Juniors Aiden Burke and Yian Chen are co-founders of “Ate A Four,” a fully student-run clothing brand operating in Richmond. What began as a creative idea between two students has grown into a business driven entirely by youth leadership.
Through the ACE Center, Burke and Chen found the inspiration and support to start their own business, ultimately developing and building it from the ground up.
“We started this brand because of the ACE center entrepreneurship program. Before the program we all had ambitions for our own businesses, but because of the class, we have a lot more time to plan, design, and actually work on the brand,” Chen said.
“Ate A Four” went through many stages of development during its creation. At first, Burke and Chen created a business where they thrifted and re-sold clothes on various online marketplaces, but as creativity grew, the pair realized their potential could be exercised differently.
“Originally, we started a business where we bought thrifted clothing and sold it on Depop, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay. But as we grew, we realized that the knowledge we had gained about clothing through the thrifting gig could be put to better use making our own clothes,” Burke said.
After polishing their business plan, Burke and Chen focused their brand on capturing the scenery of the greater Richmond area, which will be displayed in their upcoming collection.
“I think what’s cool about our brand is the hyperfocus on the local scene in Richmond. You will see in this coming drop especially, we try to pull from lots of different styles, places, and cultures throughout Richmond to encapsulate the city as a whole,” Burke said.
Currently, “Ate A Four” is only selling their debut t-shirts, but is expecting a large drop of more pieces to be arriving soon. During this off period, Burke is busy setting personal goals for his business.
“For me personally, I want to grow [Ate A Four] lots within Richmond. I want to be walking down Cary Street or through Shockoe Bottom and see people wearing the clothes that I pressed and designed myself,” Burke said. “I also want to see growth on our social media accounts. Currently, we’re going through a rebrand, and it’s crucial for us to really grow our Instagram account, especially once that is finished up.”
Burke and Chen advertise their business through various social media platforms, but because their business is new, the majority of their sales have come from word of mouth. As they continue to build their social media presence, Burke and Chen remain focused on building their brand. You can find them on Instagram @ate.a.four or by visiting their website.
