Behind Clothes Doors: A look into brand Advanced Placement and the future of fashion

Air Force One’s, Gucci belts, and off-white hoodies: just some of the many trends that are consuming our current fashion landscape. But are these trends truly fashion? In fact, what makes something truly “fashionable” at all? 

In reality, the definition of fashion is in a bit of a crisis. While on the surface its goal has been to provide a mode of creative expression, fashion has slowly lost its meaning among a sea of money, competition, and the desire to look like everyone else. But luckily for us, Scott Goldstein, Elon student and co-founder of Advanced Placement Clothing, is aiming to change that. 

While it merely started as a high school project, Advanced Placement has grown into a full-fledged brand of its own. Built off of the core principle of being unique, the company has aimed to alter how we, as consumers, view brands by encouraging individuality—something that Goldstein has always tried to achieve in his own life. 

“I have always wanted to be different in the fashion sense,” Goldstein said. “In my opinion, it is pretty counterproductive to follow a trend because you are just following in someone else’s footsteps, and where is the individuality in that? Much like my personal style, I want our brand to represent something truly unique. Ideally, someone should question it whenever someone wears it. So far, we’re accomplishing that goal.”

While individuality has always been a priority, the societal pressures that Goldstein has so desperately aimed to change made it difficult in the beginning. 

“There was a moral problem that we had with ourselves: whether or not we wanted to continue to put out original products, or milk the current trends that we knew would be incredibly successful,” he said. “Eventually, we decided to sacrifice the profit, because it doesn’t feel morally right to produce pieces that we think aren’t actually hot but others think are dope. It’s our job to create amazing products that people question and want to purchase on first sight.”

Even though Goldstein has jumped that hurdle, there still are many challenges that come with owning your own brand, especially as a student. 

“Managing the brand while also being in college is really challenging. It is difficult as a student to put out the products I truly want to create. As my schedule is jam packed at school, I don’t have the time needed to create insane products that we’re wanting to produce. Projects that I want to do now take twice as long because I have to balance class and living a college social life. It’s a tough position to be in, as I want to be successful in all areas: business, school, and personal life. People become successful when they ultimately master balance and time management.”

Nevertheless, Goldstein said he has found that running a clothing brand while being a college student has its perks.

“Being on a college campus, particularly one as tight-knit as Elon, has been really helpful in expanding our brand. Because our school is so small, the chances that someone will see an AP product is pretty large. And if they see enough of it, they will start asking: what is that?” he said. “Last year we began utilizing college reps—here, at UVM, Penn State, Boston University, Boulder, etc.—which has let us really expand. Currently being a business student is nice as well. Everything I’m learning in class I apply directly to our brand.”

In order to continue the brand’s expansion, Goldstein said he believes in always looking toward the future of fashion, ultimately shaping his brand around what’s to come. Recently, that has come in the form of the “post-sneaker world.”

“A lot of people think streetwear will be dead in the next couple years, and people I respect in the industry are proposing the idea of a post-sneaker world. I don’t think street style is going to end, I think it’s just going to change. Designers and people wearing streetwear are going to merge into something more clean cut. I think that things like loafers, boots, fleeces, suiting, and trousers, are all going to come back in style, but with a unique edge. I want to use the future of fashion as inspiration for our brand, but also make sure people know how different we are.” 

For Goldstein, his company is more than just a clothing brand. To him, it is about changing the industry and how we, as a society, view fashion. While today’s fashion scene may be in a “crisis,” Advanced Placement is bringing us one step closer to solving the problem. 

“Fashion is in a weird place, but fashion is always in a weird place,” he said. “It’s both weird and exciting that we are partially responsible for what people are wearing, giving customers the opportunity to rock original products that push the boundaries and raise questions. At the end of the day, this industry is just absurd. Absurd because of the unique and adventurous pieces being created, and I’m just grateful to be in the position to contribute to it.”