MESSages for all the beautiful black people making things happen.
MESS
IN A BOTTLE IS A T-SHIRT COMPANY WITH MESSAGES THAT COME PACKAGED IN A REUSABLE BOTTLE. “MESS” WOULD REPRESENT THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY,” OUR PRODUCTS ARE EMOTIONAL, THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND AN EXPRESSION OF THE CURRENT CLIMATE OF THE WORLD. MESS IN A BOTTLE IS A CONVERSATION STARTER. IT’S A WAY TO PUT A MESSAGE OUT THERE AND, WHETHER PEOPLE AGREE OR DISAGREE, IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO ENGAGE AND START ASKING QUESTIONS. THE PRODUCTS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO T-SHIRTS, MUGS, PILLOWCASES, PENS, AND JACKETS. FORMER ARCHITECT KALILAH WRIGHT, OWNER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF MESS IN A BOTTLE, WAS BORN IN JAMAICA. SHE MIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES AT THE TENDER AGE OF FOUR AND WAS RAISED IN BROOKLYN, NY. AS AN ACCOMPLISHED DESIGNER, SHE WAS LIVING OUT THE AMERICAN DREAM OF BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR AND OWNING HER OWN SHOP. AFTER EARNING A MASTER’S DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURE FROM MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. WRIGHT WENT ON TO WORK
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AVID MAGAZINE
FOR KEVIN PLANK OF UNDER ARMOUR AS A STORE PLANNER AND ARCHITECT. MORGAN WAS ONE OF THE ONLY SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAD A NIGHT PROGRAM SO I WENT TO SCHOOL FROM 6 TO 9 PM. IT ALLOWED ME TO WORK DURING THE DAY AND THEN GET MY MASTER’S AT NIGHT. AFTER I GRADUATED, I FELT LIKE BALTIMORE WAS THE CITY WHERE I COULD EXPLORE MY CAREER OPTIONS. IT WASN’T EXPENSIVE. AFTER HEARING FORMER BOSS KEVIN PLANK SPEAK AT A TOWN HALL MEETING ABOUT HOW PROUD HE WAS TO HAVE STARTED HIS OWN COMPANY FROM THE GROUND UP IN A CITY THAT HE LOVES, BALTIMORE, HER MIND STARTED TO TURN AND SHE COULDN’T GET HIS SPEECH OUT OF HER HEAD. SHE BEGAN LISTENING TO CHANCE THE RAPPER’S DEBUT STUDIO ALBUM, SURF, WHERE THE COVER ART IS A MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE. ONE MONTH AFTER THAT DAY AT HER DESK, SHE QUIT HER SIX-FIGURE “DREAM JOB”, STEPPED OUT ON FAITH, AND GAVE BIRTH TO MESS IN A BOTTLE. “I REALLY WANTED TO CREATE A COMPANY THAT ALLOWED PEOPLE TO BE VOCAL
WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING AT ALL. SO, I LAUNCHED MESS IN A BOTTLE DURING THE FREDDIE GRAY UPROAR RIOTS AND THE BALTIMORE UPRISING IN JANUARY OF 2016 SO PEOPLE COULD WEAR THE CLOTHES AND HAVE A VOICE. WE WANTED TO GIVE A MESSAGE TO THE VOICELESS.” STATED WRIGHT. I WAS SO EXCITED TO BE A YOUNG, BLACK WOMAN IN WEST BALTIMORE, OPENING A STORE AND SERVICING PEOPLE WHO LOOKED LIKE ME. BUT BEING HELD AT GUNPOINT MADE BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR SO HARD. IT WAS A DIFFICULT AND TRAUMATIZING EXPERIENCE. BUT THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE, I CREATED A GREAT MESSAGE FOR OTHERS A SHIRT THAT SAYS, “JUST KEEP GOING — SIGNED THE UNIVERSE.” KALILAH WAS FEATURED ON THE VARIETY TALK SHOW “HARRY” HOSTED BY GRAMMY AND EMMY WINNER HARRY CONNICK, JR. AND IT HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN SALES FOR MESS IN A BOTTLE. WRIGHT SAID THAT THE EXPERIENCE “WAS AN AMAZING FEELING AND IT WASN’T PLANNED AT ALL.” IT WAS INITIALLY ORCHESTRATED BY A
