Originally published by VoyageATL Magazine, August 2026
Hi Juwan, can you start by introducing yourself?
I was born in Charleston, West Virginia, but my mom moved me to Atlanta in 2001. Growing up in Atlanta exposed me to an incredible creative culture. I watched brands become symbols of their cities, and designers like Joe Freshgoods showed me how powerful it is when you build something that represents where you're from. It made me realize fashion can tell the story of a place and its people.
When I returned to Charleston in March 2025, I felt like Atlanta already had so many people proudly representing the city through fashion. West Virginia had talented people, but I didn't see many brands intentionally building collections around the state's identity. That's what inspired TopLife WV.
I wanted to create apparel that celebrated West Virginia's history, schools, athletes, neighborhoods, businesses, and culture. My goal wasn't just to sell clothes. It was to help put West Virginia on the map through fashion and show that our stories deserve to be represented just like any other city or state.
Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely hasn't been a smooth road. Building TopLife has come with plenty of challenges. When I launched TopLife WV, the response to the hats was bigger than I expected, and I quickly found myself trying to keep up with a flood of orders. I've had manufacturers deliver products that didn't meet my standards, causing delays and forcing me to start over. One of our community event shirt orders even came back with the e missing from TopLife. I've also had fashion shows canceled after months of planning and even dealt with my website being taken down over merchandise inspired by certain cities.
As frustrating as those moments were, I never let them stop me. Every setback taught me something that made me a better designer, entrepreneur, and leader. I've taken losses, made mistakes, missed deadlines, had products come back wrong, watched opportunities fall apart but I never stopped. And I never will.
What should we know about your work?
I'm a fashion designer, creative director, and brand builder. Through TopLife, I specialize in creating custom apparel, logos, branding, merchandise, jerseys, and marketing concepts that help people, businesses, schools, artists, and organizations tell their stories. Fashion is my foundation, but I see every project as an opportunity to create something that represents a person, a city, or an entire movement.
What sets me apart is that I don't just design products I build identities. Before I create anything, I want to understand the story behind it because I believe the best designs create an emotional connection, not just something that looks good. I don't chase trends I chase legacy. I want every project I create to mean something long after it's released.
One of the things I'm most proud of is using TopLife to help celebrate West Virginia through fashion. From the TopLife WV collection to collaborations with artists, schools, businesses, and community organizations, my goal has always been to create pieces that make people proud of where they come from.
Looking ahead, my vision is much bigger than clothing. I want TopLife to become a global lifestyle brand while continuing to help put West Virginia on the map through creativity, collaboration, and culture. If my work inspires the next generation of creatives to believe in themselves and invest in their own communities, then I'll know I've done my job.
What is the most important lesson you've learned?
The biggest lesson I've learned is patience. As a creative, I have ideas every single day, and early on I was always chasing the next one before giving the previous one a chance to grow. I had to learn to trust my ideas, trust my designs, and let them cook.
I also had to learn how to control my creative chaos. My mind is always thinking about the next collection, logo, business, or collaboration, but I've realized that having a hundred great ideas doesn't matter if you don't finish them. Learning how to compartmentalize my ideas has allowed me to stay focused and execute at a much higher level.
Today, I focus on quality over quantity. Not every idea needs to be released today. Some ideas need time to grow, evolve, and become something even greater. I believe that's how timeless brands are built.