When cousins Javier Reboyras and Cedrick Camper started their clothing line — Fiasco Apparel — in 2019, they didn’t think they would get this far. Now they are expanding while still attending Florida A&M University.
It all started when someone who tried to insult them ended up inspiring them.
“I remember someone called us a fiasco and it didn’t sit well with us,” Reboyras said. “We ended up spinning it around so instead of it being a negative connotation, it was something positive.”
They created a bold logo for their products. They decided that this would be their way of standing tall in their achievements and losses.
The business originated with Camper, who had a small business in high school printing college T-shirts. His business was called Camper Visuals. After experiencing the success of running a brand, Camper brought the idea to Reboyras and they ran with it.
Fiasco Apparel did not start taking off until March of 2020, shortly after the COVID-19 virus had invaded the world.
When asked how they managed to keep the business afloat while others around them were sinking, both partners responded talked about consistency and a strong drive being their main tools.
“Honestly we had a lot of free time,” Camper said. “So, we just used all our free time brainstorming designs and different ideas of how we could expand the business and keep it going.”
Many others around them have applauded them for their persistency and versatility to run a business effectively and professional all while maintaining their schoolwork.
“I believe it’s a great idea to start up their business while still in school,” frequent Fiasco shopper and friend Breah Simms said. “Everywhere you go from Tallahassee or Broward, you’re bound to see someone wearing Fiasco Apparel.”
While running a business isn’t easy, these two believed that starting while still in school helped to start them off with a great source of customers.
Reboyras, an architecture major who graduated in April, has returned this fall as a graduate student and plans to receive his master’s degree. Camper is a junior and is also an architecture major. He hopes to receive his bachelor’s in 2023.
The cousins plan to eventually branch off into something bigger and turn Fiasco Apparel into an enterprise. They have already purchased two slingshot vehicles and they plan to rent them out under a new product line called Fiasco Motorsports.
“If you have a dream, chase it,” Camper said. “Start off with some planning but just go ahead and jump into it ‘cause once you start, you’ll want to finish.”
They encourage everyone to follow all social media platforms where their social tag for their business is Fiasco.Apparel.