“Underestimated” is a fashion brand founded by SUNY Old Westbury Junior, Godson Udemezue, and his brother Prince, who’s a senior in high school. The two brothers created their brand in June of 2022. Their designs include hoodies, shirts, beanies, and more. They create unisex designs in their pieces. Godson said, “We don’t limit our clothing to a certain body type or gender.”
When the brothers first started their brand, they had planned to call it “UDEM,” but they felt that the name needed more meaning to it. They explained that in high school and middle school, they felt like they were “lowkey unappreciated,” so they decided to make their brand tailored towards those feelings.
Today, their brand is geared more towards athletes or people who go to the gym and feel underappreciated. The goal of their brand is to create clothes that motivate people. The brothers explained that they’d gone through many obstacles before they reached where they are now. Sometimes, they themselves experience doubts, but they still believe in themselves and remain motivated.
Godson said, “We create designs that are meant to inspire people to surpass limitations and strive for any end goal that may seem difficult.” They said that their brand represents positivity, so in turn, it draws in people who share in that positivity through their reactions to “were underestimated.”
Their designs are also heavily inspired by their own personal styles. Godson said that he enjoys wearing baggy clothes because he dislikes tight clothes. His go-to outfit is an oversized hoodie, sweatpants, Uggs, and an “underestimated” beanie. Prince prefers to go for a more “New York vibe” with most of his outfits, but on a “calm day,” he enjoys wearing baggy jeans with a comfortable oversized top. Right now, the majority of Godson and Prince’s customers fit into that “New York vibe” style. The brothers hope that they can soon reach a larger customer base in other states, besides New York.
In the future, Godson and Prince also hope that one day, they’ll have a store in a mall or collaborate with athletes and brands through sponsorships and partnerships. For the brothers, their ideal collaboration with a brand would be with Nike because like their brand, Nike is geared towards athletes.
For Godson and Prince, their biggest motivations in achieving their goals are seeing the achievements of others who share similar passions to them. Prince said his biggest motivation was seeing people the same age as him doing the same things that he wanted to do in life including “owning my own stuff.” As for Godson, he explained that he’d love to be mentored by a clothing brand called, “WRLDINVSN,” established in 2014, because they’ve experienced failures and can teach him and Prince what to do and what not to do.
Managing school, work, and running a business is tough. Currently, Godson majors in finance. With his degree, he hopes to learn information on banking, investing, and how to manage money. He said, “That’s gonna benefit our business in the long run, for sure.” To manage work and their studies, Godson and Prince try to cut out things that could impede them from working on progressing their brand, including limiting watching TikToks or going out with friends.
Godson and Prince’s ultimate goal for their brand is to make people feel stylish and, “be confident that they can accomplish anything they want.”
