George Brown College fashion management student is crafting armour for his army

You wouldn’t guess it from Clayson Fletcher’s soft-spoken delivery, but this mild-mannered George Brown College student is building an army.

Fletcher’s personal clothing brand, Nova Supply, has just launched a brand new collection, Soft Thunder. The care and effort Fletcher puts into each of his pieces has given him a loyal following that’s growing every day, and he’s already planning which mountain to conquer next.

When considering his future, the Fletcher draws on the popular 2007 movie 300, where a small Spartan army fights off a larger invading force.

“I want a small little empire. The 300,” said Fletcher. “My 300, an army that will never be broken versus all the big industries, with a thousand people. That’s what I want to be in five to 10 years.”

Fletcher’s drive and ambition has always been present. Creative from a young age and struggling to find his niche, Fletcher finally found his calling when he repaired his mother’s old sewing machine. He’s been making clothing ever since.

“Fashion for me, it’s my music,” said Fletcher. “I create clothes that you can feel by looking at it, that you can hear by looking at it.”

His choice to enrol in the fashion management program at George Brown, Fletcher said, is to help round out his creative skills with the practical knowledge needed to maintain a business.

Fletcher was once bullied for carrying a large sewing kit to class in high school. Years later, he is honing his craft and delivering specialized clothing to his clients, complete with customized colours and a personalized note with every item.

Fletcher’s clothing line emphasizes comfort, but aims to stay aesthetically pleasing. Dabbling heavily with linen and silk in his new line Soft Thunder, Fletcher explained the concept as clothing that expresses personal escape from troubles, be they physical or mental.

“In every heavy tremble, there is a soft escape,” Fletcher explains. “In life, there’s always situations you go through, problems you have. But there’s always that one second, that one moment you can escape peacefully, quietly. That’s what I really try to pull into my clothes, that soft effect. I’m trying to bring to you that one second of escape.”

For Fletcher, inspiration comes from singers such as Pharrell Williams and Frank Ocean, but he said he has no desire for mainstream success or to imitate others. His “army” are those forgotten by the mainstream.

“When I was back in middle school I wanted to be the most stylish kid, but I was also the biggest kid,” Fletcher explains. Clothes that fit him weren’t as nice looking as the brands that his friends wore, like Zara. Fletcher said that while not wearing the same clothes as his friends hurt him, it also made him stronger. “It made me want to be me. I started making stuff for me, and now I’m rocking my own Zara.”

Soft Thunder is available online at novasupply.co.