Clueman is a premium Sri Lankan brand that focuses exclusively on quality plain t-shirts of all varieties. Founded in 2013, Clueman is well on its way to becoming one of Sri Lanka’s big clothing brands.
The Morning spoke to the one-man army behind Clueman, Founder Abdus Salaam, to find out more about what drives this unique brand.
Clueman Founder Abdus Salaam[/caption]
Salaam is an entrepreneur, learner, and persistent go-getter with a passion for basketball, business, and thinking out of the box. He is all about the hustle and making a difference by adding value
A professional basketballer, before needing to stop because of sports-related injuries, Salaam maintained his connection to the sport by coaching, serving as an Assistant Basketball Coach at the Island Collection Academy of Basketball and the British School in Colombo, as well as Basketball Coach at Thurstan College, developing a reputation for excellence and sportsmanship.
When starting out at work (and chafing against the constraints of the boxed-in corporate environment), Salaam noticed the lack of plain, trendy, quality t-shirts in the menswear market, particularly for the young, smart customer who wanted to keep things simple and classy. This led to the birth of Clueman.
Salaam’s entrepreneurial spirit and commitment were key to getting Clueman off the ground; he managed a full-time job and coached basketball while pitching to larger retailers who didn’t understand the potential of young local brands in the marketplace.
After much research and pounding pavements, Clueman received its first order in August and has been moving from strength to strength since. Salaam handles all aspects of Clueman himself, from research and design and creating his own tech packs (something he taught himself when starting out), to handling marketing and promotion, Salaam even gets involved with the manufacturing process, consulting on the patterns of Clueman’s t-shirts when required to maintain quality.
Clueman is all about creating value for the customer. Retailing through larger stores like The Factory Outlet, The Outlet Store, Lady J, and Cotton Island, Clueman looks to create affordable pieces of premium quality that inspire confidence in their customers.
Clueman is 100% Sri Lankan and is produced by export factories with the utmost care, adhering to the apparel industry standards. Every aspect of the process from concept to point of sale, whether it is off the shelf or online, is handled to meet international standards.
Clueman’s core attitude is to create affordability, value for money, and a friendly customer base who can become loyal clients.
Behind the brand
[caption id="attachment_89235" align="alignright" width="300"] Clueman Founder Abdus Salaam[/caption]
Salaam is an entrepreneur, learner, and persistent go-getter with a passion for basketball, business, and thinking out of the box. He is all about the hustle and making a difference by adding value
A professional basketballer, before needing to stop because of sports-related injuries, Salaam maintained his connection to the sport by coaching, serving as an Assistant Basketball Coach at the Island Collection Academy of Basketball and the British School in Colombo, as well as Basketball Coach at Thurstan College, developing a reputation for excellence and sportsmanship.
When starting out at work (and chafing against the constraints of the boxed-in corporate environment), Salaam noticed the lack of plain, trendy, quality t-shirts in the menswear market, particularly for the young, smart customer who wanted to keep things simple and classy. This led to the birth of Clueman.
Salaam’s entrepreneurial spirit and commitment were key to getting Clueman off the ground; he managed a full-time job and coached basketball while pitching to larger retailers who didn’t understand the potential of young local brands in the marketplace.
After much research and pounding pavements, Clueman received its first order in August and has been moving from strength to strength since. Salaam handles all aspects of Clueman himself, from research and design and creating his own tech packs (something he taught himself when starting out), to handling marketing and promotion, Salaam even gets involved with the manufacturing process, consulting on the patterns of Clueman’s t-shirts when required to maintain quality.
Setting Clueman apart from the rest
Clueman is all about creating value for the customer. Retailing through larger stores like The Factory Outlet, The Outlet Store, Lady J, and Cotton Island, Clueman looks to create affordable pieces of premium quality that inspire confidence in their customers.
Clueman is 100% Sri Lankan and is produced by export factories with the utmost care, adhering to the apparel industry standards. Every aspect of the process from concept to point of sale, whether it is off the shelf or online, is handled to meet international standards.
Clueman’s core attitude is to create affordability, value for money, and a friendly customer base who can become loyal clients.