Change is inevitable.  The planet changes as do the animals that inhabit it.  People’s tastes change as people change themselves.  However, change is not always guaranteed to be for the better, but in Scotty Taylor’s case progression has trumped regression.  His design and production company, Catalyst Design, has gone from a small operation in a friend’s apartment in Waterbury, Vermont to a warehouse and boutique in South Burlington, Vermont in less than 4 years.  It has evolved from merely design and production to his own clothing collective, BrandNew Clothing, which is both a brand and an ally to other up and coming brands.

Originally from Minneapolis via Canada, Scotty spent his summers snowboarding in Oregon, a place he always imagined he would end up.  But rather than going west at the age of 18, he packed up his van and went east to Vermont where he got a job at Burton stuffing catalogs in the back of the warehouse.  From there he worked his way up through the company for 8 years, holding a variety of positions from mail clerk to R&D Technician for hard goods.

“They were always a company that I was really into since they were such a progressive company whether it was fashion or function,” said Scotty.

Scotty’s time at Burton, specifically his experience as product manager for the AK line, which sent him to China for months at time, is precisely why Catalyst and BrandNew are focused on innovation and on doing what hasn’t been done before.

And as much as Scotty’s stint as product manager for the AK line was, as he described, “a dream job,” he quit to focus on Catalyst full-time.  He had been doing design work under the Catalyst name since 1999 while still working for Burton, but knowing any entrepreneurial endeavor takes time to develop Scotty figured the sooner he took Catalyst seriously, the sooner he would be able to realize his dream.  In only a few months, Catalyst got so much work that they outgrew the Waterbury based apartment and moved to their location on Pine St. in Burlington where they stayed for 3 years until moving to the new spot in S. Burlington.

It’s all about progression, and Brand New, Catalyst, and Scotty are focused on creating a company that gives newer generations a unique option when it comes to apparel.

“It’s a lifestyle clothing brand that is influenced by music, snowboarding, and the whole youth culture in general,” said Scotty.

Scotty’s capabilities go well-beyond apparel as he has helped design and modify more industrial products such as faceguards on motocross helmets and squeegees on gloves.  This wide range of design experience has given Catalyst and BrandNew a competitive edge when it comes to expanding the product line.  Cut-and-sew shirts, custom denim, and even fragrances are currently in the works and Scotty promises they won’t just be more of the same in an already oversaturated market.

With the 21^st century culture being as dynamic as it is it only makes sense for BrandNew to keep moving forward.  Instead, designs can always be improved as Scotty and the rest of the folks at BrandNew are proponents of tweaking something if the changes will enhance it.  Not only does this add more diversity to the product line, but it also turns clothing into collectibles as a fan of one design can purchase new variations in the design’s evolution.  Additionally, this we-can-make-it-better attitude ensures that BrandNew will constantly try and push not just themselves, but the fashion industry and the brands and artists which they collaborate with.

Scotty credits his business partner, Rebecca Welch, as one of the major reasons why BrandNew has been growing so quickly.

“In the beginning I had to do everything myself, but fortunately I met Becca Welch,” Scotty says. “She’s been really helpful in expanding the brand and organizing things better.”

Becca has taken on much of the responsibilities that are essential to keeping a business running smoothly, allowing Scotty to focus more on what he knows best, which is product development.  The BrandNew Exponential Sessions, which creates clothes that feature various artists’ work, is something Scotty and BrandNew are psyched on.

After all, one of the coolest things about BrandNew and what they’re doing is their focus on collaboration and unification.  It’s all about bringing in a variety of different perspectives to create clothing that is fresh and ever-evolving; clothing that is brand new.

Check It Out: BrandNewClothing.com