Business of HYPE Returns With Designers Who Decides War and Kody Phillips

Highlighting how entrepreneurs can strengthen their creative output with financial logic, Intuit TurboTax partnered with Kody Phillips and the founders of Who Decides War, Ev Bravado and Téla D’Amore, to provide a forum where local creatives could hear directly from industry leaders about their experience growing a successful label in the evolving world of fashion.

The collaboration originally stemmed from the custom fashion capsules co-created by the designers and TurboTax to honor the entrepreneurial spirit of New York City. Following the collections debut during New York Fashion Week, TurboTax hosted the Business of HYPE panel discussion at its new state-of-the-art flagship store, TurboTax SoHo. This store location is part of a major nationwide expansion for the tax-filing brand, including 20 new stores and nearly 600 expert offices designed to provide year-round financial confidence.

The conversation was hosted in front of a live audience of local fashion students, industry leaders and other community members. Moderated by Hypebeast Editor-in-Chief, Madrell Stinney, the panel included Bravado, D’Amore and Phillips, alongside Lisa Greene Lewis, a tax expert spokesperson & CPA with TurboTax. Together, they explored the foundational business strategies and financial frameworks that turn creative ideas into lasting success.

Since all businesses start with a story, it was only fitting that the creatives behind these growing fashion labels introduced themselves and the design ethos powering their apparel. Asked what initial risks they took to launch their brands, the conversation kicked off with thoughtful ruminations on how designers channeled their artistic ambition from the very early days of financial decisioning.

Bravado and Téla D’Amore detailed how they grew Who Decides War from the ground up, filing for an LLC, creating makeshift studios in their apartments and meticulously honing their design DNA despite them facing significant roadblocks at the outset. Partnerships with the late Virgil Abloh’s Off-White garnered major visibility for the brand’s signature denim, with D’Amore sharing the following: “That was immediately an incredible return that allowed us to further the art that we wanted to put out into the world…It’s a matter of making sure the virality is meeting the velocity, so we needed to make sure that when we were having a viral moment — the biggest financial lesson would be not to let it pass. It’s a moment to sustain your business further. If you have anything you can invest, making a run of that quickly and making it available quickly to a wider consumer. Take a mini hit for a big reward.”

Kody Phillips shared a similar sentiment that his beginnings, albeit humble, motivated him to take creative agency over his brand image and product. He started by selling small screenprint apparel online, and with each sold-out drop, he slowly garnered enough cash flow to secure his own art studio and establish his team in New York City. “We’ve had a few hit products, and when you do, it’s a moment. It’s fleeting. You have to hit it hard, but not too hard that people get sick of it. Keep up with demand, bring in new colorways and styles,” Phillip said, noting how he keeps up with viral momentum.

The conversation pivoted to spotlight how the next generation of designers can equip themselves with the right tools and financial education to launch their careers. Stinney addressed how today’s biggest designers are tasked with omnichannel marketing and creating various forms of in-person, wholesale and online streams of revenue, with some brands even struggling to reinvent the bounds of experiential marketing to attract consumers. Collectively, Bravado, Téla D’Amore and Phillips agreed that direct-to-consumer business models can certainly feel precarious in today’s market, but the key is remaining authentic and honest to your brand mission.

Throughout the conversation, Lewis provided a helpful expert perspective, empowering the live audience with tax-related tips to strengthen their businesses and cultural output, learning how to maximize the best possible tax outcomes. The panel demonstrated how early-stage entrepreneurs can manage sudden growth, financial setbacks and harness meaningful support from networks within the industry and the community of experts that surrounds them.

“Make everything in-house, learn as much as you can, stay as small as you can for as long as you can, and continue doing what you love,” shared Phillips. His sentiment echoed that you’ll organically attract the right consumers if your product is honest and rooted in something that captures the pulse of culture. “Ask for help, and ask often. Surround yourself with like-minded people,” he closed, gesturing to the wider audience.

Offering the community a seamless “done-for-you” filing experience, SoHo TurboTax is now open, with local experts who are available both online and in-person, and equipped to handle all situations for both personal and business taxes.

Listen to the live Business of Hype panel discussion on YouTube. You can learn more about the inspiration behind each designer’s custom collection with Intuit TurboTax by diving into our latest Behind the Design series