Cre8Space Helps Young People Develop Entrepreneurial Skills

Dondre Smith is the creator of Amvghty Clothing. He developed Cre8Space as a way to give young people a safe place to express their creative side. PHOTO BY COLIIN SWAVEY.
Dondre Smith is the creator of Amvghty Clothing. He developed Cre8Space as a way to give young people a safe place to express their creative side. PHOTO BY COLIIN SWAVEY.

Cre8Space Helps Young People Develop Entrepreneurial Skills

By Tia Carol Jones

Dondre Smith started Almvghty Clothing while he was in college at the University of Iowa. He was studying to be a pharmacist, and learning learned skills in time management and organization that helped him as an entrepreneur. During a trip to California, Smith met someone who he believes God sent to him who changed his life. After that trip, Smith decided to drop out of pharmacy school and pursue his clothing brand full time.

Almvghty Clothing is a luxury streetwear brand. Everything is made from scratch, with the pre-production and design work taking place on 71st and Jeffrey. Smith has been able to grow Almvghty Clothing into a multiple six figure company. Smith likes to say that the v stands for vision and refers to Proverbs 29:18, which says “without a vision, the people will perish.”

Smith, who has a heart to help people, is using his knowledge as an entrepreneur and fashion designer to help young people ages 18-24. Smith founded Cre8Space in 2023. The fashion entrepreneurship program teaches young people of color from the South and West sides to sew on an industrial sewing machine, as well as how to become a fashion entrepreneur.

“This isn’t a program that I had when I first got started when I was 18, but I wish I had this type of program when I first got started,” Smith said.

Smith is using Cre8Space as his way to lead by example. He also wants the program to be an alternative to the streets and a safe haven for young people to express themselves creatively. The skills the young people in the Cre8Space are learning during the four-week program are preparing them for a career in the fashion industry, as well as giving them skills that are useful for them to be entrepreneurs. The second year of the program kicked off during Chicago Fashion Week, with a panel discussion on building brands in 2024 and beyond.

The seven students in this year’s program were chosen after interviews and scoring. Two of the students are returning, with five new students. With this year’s fashion entrepreneurship program, the students are learning how to start a fashion business from scratch. They will leave the program with a business plan and training on how to use Artificial Intelligence to create a design that will be on t-shirts.

Smith said the students who completed the 2023 program had their designs featured in a fashion show. He said the feedback from those students showed the program was much needed and served its intended purpose to create a safe space for them to be creative and learn skills that will last them a lifetime.

“There’s a lot of programs like After School Matters and Boys & Girls Club, however, what makes us different is that we’re specifically focusing on a creative skill and entrepreneurship, when it comes to fashion and learning how to sew and learning how to become an entrepreneur,” he said.

Smith said the skills that make an entrepreneur great – service, leadership and problem solving – are skills everyone should have. Cre8Space also is teaching the students in the program the benefits of civic engagement. Smith said the advice he tells the students is to identify their purpose. He said one way to figure that out is to find out what they’re naturally good at, what they are passionate about and what people come to them for. He said when they figure that out, they’ll find out what they should be doing. He believes that God created everyone for a purpose and by living in one’s person, they will live a fulfilled life.

Smith said some of the students come through the program and realize they don’t want to sew, but they do want to be a business owner. Or, they don’t want to be in fashion, but they do want to go into music. What they learn in the program can help them be successful in whatever it is they decide they want to do. Smith said outside of the technical skills they are learning in the program; the young people are learning life skills. He also said he is just there for the students in the program to provide an ear and give them the support they need.

“I really believe in each one, teach one, and as one young person is being transformed then our communities can be transformed, as well,” he said.

For more information about Almvghty Clothing, visit www.almvghty.com.

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