Building a clothing brand over the past decade has been like watching an art piece come to life, said Ryan Tanner Mueller, the man behind one of Kansas City’s most quietly successful apparel ventures.

“I’ve always been influenced by a brutalist, minimalist-blend of streetwear and sportswear. Around the time we launched, the fashion trends were a lot of bright colors and flashy designs. We were focusing on minimalism, which is what a lot of branding has moved toward over the past 10 years,” said Mueller, the founder of Alpha Clothing — which is set to rebrand to ACI in early 2023.

Click here to check out AC1. 

Officially launched in 2012, AC1 was created out of Mueller’s frustration in not being able to find quality athletic apparel while still supporting small businesses, he recalled. Studying entrepreneurship at University of Missouri-Kansas City at the time, Mueller decided to build the business himself.

“I started with about $3,600, which was all the money I had at the time,” Mueller said. “I wired it over to a factory in China, not knowing if I’d ever see it again. And then I immediately started hitting people up on Instagram and YouTube asking if they would be sponsors and create sponsored content.” 

Creating community 

For Mueller and AC1, influencer marketing —  paying individuals to wear and post about a product — proved successful in forming a loyal following of customers, he said. 

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