Plant City native sews seeds for clothing design business

When people down South see a big, young man, they expect him to be a football player. That boy was once Coleman Haughbrook, but things are much different now.

Haughbrook wants to prove his talents go beyond just football, and he’s doing it in the fashion industry.

“Transitioning from football to fashion is seen as kind of odd,” Haughbrook said. “Some people thought I was too big to be a designer. I want to prove that big guys don’t just have to play sports to succeed.”

Although he dabbles in all kinds of art, he found his greatest passion in clothing design. He turned that passion into a business last year, when he founded Byson Clothing.

The Plant City native had an eye for tasteful clothing from an early age and even made custom T-shirts in college to make some money on the side. His younger brother, Roderick Henderson, even got into the business with him.

IN THE BEGINNING

Haughbrook wasn’t born in Plant City, but his family moved to the area before he started school at Bryan Elementary. He got started in football with the Plant City Colts and kept going through his days at Plant City High School. But, it was in those early days when his fashion sense really came to life.

“I used to go to stores with my grandmother and wait for her to pick out her patterns, and I would sit down and go through the fashion books,” he said.

Fashion, art and music became big parts of his life, and he spent time honing his skills in all three areas. His grandmother taught him how to sew clothing and gave him his first sewing machine to get him started. He grew to love painting, developing a style inspired by pop artists Pablo Picasso and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

He and his brother first got the idea to work in fashion during a time when they skateboarded together and noticed how rapidly the skater fashion scene was evolving. It was a source of inspiration for both, but only Henderson wanted to stick with skaters.

Haughbrook wanted to be different, to cover all of the bases. He got his chance in college, but he had to get through one of the hardest times in his life to find his calling.

MAKING THE BLUEPRINTS

Although he was very much into fashion at Plant City High School, even being voted “Most Fashionable” in his senior year, football was still a big part of Haughbrook’s life. And, he was good at it — good enough to earn a scholarship in 2002, to play at nearby Webber University.

While playing football, he also was painting his own custom designs onto T-shirts — at the request of his friends. This turned into a small business for him, and all it took was one shirt to set everything in motion.

“My freshman year, I made a Fred Flintstone shirt that took off,” Haughbrook said. “People wanted something to match their shoes, and this guy wanted a Fred Flintstone shirt for a football party. The colors popped.”

Soon, he was flooded with requests from Webber students. Balancing school, football and painting was taking a toll on his game — and his grades — over time, and it came to a climax when he tore his ACL.

“When I hurt my leg, I didn’t know what to do,” Haughbrook said. “Most players that get injuries, that sport was their life and they didn’t know what to do. No Plan B’s or anything.”

But, he was the exception. His friends encouraged him to just focus on making clothes, since he was good at it, and he returned home with a new sense of purpose.

ALL IN

What started as H.brook later became Byson Clothing, sometimes shortened to BYS — Be Your Self, or By Son of God. While developing some pieces, Haughbrook enrolled at Hillsborough Community College and earned his associates’ degree. He sold his clothing at thrift stores and online — all while working to get his designs noticed.

He found inspiration in Ralph Lauren, who seems to have a collection for every group of people.

“I want to make clothing that you can go skate in and then go to a five-star restaurant and eat in,” he said. “I see Byson being around a long time,” he said. “This business is like my baby. I want to see it grow.”

Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.

ABOUT THE SHOW

Coleman Haughbrook will host a fashion show, titled “History of Art,” Nov. 30, in Ybor City.

The designer plans to show off some new additions to the Byson line — men’s clothing, women’s clothing and unisex items. Many of the pieces Haughbrook will display are inspired by historic fashion, such as a women’s tank top adorned with Roman leather flaps.

“History of Art” will be held at 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, at the Social Club, 1909 N. 15th St., Tampa in Ybor City. A pre-party will begin at 7:30 p.m.

For tickets and more information, visit byson2013.eventbrite.com.