Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marcel Ames. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Marcel, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?
Being risk averse was once one of my proudest qualities. Sticking with tried and true methods- preferring the “safety” of a routine career/work path was my jam. August 21 2014 was the start date of the Richmond Police Academy for the 110th Basic Recruit class. Growing up in Richmond and working in mental health, made me feel it was a rather straightforward career transition. What followed was months of OC spray, clear out, bleeding, burpees, and hazings as they prepared us for life on the street as patrolmen. November that year I suffered a concussion during training, followed by a subsequent head injury the next month during training. Both went untreated until February 2015 – which caused some damage and changed me as a person forever. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. The next year or so spent mostly in isolation. I was eventually told due to my injuries, I couldn’t return to duty and needed to find a new career unless I wanted an office position. July 2015- I get home from office duty and find my father unresponsive/dead from heart failure. I recall punching a door and breaking my hand when I finally stopped CPR. 2 weeks after, find out the home we lived in was in foreclosure and I had until November to clear the home for sale and vacate. Luckily my girlfriend then invited me to stay with her while I dealt with my dads estate.
How did I develop my ability to take risks you ask?
By having essentially everything stripped from me. By being numb to fear. I avoided risks out of fear of failure. I could provide multiple reasons why something wouldn’t work. But I guess when we hit rock bottom in life (or so it may feel)- a new slate begins. I was shown that what we deem “safe” in life, isn’t always so.
After some persistent convincing, I began exploring fashion as a potential career avenue. I’d always loved clothing and considered myself a bit of a menswear nerd ( having worked in both Saks 5th nyc and Paul Stuart). I lived and breathed clothing- yet didn’t view it as a feasible career.
I began sketching and learning graphic design at the kitchen table on my old college laptop. I didn’t manage to save much after the foreclosure, but somehow grabbed a sewing machine my dad purchased- and began teaching myself to sew on it. I consumed as much information about the trade as possible- books, podcasts, tutorials, articles. I wrote letters to various companies for advice and hopes of working for them.
What started as a potential portfolio- evolved into creating my own logo, my own assets, and eventually the brand known as X of Pentacles. Without much guidance from both a business and creative aspect- I found and developed my own relationships with ateliers and manufacturers. Doors that felt closed forced me to open windows. Although scary, X of Pentacles felt like the first thing i’d done in my life that felt true to my soul.
Working as a solo-preneur has taken its share of tolls on me no doubt- however taught me the only thing we truly have to risk, is ourselves. From GQ features, to learning Italian, to collaborating with the Sex and the City Reboot costume department. To having a collection in the same store I shopped in. Has the risk been worth it? I’ve had to change the way i’ve viewed “risk”- as potential for opportunity, rather than loss. They are eternally in ebb and flow- however I believe our mindset in the approach- often determines the outcome. I’m thus grateful for the slings and arrows life has thrown my way. Sometimes those blows aren’t to derail us, but rather knock us into a better lane.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
X of Pentacles is a Richmond, Virginia based design house- specializing in Neapolitan Tailoring, Sportswear, and Accessories. We specialize as one of 10 in the entire country to offer authentic bespoke tailoring (menswear equivalent of Haute Couture) entirely sewn by hand. I’m grateful to be able to continue pushing the legacy and craftsmanship of tailoring in Naples, Italy. Every piece in our collections is designed entirely by me. Our accessories are crafted in Lake Como, Italy – produced in limited batches and also sewn by hand. Where our tailoring is very subtle to showcase the delicate handwork from our atelier- our accessories showcase the visual arts side of the brand. Each piece is hand sketched and digitized by me- often using organic elements to create our motifs, patterns, and colorways. These often colorful accessories provide a bold contrast to our clothing. They also come numbered and signed as a limited edition art print- with some customers framing our pieces. Many of the sketches and art research done during my head injury paved the way for developing my artistic style as a visual artist with no formal training.
In addition to shopping on our own website- X of Pentacles is also stocked at nomanwalksalone.com
There, you’ll find completely different collection of items- as I never duplicate the same designs across stockists to provide variety for our customers.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Resilience, Patience, Persistence. Understanding that things are in constant movement and how to adapt. Learning that as new entrepreneurs- we can be excited and want to rush- but need to remind ourselves we are on the time of others. I also can’t stress enough the importance of pausing. We equate doing a certain amount of work or producing a certain amount of product – with success. I can think of many instances where I wish I would’ve paused to reevaluate the urgency/importance of making decisions.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
Access to funding/capital tends to be a common challenge amongst independent designers/brands. Acquring new wholesale accounts/stockists, meeting buyers. Costs to attend wholesale trade shows can cost around $7000+ , not including travel & accommodations.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://xofpentacles.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/xofpentacles
- Other: https://marcelames.myportfolio.com
Image Credits
Adam Ross Vincent Clark
