Meet Landon Lawrence: The Visionary Behind Viewfinder
By Natalie McCarty
Photo from @cargojort on Instagram
Over the past year, I’ve been closely following the entrepreneurial journey of my friend Landon Lawrence, known as @cargojort on Instagram. His brand, Viewfinder, consistently drops incredibly cool pieces that always catch my eye, blending innovative design with a keen sense of style.
Landon’s story is as inspiring as it is impressive. He started his brand while still in high school, working tirelessly out of his parents’ house in Texas. He printed shirts, sewed, and reworked pieces, honing his craft and developing a distinct aesthetic. After graduating, he took a bold leap of faith. Using his hard-earned savings, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, and opened his own studio, determined to grow his brand in one of the world’s most competitive fashion markets.
Operating as a (mostly) one-man team, Landon has achieved remarkable growth for Viewfinder through the power of social media marketing and a relentless dedication to producing unique items. His ability to connect with his audience and create buzz around each release is a testament to his savvy and vision.
Beyond his business acumen, Landon is genuinely a good guy — smart, funny, and incredibly talented. Supporting him and Viewfinder in any way possible is something I’m genuinely passionate about. I have nothing but the utmost respect for him, knowing the hard work and passion he pours into every piece.
In the interview below, I had the pleasure of capturing the essence of Landon’s journey, his creative process, and his vision for the future of Viewfinder. It’s a story of determination, passion, and drive: it’s Landon Lawrence.
Personal and Professional Background
Introduction: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to start Viewfinder?
Hi I’m Landon, I own Viewfinder. I honestly just got inspired to make cool stuff because I couldn’t really afford any of the cool stuff I wanted to buy. So I just decided to try and make stuff I liked and I hoped and prayed people would buy it.
2. Early Beginnings: How did you get into designing clothes and creating your own graphics?
Being a skate kid is really what made me want to dress well, and then eventually try to start my own skate/fashion thing. It all started with sewing fleece beanies. I got a really shitty sewing machine in 2022 and would go to the Joann’s near my parents place and get leftover fleece scraps for like $2 a bundle. From there, I started thrifting fleece blankets and making runs of 20+ beanies, which is something I still do on occasion.
Photo from @cargojort on Instagram
Company and Brand
1. Viewfinder’s Vision: What is the core vision behind Viewfinder, and how has it evolved since you started?
Honestly the core vision was to try and make the coolest shit possible at the most reasonable price, which I think I’ve stuck to pretty well. I guess it’s evolved from being in my parents garage in Texas to my own studio in Brooklyn with multiple factories involved and better equipment, but at heart I feel like it’s really the same.
2. Inspiration: Where do you draw inspiration from for your designs and graphics?
For clothing design, I feel like ideas usually come to me in the shower or on airplanes, which might sound kind of silly. Also the streets of New York are full of the most beautiful and fashionable people, so I feel like I’m constantly soaking in little bits of inspiration. I also go to a lot of flea markets and antique shops to find images to reference for graphics. Random LPs, vintage posters, stuff like that.
3. Move to New York: How has relocating to New York impacted your business and creative process?
New York is pretty fucking awesome. All my friends there do similar shit to me and have a similar mindset which I really love. As far as the creative process goes, there are so many places where I can actually see/feel fabrics in person, which makes creating pieces go way more smoothly. Not to mention the endless opportunities to get into the most random shit, there is always something going on whether work related or not.
Photo from @cargojort on Instagram
Design and Production
Creative Process: Can you walk us through your process for designing and producing your clothes and accessories?
Usually it starts with an idea, and then a sampling process. I typically make the first couple samples myself, and then show those to the factory to replicate. From there we make sure everything looks good and then go into production. For T-Shirts and hoodies, every single one has been printed by me, except for very small runs that were printed by interns. But the basis of everything happens in-house, and that’s probably never gonna change.
Photo from @viewfinderdotcom on Instagram
2. High Life Tech Collaboration: How did your collaboration with High Life Tech on the Batman Beyond and Ben 10 belts come about, and what was that experience like?
I did a couple projects with High Life starting last year, and now I work for them on the marketing side of things, and they help me with speedy production. Working with Brendan is super awesome, and I know we’ve got a lot more coming soon.
Photo from @cargojort on Instagram
3. Unique Releases: Your one-of-one releases are highly anticipated. What makes these pieces special, and how do you decide which designs to release as one-of-ones?
Highly anticipated is a little bit of a stretch, but I guess what makes them special is that everyone knows they’ll never be recreated. I have a friend named Charlotte that I go to the Goodwill bins with pretty often, and I just try and find nice vintage blanks to print on / fuck with in any way I can, and hopefully the people like it. Charlotte (@charlotteroyrose) put me onto the bins and also helps me with photo stuff, so she deserves her flowers. My homie Conrad (@strictlythezaza) also comes with me pretty often, and he also makes stuff that’s really awesome.
Digital Marketing and Branding
Marketing Strategies: What digital and online marketing techniques do you find most effective for promoting your brand and new drops?
I post a lot of Tiktoks about the clothing and process and all that, which people seem to like. I also just try to post new work on Instagram as consistently as I can.
Photo from @cargojort on Instagram
2. Engaging with Your Audience: How do you maintain a connection with your audience and keep them engaged with your brand?
I have a discord with a lot of the brand’s supporters; I try and talk to them / keep them involved as much as I can. It’s really sweet to just be able to talk to people who like what I do and want to see what’s next.
3. Social Media: Which social media platforms have been the most beneficial for Viewfinder, and how do you leverage them for your marketing campaigns?
According to Shopify, Instagram is where all the website traction comes from, but I think TikTok is really where it’s at. It’s much more personal and people really just want to buy from other people, not shittily curated faceless Instagram pages. Those guys probably do better than me though haha.
Challenges and Future Plans
Overcoming Challenges: What challenges have you faced in growing Viewfinder, and how have you overcome them?
Honestly the biggest challenge is just showing up for myself / the company every day with the same level of intensity. Life beats you down and I’ve definitely gone through periods where it feels like a chore to even sit in front of the sewing machine. My mojo always comes back though. But I promise to anyone that if you can find a way to really show up for yourself every day, miracles will happen.
2. Advice for Aspiring Designers: What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own clothing brand or graphic design business?
I’m really bad at business advice, but here’s my biggest general rule for life that also applies:
You’re probably going to fuck it up really badly. Badly enough to question every decision you’ve ever made and wonder if you should just pack it all up and give up–whether it’s on your business or just your life in general. The beautiful thing about being in this position is that you are now responsible for getting out of it, and when you do you can look back and be like damn I really did that. So when the cards are down just remember they’ve probably been down before, and that you are completely capable of winning whether you’ve been a dick, someone else has been a dick or you feel like God’s being a dick. Best thing you can do is stop being a dick and write down the first step to getting where you want to go.
3. Future Projects: What upcoming projects or collaborations can we expect from Viewfinder in the near future?
I’m working on getting basically all production in house, no more Alibaba shit. At least for a little while. Lots of 1/1 collections and stuff made with my own two hands.
Personal Insights
Daily Routine: What does a typical day look like for you as the owner and designer at Viewfinder?
I try to get up pretty early, like 7–8. I get a coffee and go to the studio, usually also until like 7–8. I do try and get out during the day, usually to meet a friend or go on a bike ride or something like that. But I spend a lot of time cooped up in the studio.
2. Balancing Creativity and Business: How do you balance the creative and business aspects of running your company?
I honestly try and price things just high enough to be able to pay my rent and live somewhat comfortably. As long as I can afford an iced coffee and be able to see my boys every couple days, I’m pretty happy. I try to look for creative fulfillment more than financial fulfillment because that’s way more stressful. Worrying about money does creep its way in plenty though.
3. Legacy and Impact: What legacy do you hope to leave with Viewfinder, and how do you want your brand to impact the fashion industry?
I haven’t really thought about it. I really don’t care too much about being remembered as a person or brand, all things fade out eventually. And the fashion industry is pretty lame, if things ever get to a point of “notability” in the industry I just hope people don’t feel like they’re being bought out by some faceless corporation. My real goals are just to live a life worth living and maybe leave things a little better than they were.
https://bylandonlawrence.com/collections/viewfinder-by-landon-lawrence
