William Wilson Partners with Allen Edmonds Shoes
Celebrity clothing designer, William Wilson, known for being one of the most exclusive custom clothiers in America, has entered into a partnership with men’s shoe manufacturer Allen Edmonds as a brand ambassador. The agreement will allow his custom clothing firm, William Wilson Clothing, to provide its clients with the full line of highly respected men’s shoes, including custom shoes, without having to go to the store. So clients can order their suits, shirts, skirts, trousers, overcoats and shoes without ever having to leave their home or office. This is the first apparel partnership for William Wilson Clothing.
“No suit is complete without a great pair of shoes. My customers had often asked if I was going to start making shoes, or if I had recommendations for shoes. I knew it was important to provide that service, but I also wasn’t going to rush into an agreement just to say I provide them. I wanted something that was commensurate with the William Wilson brand. Allen Edmonds has a legacy
of quality, a reputation for superb customer service, and a commitment to sticking to its core values. The fact that it is an American company was icing on the cake. After meeting with Paul Graangard, President and CEO of Allen Edmonds, and Heron Laing, GM of the Allen Edmonds store in the upscale Southpark area of Charlotte, NC, I knew this was the company to partner with. I look forward to a long, and productive, relationship between Allen Edmonds Shoe Company and William Wilson Clothing.”
In honor of the new partnership, for the month of January, clients who purchase 2 William Wilson suits will receive a pair of Allen Edmonds shoes.
To schedule an appointment, or to learn more about William Wilson Clothing
Log on to WilliamWilsonClothing.com
William Wilson to Design Jacket for Bronko Nagurski Winner
From the Grammys, to the Oscars, to NASCAR, if there is a high profile sports award to be given, celebrity clothing designer, William Wilson appears to be the man to call. The Bronko Nagurski Awards are no exception. William Wilson has been chosen to design the jacket for the winner of the 2011 Bronko Nagurski Award. This is one of the most prestigious awards in all of sports. It is presented to the top defensive player in college football. The award will be presented on December 12 at 7PM, at the Westin Hotel.
Previous award winners include some of the most recognizable names in the NFL. Some of the legendary winners are Warren Sapp, Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Terrell Suggs, James Laurenitus, Brian Orakpo, and last year’s winner Da’Quan Bowers. This years finalists are nothing to sneeze at either. They are Mark Barron from Alabama, Morris Claiborne from LSU, Luke Kuechly from Boston College, Whitney Mercilus from Illinois, and Devon Still from Penn State.
“The Bronko Nagurski Award is about consistency in excellence, at the highest level. The William Wilson brand operates on the same principle. To partner with such prestigious brands as the Bronko Nagurski Award and The Touchdown Club was an easy decision.” says CEO, William Wilson. “I only partner the William Wilson brand with brands that share a common creed. John Rocco has done an amazing job with the Bronko Nagurski brand, and I look forward to a long lasting relationship and productive relationship.”
No one knows who the winner is. That secret is kept well guarded. But whoever it is, they will definitely be well dressed. They will be presented with a midnight black, custom sports coat from the William Wilson Black Label Collection. The Black Label is an invitation-only collection, and it one of the most exclusive clothing brands in the world. Though the jacket will be priceless, a regular sports coat from the collection has a starting retail price of $3500.
Shut Up and Do It
I’m just gonna come out and say this. Do you know why many of you aren’t successful? You don’t deserve to be. Why? It’s simple. You talk too much, and don’t work hard enough. You TALK more about being successful than you are willing to SACRIFICE to be successful. Until you are ready to commit to being successful; just shut up. Stop holding our ears hostage. Stop telling everyone what you are going to do “one of these days”. We all have that friend, buddy, or colleague that since the day you met them, they have always told you what they need to do, but you never see them do it. They are always talking about success, but they never commit to having any.
Success doesn’t accidentally happen. You don’t just fall into it. You work for it. You fight for it. You risk for it. And you sacrifice for it. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose, but you fight. You get knocked down and you get back up. THAT is where success comes from! I laugh sometimes when I read my Twitter timeline and I read “Lets Go!”, “Let’s Get It”, “Make it Happen” and all the other stuff. I can read their timelines for a month and not see what they are doing to actually “Get It”. It’s bravado. Don’t get me wrong. I say it sometimes too. But then I make something happen. Not everything I make happen results in success, but they do result in a lesson learned. A lesson I wouldn’t have learned just typing “Let’s Get It” on Twitter and then going about my usual routine. Yelling words of encouragement, with no plan of executing it, is cheer leading. “Let’s Go?” Yea right!
On Christmas night at 12:30 I sent out a tweet asking 1 simple question: “Whose working?” The people that responded were the ones I thought would respond. They were on their computers planning for 2011, while most were out partying. They were exactly who I thought would be at home working. Because I see them all year doing the same thing. They don’t tweet about parties, they don’t tweet about their relationship problems, and they aren’t constantly re-tweeting what everyone else is saying or doing. They are moving forward. They are sacrificing. They have put their heads down and committed to being the best. They will be successful. Or at least they have the best chance. I’m not saying, you can’t party. I’m not saying don’t enjoy yourself. But I AM saying, if you don’t fully commit, you won’t fully grow.
While sitting at my computer at 12:24 Christmas night, I came up with an incredible idea, that I will be launching soon. I’m giving away $100,000 dollars to a fortunate person that follows me on Twitter and “Likes” my Facebook FanPage. This is going to be an incredible branding opportunity. I wouldn’t have come up with this in the club. I also formed a strategic partnership that I will be announcing next year. I wouldn’t have done that in the club either.
I’ve had over a hundred people ask me what am I doing for New Years Eve. I told them “I will be in church. I am giving God my real time, not my obligatory, or spare time.” Many of them applauded my actions. Some even said, they needed to do that. To which I responded, “Why don’t you just do it then?” They have a variety of different answers, but it all comes down to where your priorities are. I’m not saying they should be like me, or that I am right and they’re wrong. I started doing this a couple of years ago, and my life began to change. I started becoming more successful; and the craziest goals I could think of began to be exceeded. This has worked for me, and I will keep doing it.
Success is a fruit that takes time to ripen. We are about to embark on not only a new year, but a new decade. Now is your chance to commit to greatness. I’m no one special, if I can be successful, you can definitely be. But you have to commit. You have to be 100% in. Otherwise, you’re only fooling yourself, and wasting a ton of time and money. Buying a pack of business cards and building a website doesn’t make you a success. It doesn’t even make you a business. I can build a website, and buy business cards that say I’m a neurosurgeon; but you don’t want me cutting into your brain. Trust me! Hard work, dedication, commitment, and sacrifice are key ingredients to success. If you aren’t willing to give it 100%, then why bother? Why start a goal or a business if you aren’t willing to work, fight, and sacrifice to see your vision come to life? If you choose the club over planning. If you choose sleep over research. If you choose the party over the paperwork; that’s fine. Just don’t be upset when your competition leaves you in their dust. After all, at least you got your party on. Until next time…
God Bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Cloting
Don’t Make The Mistakes I Made This Year
I want to personally thank you all for helping make 2010 an incredible year for William Wilson Clothing. Like any company, we have had our share of ups and downs, yet it simply made us a stronger brand. As you know, I’m a transparent guy. I like to help those I can. I have made some good and bad decisions this year, some could have been catastrophic, but God placed people around me to make sure it wasn’t. In hopes of helping you avoid some of the mistakes I have made, I will let you in on some of my LEAST desirable situations.
First, I waited too long to put together a team. I treat my company like it’s my child, and I didn’t trust anyone else to take care of certain things. I tried to do everything myself. As a result, some of my greatest accomplishments went unnoticed.
For example, I did Calvin Richardson’s suit for the Grammys this year. He was recognized as “Best Dressed on the Red Carpet”. This is a big deal. For a local clothier from Charlotte to even be doing a suit for the Grammys should have at least warranted some interviews, not to mention being named best dressed. But it went relatively unknown. I may never repeat that feat again, but again it’s a lesson learned. Fortunately there’s a bright side to this lesson, Calvin has been nominated again for the Grammys, and I will once again be doing his suit. This time it will be the William Wilson Black Label Grammy debut. And I’m determined that it receives its proper press.
Second, I contracted with a PR firm and didn’t have the outcome I anticipated. I will take the blame and say I did this without fully understanding how PR works. I assumed they kind of took the lead in this arena, since they were the experts. Apparently, I wasn’t as involved as I should have been. I now know EXACTLY what is a reasonable expectation, and I will make sure to leave no window of doubt concerning my expectations next time. In addition, I will ensure that I don’t allow myself to feel as if I’m not a big enough client to demand the attention I feel I should have received. Again, my fault.
Third, I hosted my first golf tournament, The William Wilson Celebrity Invitational presented by Jetpool. The tournament, and the pairings party, was a smashing success. Everyone had a great time. You would never guess the mess we had with the food. I will show the guilty parties more respect than they showed me, or my events, and not get too detailed. Let’s just say I thank God for providing me with a sponsor that was more involved with the event than the food sponsors. We were in a precarious position, because the ball was dropped and we didn’t know until 48 hours before the event. This actually left us in a tight spot up to 20 minutes before my event was set to start. Through Jetpool’s professionalism and preparedness, we were able to form a contingency plan to keep a potentially catastrophic and embarrassing event from happening. I have three words of advice on this one: “Trust but verify.” I didn’t think of this, it was actually a quote from Pres. Ronald Reagan.
Kevin Conway,with girlfriend Angel Taber, wearing William Wilson Black Label on the Red Carpet at the NASCAR Awards.
Fourth, I again was not prepared to maximize an opportunity in front of me. NASCAR driver, Kevin Conway, won the 2010 Sprint Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year. Kevin debuted the William Wilson Black Label, the most exclusive line of men’s custom suits in the world, at the NASCAR Awards Banquet in Las Vegas on national television. Again, as incredible as this was, it went relatively unnoticed, except by you, my loyal fans. Even some people in the media that knew about it, let the moment pass; preferring to write yet another article about one of the 300 local fashion shows taking place in Charlotte.
As you can see, I made some huge errors in judgment. I made many, many more as well, but I don’t want to bore you with them. Fortunately, I have learned from my mistakes. The first thing I did was acquired a mentor, Leonard Wheeler. Next, I began to assemble my team. God has put some incredible people in front of me to help guide me. Now I have Alexander Sok as my Director of Creative Development and Operations, Lilly Pad & Pen as my Editorial Firm and Kaytlyn Lackey to head my Video department. On Christmas Eve, I added our first intern, Grace Mills to serve on board our Graphics department. I feel these individuals, as well as others I will add to the team, will help William Wilson Clothing fill some voids in our brand. I look forward to what the New Year will bring. We have some incredible projects in store for 2011. I hope God blesses your 2011 to be more amazing than you could ever dream of, and that this blog will help you avoid making the same mistakes I did. Until next time…
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
The William Wilson Celebrity Invitational presented by Jetpool
The William Wilson Celebrity Invitational will be held at Carolina Lakes Golf Club on Tuesday, Oct 12th. It is the most exclusive golf tournament in the Carolinas. Limited to 50 players (25 of which are invited celebrities). There are only 25 spots open for amateur play. The William Wilson Celebrity Invitational is not only the most only exclusive tournament in the Carolinas, but it promises to be the most fun and fast paced. Though there are only 25 amateur spots available for players, spectators are welcome to come watch, take pictures, and get autographs.
Celebrities already committed are current Carolina Panthers James Anderson, Rhys Lloyd, and Charlie Martin, Tony Womack (former New York Yankee), and NASCAR Driver Kevin Conway. Carolina Panther legend Mike Minter will be on hand to hit the ceremonial tee shot. For a full list of confirmed players click here.
Our hole-in-one prizes are second to none. Take a look at this lineup:
1. A full custom wardrobe by William Wilson Clothing (5 suits and 5 shirts) valued at $15000,
2. $50,000,
3. A a private jet trip to anywhere in the US (Courtesy of Jetpool) and a custom suit fitting by William Wilson at 40,000 ft) valued at $20,000, and last but certainly not least:
4. A Lamborghini Gallardo! That’s right, I told you this isn’t your daddy’s golf tournament. Value: $240,000. We are even auctioning off a chance for one fortunate person to take a shot at all 4 prizes. That’s $325,000 worth of prizes. That will change your life.
Here is the Rundown:
25- 2 man teams (1celebrity/ 1 amateur per team)
Format: Stroke play (handicapped)
3 Trophy Categories (low celebrity score- low amateur score- low team score)
Entry Fee - $250.
Spectator Tickets $10 limited number available
Golf Course: Carolina Lakes Golf Club
Beneficiary: Autism Speaks
Pairings Party: Monday Oct 11, 7-9pm at Jetpool Private Hanger. There will be 2 private jets and luxury cars for attendees to view.
Player Experience:
There will be a private pairings party where teams will be decided.
Each player will have their own marked parking space at the Carolina Lakes
Each player will have their own designated space on the driving range (with an assistant)
Each player will be announced on #1 tee box (just like the PGA tour)
Players keep the score of their playing partner
If any ball is hit more than a driver’s length into the woods. The player is to drop, take a stroke, and keep play moving.
If you would like to volunteer or be a sponsor of the most exclusive golf tournament in town, please email me at WilliamWilsonGolf@Gmail.com
There will be more information upcoming. Thank you in advance for your support. Until next time….
God Bless and dress well,
William Wilson, CEO
William Wilson Clothing
My Apology To Women
William Wilson, CEO William Wilson Clothing
Let me preface this by saying, this does not pertain to all men. If you are doing what you need to do, then disregard this. If you aren’t, then maybe you need to re-evaluate your position. That’s totally up to you. Also, this is not intended for women that are not up on their game either. This is for the women that are doing thier best, to put their best foot forward. For those of you who aren’t, then maybe you need to re-evaluate your position as well.
Man was created in God’s image. And we have been sliding backwards every since. We have stopped thinking as individuals, and have let society, our boys, and entertainment figures dictate our lifestyles. We are more concerned with being seen as tough and strong in front of our boys, than being vulnerable and loving to our women. We have allowed rappers to dictate the way we dress, instead of our President. We have not only stopped seeking role models, but have also stopped being role models. We have gotten to the point where we are actually looking for credit for not going to jail, not hitting women, and raising our kids. We actually want credit for doing what we are SUPPOSED to do. How sad is that?
I look at the amount of time women put into looking good when they go out. They make sure their nails, hair and clothes are tight, their purses match, and some go so far (and thank you so much for this) as to even make sure their underwear matches. Those are the kinds of things they do. But us….
I go to a comedy show on Tuesday nights when I’m in town. Ladies, I can see the distinct difference in the amount of preparation you put into yourselves and that amount that we do. But it isn’t just there. I can go to events all over town and see how lazy we have gotten. I get so sick of hearing us say, “I just want to be comfortable, it’s not that big a deal”. I hear women complain about how their heels hurt their feet, and how they spend hours at the salon getting their hair right, and the money the spend in mani/ pedis. We give them so little return in their investment.
Ladies, I would like to apologize on behalf of the men that don’t put the same thought and work into themselves as you do to you. I apologize that we have gotten so lazy that we can actually brag that we don’t own a single suit, but we have the newest Air Jordans, and shiny rims on our cars. I apologize that we can’t take you to a nice restaurant and treat you like Cinderella because our wardrobe consists of tee shirts, jeans, and big chains. I’m sorry we can’t give you culture by taking you to the theater or the symphony, because our cultural knowledge is limited to the likes of Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Trey Songz. I sorry we don’t write love songs anymore. I’m sorry that all of our slow songs are musical descriptions of how we will do you with our clothes off, but not about how we will treat you with our clothes on. I’m sorry that we will commit every weekend to watching the games, but won’t go to church with you. I’m sorry we outnumber you in the club and at the game, but you outnumber us in church and in college. I’m sorry we ask you to be ready when we get there, but we never show up on time. I’m sorry that we don’t give you fair warning when plans change. I’m sorry that the only time we treat you like a woman is when we are trying to get out of the doghouse, or into you pants. I’m sorry we treat you like you’re second to the things we care about, until another man comes along. Then we treat you like a queen until he’s gone. Then we go back to being the same person we were. I’m sorry we aren’t better role models to the next generation of men. I’m sorry our vocabulary is only increased when new rap slang becomes hot. I’m sorry we aren’t the leaders we once were. I’m sorry we don’t make you proud of us like the generation before us. I’m sorry we give you so much information to use in your man bashing sessions. I’m sorry you have to go out with your girls to have fun because we don’t take you anywhere. I’m sorry we have gotten so lazy with our appearance that when a man actually does pay attention to the way he dresses. He’s called a metrosexual. We have actually made paying attention to the complete package as a man a negative. I’m sorry you put so much work into looking good for us, but we give you so little. That you get breast implants, weaves, manicures and pedicures, liposuction, and try ever diet under the sun to look good for us, but we won’t put half that effort into you. I’m sorry we go out with our boys and have a great time, but we crucify you when you want to go out with your girls. I’m sorry we know the stats for every player in our fantasy league, but can’t remember your birthday, favorite color, or our wedding anniversary. I’m sorry we will spend hundreds of dollars on golf and strip clubs, but won’t buy you flowers (unless it’s a special occasion), or take you to dinner if the tab is gonna be over $100.
I will take it upon myself to apologize for all of these shortcomings and idiosyncrasies, even though most don’t even apply to me. But I will also like to add this. There are good men out there. Excellent men. Men that will be everything you want. Everything you could ask for. Men that take it upon themselves to be the men God called them to be. They pay attention to your needs. They’re there when you need them. They always have your back. When times are rough, they got you. When you need to cry, they have a dry shoulder. When you need to talk, they have an open ear. When you need a hug, they have open arms. They will never disrespect you. They will always be there for you. They will cherish you. They will love you. And they will be a man you can be proud of.
If you have a man like that now- tell him you love him. Tell him you appreciate him. Show him how much you appreciate him. There is a shortage of men to be proud of these days, and the list is shortening everyday. We may act tough, be we need affection too. We want to love too. We want to know we are noticed and appreciated just like you do. We get tired of seeing you accept lesser treatment, by pathetic men, but find ways to disregard the good ones. If you have a good man in your life. Let him know. He doesn’t have to be your man. He can be your friend that is always there for you. He can be the guy that listens through everyone of your bad relationships. He could be the guy at work that you can always open up to. Whomever he is, give him the respect and courtesy of saying thank you to him. Thank him for not being one of the men I had to apologize for. It may make his day. Until next time….
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson
Want to Get Treated Like a Lady, Dress Like One
William Wilson, CEO William Wilson Clothing
I tend to post gender neutral blog postings about business, style, or things that are happening in my life. But today I’m writing this post because I’m often asked what kind of woman I like. And I think my answer tends to surprise some people. This often leads to conversations that led to this blog post. To sum it up, I’m not attracted to women that dress too provocatively. I tend to feel they are insecure, lacking attention, and will eventually lead to a relationship ladened with drama, arguments, and unsolicited input from her girlfriends (who have no man). I know I’m painting with a broad brush, and I know it isn’t applicable to EVERY woman. But I have to draw on my experiences. After all, this is The William Wilson Perspective. If this isn’t you, don’t be offended. If it is, this is my perspective. I offer it out of love, and hope that it will give you a better insight to how you may be viewed.
I understand there is a distinct difference between being sexy and being trashy. There are some gowns and outfits that are extremely sexy, but are still tasteful. The dress Brittney Cason was wearing at the Sex and the City premier garnered a lot of attention from the fellas. (I know this because I heard the responses from men as she emceed the start of the fashion show). But of the responses I heard, none of them were crass, or objectifying in a negative way. It was a sexy, but elegant dress. Brittney is in great shape so
Jacinda Garabito, Dianne Gallagher, Me, Brittney Cason, and Jordan Fish at the Sex and The City 2 Premier at Mez
she can get every ounce of beauty out of a dress. It was appropriate for the occasion, and fully captured the theme for the evening. In fact all four women (Brittney Cason, Jacinda Garabito, Dianne Gallagher, and Jordan Fish), are extremely beautiful women that fully embodied the theme of the evening, and hit home runs with their impeccable attire. There were other women that displayed elegance and beauty at the event Kenetria Richardson (fiance’of NFL star Chris Harris), T-Strong (aka The Style Mavin), and Jameeka Whitten (JSW Media Group), Nadia Moffette (Miss North Carolina USA 2010) and her publicist Yolanda C. Broadie (YCB Agency).
On the flipside, there were some that honestly, should have known better. Now I don’t claim to the the bastion of knowledge in all things female fashion; far from it. But just because it’s fashionable, doesn’t mean it isn’t trashy. Just because it’s in fashion, doesn’t mean it’s for you. And just because YOU think it’s cute, doesn’t mean you don’t really look like a tramp to everyone else. Get mad if you want. I’m just saying.
I like women that dress classy, and respectful. I find female confidence to be very attractive. I believe a beautiful woman couldn’t hide her beauty if she wanted to. A classy, confident woman can not only catch my immediate attention, but they can occupy a space in my mind for a while. I am rarely moved by women that I see dressed up like high priced (sometimes cheap) call girls. Necklines to their belly buttons, clothes 2 sizes to small, and so much butt showing I sometimes question why even pretend they’re trying to cover it. Sure you will get attention, but is it really the attention you want? Do you want to be respected and considered a lady? Or would you prefer to purely be the object of someone’s sexual desire? Here’s a little secret about SOME guys that are just out for sexual conquests. He will be everything you’re looking for until he gets you in bed, or gets tired of being in bed with you. Then the interest disappears, and you WILL be replaced with another woman shortly. Now don’t put the blame on him solely. Yes, he’s responsible for his actions, but so are you. Stop getting mad at men because they only think of you sexually, when you leave your house looking like the cover girl for “I Need Sex Tonight Magazine“. You can either leave the house looking like someone a real man wants to date, or someone that a man just wants to lay, that choice is yours. You decide what you wear when you leave the house. Just because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you SHOULD do it. You’re grown, you can do what you want. But there are consequences to your actions.
Now I’m not your father. I may not even really know you. But I do have an interest in this, and I will tell you why. I consider myself to be a good, honorable, respectable, God fearing man. I make my mistakes, and I am far from perfect. But I get tired of being grouped into the “all men are dogs” category, (especially from women that leave the house looking like doggy snacks, and get mad when dogs take a bite). Don’t leave the house looking like a stripper, meet a guy looking for a stripper, get treated like a stripper, then get mad because he didn’t treat you like an executive, and then bash ALL men. You catch a fish based on the bait you use. If you want a good man, look like a good woman. Want to get treated like a ho, dress like one. It’s not complicated.
Feel free to respond. I doubt that real, respectable, confident woman that have pride about themselves, and value their image will disagree with me. But I can be wrong. Let me know what you think. Just be respectful, and watch your language.
God bless and dress well,
William Wilson
William Wilson is the CEO of William Wilson Clothing, America's Most Exclusive Private Clothier. His clients are the who's who of corporate America, professional athletics, entertainment and politics.
