Since 2008 we’ve been meeting people through our brand who share that same curiosity about the human experience. We created a series of interviews telling our collective story, a place where clothing and community intertwine.
We present the second part of our newest video series, Clothing + Community with Joey Bowen of Few Will Hunt. Few Will Hunt is a brand that shares much of the same DNA as Commonwealth Proper such as being Philly-born and a clothing brand that focuses on keeping its production in the USA. We had the chance to sit down with Joey at his Northeast Philly showroom to discuss his brand and life.
CMMP: Where did you grow up?
JB: Philadelphia— proudly born and raised! North Philly, Northeast Philly, and now, Center City.
CMMP: What’s your professional background?
JB: I began my journey in a very different industry than my current one— technology! I started programming at around 11 years old. I was a software developer and architect for 20 years prior to Few Will Hunt. I owned a small, boutique software development firm and built enterprise applications for global pharmaceutical, publishing, and fundraising companies.
CMMP: What was the motivation behind leaving the corporate world and starting your own clothing brand?
JB: It was more duty than motivation! We started the Few Will Hunt community in 2017 and, after a few years of building it, I knew it was my purpose— my life’s work. I’m a hard worker and risk taker at my core and I felt it was my duty to fully commit to continuing Few Will Hunt’s impact on the lives of our community members and in society.
CMMP: You have a brand ethos built on hard work and never cutting corners, tell us more about the origins of that.
JB: Hard work is in my DNA. I’m the product of a hard-working, middle-class family in Philadelphia. My parents instilled resourcefulness and a strong work ethic in me. They helped me see the pride that results from a job well done. I also soaked in the grit and resilience of the tough, blue-collar Philly neighborhoods where I grew up. All of this played a part in shaping our ethos.
CMMP: You started the brand with your cousin Drew, has it grown into more of a family-run business since then?
JB: It has, but we will always be a family business! Our new partners and colleagues may not be blood relatives… but we are all bonded together by our non-negotiable core values of doing whatever it takes, never peaking, giving first, and bringing great energy. These values bond us stronger than blood ever will. We all live and breathe our mission of restoring the dignity of hard work and our impact on society is a testament to that.
CMMP: You chose the eagle as your logo, why?
JB: There are 3 pillars in the Few Will Hunt community— freedom, hard work, and service to others. The eagle, especially the female eagle, embodies all of these perfectly. She is free to go wherever, whenever she wants. Her life IS hard work— from surviving as an eaglet to learning how to hunt and braving all conditions in between. Most of her life is spent in service to her young as well. Patriotism played a big part in our decision, too!
CMMP: You’ve recently started manufacturing in America, tell us about what drove that decision.
JB: We believe that it’s what's right for our community and our country. It was always our vision and I’ve always felt the desire to do this deep in my bones. Philadelphia was the workshop of the world at one time, a textile capital. Not making it in the USA would be a grave disservice to who we are and where we’ve come from.
CMMP: What other brands inspire you?
JB: Commonwealth Proper, of course! Your unrivaled service to your customer and your undying commitment to Made in the USA have been great inspirations to us since day one. I don’t pay attention to others really— I have a clear 10-year vision and I stare straight down that path. There’s no need to look left or right at what others are doing.
CMMP: You’ve become popular within the combat sports training scene and found your niche, what other demographics does your brand aspire to break into?
JB: Our community is very diverse— so we know no limits! Our takeover of the fightwear game is very visible publicly right now, but we’re also popular in CrossFit, bodybuilding, powerlifting, football— any and all training that prepares you for the chaos of life.
CMMP: When did you know you really had something with this business? Was there a seminal moment, a turning point?
JB: There were two! We started Few Will Hunt as a blog to attract like-minded people into a community that believed in hard work and its power. In 2018, our community members started to ask for our words and beliefs on apparel. The first seminal moment was a question that we asked ourselves. “Do we have a blog or a business?” Could we continue to impact society in a much bigger way by opening and operating a clothing company with the purpose of restoring the dignity of hard work?
The second seminal moment came when we witnessed our community members begin to tattoo our words and designs on their bodies. It wasn’t only an honor, but a clear sign that our impact was rippling through society.
CMMP: We’ve known each other for a long time, over a decade now.. you’ve changed careers and grown your family in that time, what do you envision for yourself in the next decade?
JB: You’ll find me staying true to my life’s work— leading Few Will Hunt toward our clear, compelling 10-year vision of 1 million hard workers served through my words and actions.