It's Okay To Be Different

“The whole brand is centered around mental health and we’re trying to do more to stand for mental health. People that know me know that I love that brand more than the clothes actually” - Trey

Hailing from Chester, Pennsylvania, Trey is a 22 year old creative committed to making a difference in the world around him. He is a photographer, videographer and the creator of “Be Different,” his clothing brand that launched in January of 2021.

“Be Different” isn’t just a clothing brand, it’s a platform centered around mental health. Throughout the interview as Trey talks about “Be Different,” you can feel the love that he has for his brand & his dedication to spread this message of encouraging people, especially the youth, to “Inspire To Be Different”.

How would you describe your personality? 

Trey: “Very laid back, I kinda let things come to me, I feel like I forced things growing up so now I'm trying to be in tune with myself and the world around me. I work hard a lot, I’m a photographer and videographer, I have a clothing line brand, I gain the most out of life by traveling”

What made you get into photography?

Trey: “I first started when I was young” [his mom bought him a digital camera, where he would take pictures of trees and other things, later on he got an advanced camera to start his career in photography]. “I was in middle school doing weddings,” he said. Photography became Trey’s creative outlet. Freshman & sophomore year of high school, there was a period where Trey didn’t pick up the camera but during his junior and senior year of high school he started photography again. Since then he’s been working hard and dedicated to his brand.

So let's talk about your brand, “Be Different'' which launched in January of 2021, The motto of the brand is “Inspire to be different”. How did you come up with the idea of your brand?

Trey: “Honestly, this is the first time that I’m saying this but I was depressed a lot and I didn’t have a lot of friends, even now I have a small circle. It was kind of hard to express myself in different ways. So me saying this is to tell other people that you’re not alone, that you have the strength to be different, to overcome whatever you got going on and things like that. The whole brand is centered around mental health and we’re trying to do more to stand for mental health. People that know me know that I love that brand more than the clothes actually”

What does “Be Different'' mean to you?

Trey: “Being different is…it’s what it sounds like [Laughs] but it's also not what is sounds like” he said, because of how common it is to hear the term “Be different".  For Trey, “Being Different” is simply being yourself. He says, “If you’re always you, people will see that and love you for that, on the side of my hoodies, it says “be kind, be creative, be inspired, be yourself”.

Was there any moment in your life where you struggled to be yourself?

Trey: “No, because I had no reason not to be myself. I was a very antisocial kid, I didn’t have many friends like I said, so the friends that I did have I didn't have to fake it because they knew me and we were the best of friends. Even throughout different avenues I’ve taken in life, through military, college, high school [Trey felt that he never had to be any other person but himself].

Mentioned on your website you have this statement which is “Be inspired, Be kind and Be You”. Where do you find your inspiration?

Trey: “I find it through three main sources: God, my mom and my friends. I’m a firm believer in faith, God is centered around everything in my life. My mother is a mom of 5 including myself, all boys. She’s very encouraging in everything that I do. My friends motivate me to do better.

What does being kind mean to you?

“It’s being respectful, there’s a lot of meanness in the world for a lack of better words, I feel like if we all had that essential level of respect for each other the world would be a better place.”

What advice would you give to someone who is struggling to be themselves?

Trey: "I would tell them that you’re not alone, everybody feels like how you’re feeling every now and then but at the end of the day there’s only 1 you, and you gotta figure out who you are to be the best you, to be the best you can be”

In what ways are you being yourself, what makes you different from the next person?

Trey: “I feel like there’s no one like me, I’m happy with who I am. It took a long time to say that I’m happy with who I am. I used to hate myself but I’m very happy with what I’m doing and what I've accomplished.”