, with Supermarket Sweep and another holistic brand both in the mix.
“I didn’t even hire an attorney to do the trademark. I just did my research and wrote up a response to the office action, crossing my fingers. Once I got it approved, it just boosted my confidence in what I was doing.”
That win mattered. Not just legally, but personally. It confirmed that the brand was real, defensible, and worth protecting.
The Revenue I Didn’t Touch
One of the most notable things I shared was my approach to the early money. For the first two to three years of TSC., we didn’t touch business revenue — not to buy stock, not to fund a collection, nothing.
“I was just saving it. I didn’t know what to do with it or how to maneuver with it.”
Instead, I funded operations out of my own pocket — working late nights and early mornings doing audiovisual work at a museum — and kept the business money clean. I wanted to understand it before we used it. That discipline eventually created the foundation to build toward a business credit line, which we now use strategically, taking full advantage of a no-interest first year to fund campaigns and pay down before rates kick in.
Let the Data Lead
Ask me what resource I swear by, and the answer is simple: the data.
“Data runs the world. With data, you can figure out what your next move would be — you’re not just shooting in the dark.”
TSC. uses analytics to narrow marketing down to states, then to cities. We have identified that our strongest customer base skews male, which is why the last campaign leaned into womenswear — not as a trend play, but as a deliberate move to grow a side of the business the data said had room. The newsletter is the backbone. Names, emails, a real community we can move with. Not followers. Not impressions. People.
On Luxury, Quality, and Apple
When asked what makes something luxury, I didn’t talk about price.
“What makes an item luxury is the meaning behind it and the significance it has to the consumer. It’s not really the price point — it’s the significance you give the item.”
It’s a philosophy that lines up directly with the brand that I admire most from an advertising standpoint: Apple. Simple visuals. Short campaigns. A product that does the talking. TSC. takes a similar approach — tight campaign visuals, story told quickly, brand at the end.
The Advice I Left With
I closed with the clearest thing I said all conversation:
“Whatever you want to do, start it as soon as possible. Start it now. You don’t have to do too much planning out — some people take a long time planning to the point where they don’t even accomplish what they want to accomplish. Start it. Make your mistakes as you go. Take your lumps, take your bruises, and grow what you’re doing.”
Six years in, The Supermarket Co. has a trademark, a growing women’s category, and a community being built one email at a time. The brand is still becoming what it was always supposed to be — The Uniform of Modern America.
Full audio and visual versions of the interview available below: