Daymond John and FUBU

Hats on Jamaica Avenue

Daymond John grew up in Hollis, Queens, and worked at a seafood restaurant while dreaming of a clothing business. In the early 1990s he and his mother sewed tie-top hats at home and sold them on the street, making hundreds of dollars in a day. With friends from the neighbourhood he started FUBU, short for For Us, By Us, aimed at young people who loved hip hop culture.

Turning the house into a factory

To grow, his mother mortgaged her house to raise money, and the home turned into a small factory with sewing machines and workers. The team got the clothes onto hip hop artists, who wore them in videos, and a famous moment came when LL Cool J wore a FUBU hat in a Gap advertisement in the 1990s. Orders exploded at a trade show in Las Vegas.

Growth and lessons

FUBU reported very large sales at its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s, then faded as fashion changed, before being relaunched in later years. John has spoken openly about mistakes, such as growing too fast and relying on a single trend. He became a branding expert and, since 2009, an investor on the TV show Shark Tank.

Key takeaways

Daymond John started small, tested products on the street and listened to customers. He tied his brand to a culture he knew from the inside. He learned hard lessons about growing too fast and depending on trends. His story shows that limited money can spark creativity, but long-term success needs planning, cash flow and adaptation.

The power of broke

In his book The Power of Broke, John argues that having little money forces creativity: you test ideas cheaply, use guerrilla marketing and learn your customers closely. His story shows how community, culture and hustle can launch a brand, and also why cash flow and planning matter once it takes off.

This page is general education, not financial, tax or legal advice. Everyone's situation is different, so check official sources and consider talking to a licensed professional before big decisions.

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