Behind The Brand: Rocky Kilroy of The Aviators Brand

In our latest Behind The Brand interview feature, we had the opportunity to catch up with Rocky Kilroy, the owner of The Aviators Brand, a streetwear brand based in Nashville, Tennessee. Rocky shared insights into what inspired him to start the brand, how he has utilized social media to grow The Aviators, his approach to staying ahead of trends, and future plans for the brand. Read on to learn more.

What inspired you to start The Aviators Brand?

I used to work in a clothing store that Finish Line/JD Sports used to own called Man Alive. I could never find shirts and jeans that fit the way I envisioned whenever I’d put together the looks for myself, my customers, and my window set-ups. I eventually decided to just make the stuff myself because I felt it would be easier to do with me already having a desire to work in the world of sneakers and fashion.

How would you describe the overall aesthetic and style of your brand?

I would label us as premium streetwear. I know everyone is saying that streetwear is dead or has been saying it, but premium streetwear is where we need to be. As far as aesthetics go, we make garments for every occasion.

Can you walk us through your design process? How do you come up with new ideas and translate them into clothing designs?

My design process isn’t really complicated, it’s just me sketching terribly, then translating to computer and sending it to my team to refine [laughs]. I take inspiration for my designs from everywhere and anything. You never know when something is gonna inspire you. 

How has being based in Nashville, Tennessee shaped your brand?

Honestly, and with no disrespect to Nashville intended because it’s my second home as I’ve been here over a decade but I’m from Flint, Michigan and the majority of my brand’s shaping has come from my experiences there. I have several designs dedicated to landmarks and just childhood memories attached to home. Being involved in the rich underground hip-hop/rap community in Nashville has helped me quite a bit as well though.

Are there any specific elements or themes that consistently influence your designs?

Sneakers [laughs]. I like to make clothes that I can wear with dope sneakers. Ultimately I just wanna make dope clothes with my folks while wearing dope sneakers.  

How do you ensure that The Aviators Brand stands out in a saturated streetwear market?

At The Aviators Brand we pride ourselves in making high quality garments. For us it’s all about comfort and quality. That’s how we stand out; fresh designs, high quality garments, and Elevated Excellence.

What role does sustainability play in your brand’s ethos and practices?

With all of our comfort sets we use an eco-friendly organic garment. We try to do our part, as the garments become more luxurious in that realm we will definitely venture more into it. 

Can you discuss the importance of collaborations within the streetwear industry? Have you collaborated with any other brands or artists?

I think that collaborations are important because it’s another way to open the door for my people and customers to get a chance to view your brand. I don’t have any collabs out there yet. I’ve pitched a few and have brainstormed some but the timing hasn’t presented itself so I’m just going to keep working and wait on the collab of my dreams with the Swoosh.

How do you approach sourcing materials for your clothing? Are there any specific criteria you look for?

My number one approach is quality but I also look for textures, softness, colors and how they hold after washing, drying, sweat tests and just really wearing the stuff in normal situations with added stress. If the garment is made with quality and love I’m interested in using it!

What challenges have you faced in producing and manufacturing your clothing?

Really just the overall cost, especially right now. As a smaller company you aren’t producing 100 pieces of a single design t-shirt so the cost is a little higher but then when you tack on the different cotton and combing techniques the cost gets up there. That’s why our prices are a little higher than other brands, but we stand by that quality point. We have shirts that are almost 10 years old and they are still holding strong! I’ll take that over cheaper fabrics everyday.

How do you determine pricing for your products? What factors do you consider?

Cost, quality, materials, use and our competitors. We want to give the best products at a cost that’s reasonable for the garment you’re gonna receive but we obviously have to stay in line in comparison to similar brands.

Can you share any insights into your brand’s marketing strategy? How do you connect with your target audience?

We just try to get the brand in the hands of as many people as possible but in particular those who impact their/our communities in a positive way and those who can appreciate a soft t-shirt or a crazy dope jacket! 

What role does social media play in promoting and growing your brand? Which platforms have been the most successful for you?

Social media is huge, there’s no bigger free platform that you can use to promote and capture your or a new audience. Facebook has been the most successful for us, but X (formerly known as Twitter) is really starting to pick up with some of their business strategies they’ve started to implement like the shops where you can click on products right from my profile. That’s super useful.

Have you utilized any influencer marketing strategies to promote The Aviators Brand? If so, how do you select influencers to collaborate with?

I haven’t employed influencer strategies yet, we have some things in the works that I can’t speak on just yet but please be on the lookout, you won’t be disappointed.    

How do you engage with your customers and build a sense of community around your brand?

I’m still working on deploying those strategies, for the most part it’s been on the ground level, in person things like giving away shoes, clothes, backpacks, etc. but again more is on the way so please stay tuned!

Can you discuss any unique or creative marketing campaigns that you've implemented?

We once did a campaign where we used inspirational quotes and our favorite characters from the team to promote a collection called The Airdrop. It’s dope to me because it combined a lot of my favorite things (sneakers, anime, music) all into a campaign to really help push us forward.

How do you stay ahead of current streetwear trends and ensure that The Aviators Brand remains relevant?

I kinda keep an eye on trends in other countries and I try to predict what’s next based on that. I’ve learned to trust my instincts more than I have in the past as a result because I’ve missed some stuff that I thought was coming but ignored it because I overthought it. So now I just try to trust my instincts.

What feedback or insights do you seek from your customers to improve your products and brand experience?

More than anything I look for feedback on quality, first feel, wear tests, and durability. Those things are so very important to me.

Can you share any future plans or aspirations for The Aviators Brand?

We have some stuff in the pipeline that I’m not wanting to spoil just yet but when it’s time I’ll be sure to share with you first.

How do you navigate the balance between artistic expression and commercial viability in your designs?

I feel like artistic expression takes precedence and the viability will follow, at least that’s my approach. I won’t say I don’t take viability into consideration but artistic expression weighs most.                                                           

Outside of your own, what are your favorite clothing brands and why?

I really like Levi’s denim. I just feel like nothing is better quality, durability and longevity wise. Of course, I love Nike and Jordan sneakers. I’ll occasionally venture to other brands but those are my most worn brands. As far as clothing I don’t wear much else outside of The Aviators. I’m a wear tester [laughs]. I wear everything we put out a lot and I wash it a lot just to make sure it’s going to hold up.

What advice would you give to aspiring clothing brand owners looking to enter the industry?

I’d say to give yourself some time. Look at your vision board and add a year to your start date. After that jump!