"As far as boxing goes, I made stuff for Shane Mosley. I did a couple of things for Sugar Shane; I've done thing for up-and-coming future champ Mickey Bey. I did a lot of stuff for him. Another up-and-coming guy I'm working with is Jose Gutierrez; he's out of Vegas...By me being in the finer clothing industry, I take pride in what the inside of the garment looks like, as well as the outside, and I make sure the fit is right. It's important to take the measurements, so you don't have any problems where they are looking sloppy and their shorts are falling down. I make them look like they have been there before," stated clothing designer Fredrick Lamar, who talked about some of the designs he's done for fighters and much more. Check it out!
PC: First off, you gotta tell us how you got into the fashion business and started making custom designs.
FL: By me being a big guy, man, I always had a style because I love to dress, and by me being a big guy, I never really found stuff that I really liked in my size, so I just started trying to draw a little bit and look for people to make stuff that I drew, and it just kind of took off from there. People started wearing it and being like, "Man, that's nice. Where you get that from?" I was like, "Hmm, I'm on to something."
PC: How long have you been in the fashion business?
FL: I been doing it since 1998, so I'm an OG at it in this day and time. I definitely paid my dues.
PC: Tell us about some of the boxers you have made suits and outfits for, as well as the celebrities you have worked with.
FL: As far as boxing goes, I made stuff for Shane Mosley. I did a couple of things for Sugar Shane; I've done thing for up-and-coming future champ Mickey Bey. I did a lot of stuff for him. Another up-and-coming guy I'm working with is Jose Gutierrez; he's out of Vegas. But as far as my suits and stuff, I have dressed NBA legend Gary Payton, another NBA baller Jermain O'Neal, Don King, the late Johnnie Cochran; I've worked with Dwayne Wade, Lamar Odom, and that's just to name a few. I've worked with quite a few people.
PC: Damn, you definitely done worked with some people. Has most of your business been word of mouth or through your website?
FL: I do have a website, but 99% of my business has been referral based.
PC: What was the most shocking call you received to do work for?
FL: I was in Charlotte visiting a client and they were playing the Indiana Pacers and I wanted to get Steven Jackson and Jermain O'Neal to work with them. I was in Charlotte at the game and I had these flyers made up that I gave out at the game. I left Charlotte and flew into Cleveland and as I was getting off the plane in Cleveland; I checked my voicemail and it was Jermain O'Neal calling saying he wanted me to come to Indianapolis that weekend. That was the most unexpected call because I didn't know him at the time. I was just handing him a flyer that said I made clothes pretty much. He gave me a shot and that's real because a lot of people like that don't deal with you unless they know you or know somebody that's worked with you. So when I got that call from him, that was definitely a shock and a pleasant surprise, especially the dollar amount he was looking to spend with me. I had almost a $40,000 package that I was calling "The Complete Wardrobe Package" and that's the package he wanted. I was like, "Wow!"
PC: I watched your YouTube videos and it's not just about ball players and fighters. You deal with execs as well.
FL: Oh yeah, I do quite a few executives; Bill Crampton over at the Aria, I do some things for. He's a real good client of mine. I do things for quite a few people here in Vegas. They don't quite have the name that Bill Crampton has, but they are in the casino business. But I work with a lot of executives around town.
PC: I know you are really trying to come into your own with designing for fighters. What do you think about what's out there and what do you feel you bring to the table?
FL: I would like to see guys' stuff to fit like it's supposed to fit. Everybody now is like oversized, super baggy; sloppy almost. I don't want to say any names on who is making all of the stuff now, but it looks the same, just a different color.
PC: Yeah, we see a lot of referees pulling up trunks and the cups not fitting with the trunks.
FL: Yeah, you gotta pay attention to detail. I think that's what separates me from these other cats. The product that I produce, the inside of the garment looks just as good as the outside. You have a lot of people that can sew and do sewing in their basement, but it ain't professionally done. By me being in the finer clothing industry, I take pride in what the inside of the garment looks like, as well as the outside, and I make sure the fit is right. It's important to take the measurements, so you don't have any problems where they are looking sloppy and their shorts are falling down. I make them look like they have been there before.
PC: I gotta put you on the spot and ask, because you never know who is reading, but who would you like to work with that you haven't had the chance to dress yet?
FL: Lebron James. I think his stuff fits too tight. Whoever is doing his stuff right now, I don't think they are representing him well. He's too big for his stuff to fit that tight. It's okay to have the European Cut to it, but too tight is not a good look. It's like people nowadays is losing the sense of fashion really. The younger people aren't dressing like the players 10 years ago were dressing. They don't dress like Jordan when he was coming to the game; they looked like money and guys come to the game now looking like skateboarders.
PC: It's crazy how fashion has hit this turn. You have been in the game for a long time and we went through the soldier thing where everyone was wearing camouflage, then the tight look, and now the skateboarder look is in. how do you stay true to what you do and stay busy while these different trends are going on?
FL: Yeah, I like to be fashion forward, so I don't like to follow the trend. I like to start the trend. I don't watch a lot of new stuff. I watch a lot of older movies, so a lot of my designs that I recommend to my clients be from the older movies, but I make them a fuller cut. But working with me, I do what you want me to do, so if you want to look like that and you want the tight look, I can do that. But a lot of people come to me and they want my expertise and I do my thing and 99.9% of the time they are satisfied with it.
PC: Yeah, the NBA guys being so big and tall, I can see that. Guys like Charles Barkley, and even a guy like Suge Knight, because the outfit you were wearing when we met at the Luxor that you designed seems like something he would wear.
FL: It's funny you mentioned Suge. I had a partner that I worked with years ago when I first started and I did a couple of things with Suge. I got a couple of pictures from when I worked with Suge, but I didn't know him directly. It was through someone, so I never had his contact to get back in touch with him so I can do stuff for him. A lot of times, when I work with people, I work with a lot of stylists and they don't give me people's information. I kind of work through them and they give me the measurements and I make it and they never even know I made it. So they send somebody to go shop for them, they come see me, I produce it, and then they deliver it to them and they don't know what they are wearing.
PC: I saw some of your threads. You definitely are one of the best in the business. Just the praise you were getting the times I was around you was amazing. A lot of people hold you highly in their book and your work speaks for itself. Is there anything else you want to add in?
FL: They can check me out on the website www.fredricklamar.com. It's under construction right now, but they do have my information on there so they can get in contact with me, and if they want to see some samples of my work, they can go to my YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/fredricklamar, and view my work there. I'm well-rounded. I don't just do urban. I don't just do suits. I do from women to the boxing attire; I do wedding dresses. I just made my daughters prom dress, so I'm well-rounded. There is nothing I can't do.
PC: We well have a banner on FightHype, so you're soon to be on FightHype as well my man.
FL: Ah mam, I'm looking forward to it. Thanks, man. I appreciate that.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]