Small Space. Big Hustle. Loud Style: Inside Exotic Creations Apparel

Exotic Creations is expanding.

The new location at Southpark Mall is coming together — pink walls, shelves going up, and the signature melting smiley face already in place. It’s still under construction, but the vision is clear: bold, unapologetic, and rooted in expression.

Exotic Creations 2.0 (during construction), located near the Old Macy's in Southpark Mall.

That same energy lives in the original Shockoe Bottom location, where I met up with owner Qwan — the reserved, calculated mind behind Exotic Creations. He was a little late to our interview, having to pick up his daughter (Happy Father’s Day, bro), but when he walked in, he carried the kind of presence you only see in people who know their purpose.

Check out Exotic Creations at the next Global Connections Pop Up Shop, July 26th.

At just 26, Qwan uses his brand as a canvas to express without limitation. His art is his expression. His wisdom beyond his years. And with a background in the military, his second location, opening soon in Chester, feels like a mission he’s called to complete.

It started with $400, a flip, and determination. Qwan was working a job he didn’t love, driving an Amazon van in the heat for $16 an hour. Meanwhile, he was moving product on the side — buying sweatsuits off Alibaba for $8 and selling them for $60, making more than his day job.

“I made $400 in like 10 seconds selling those sweatsuits,” he told me, “and thought, Man, f*** this job.”

And he quit on the spot.

From there, it was pop-up after pop-up. And once the inventory outgrew his car, he moved it into a storage unit — which doubled as a makeshift boutique.

Exotic Creations isn’t just a brand. It’s Qwan's mission.

When I asked how he’d describe the style, he said it in a word: “Free.”

And it shows. The pieces scream liberation — hot pinks, neon yellows, electric blues. Oversized shirts, cropped tees, layered textures. There’s an energy in the cuts, shapes, and bold graphics that speaks to daring choices and fearless expression.

So whether you’re grabbing a hoodie or a sweatsuit, what you’re really buying is a piece of that story. In his world, clothes do more than fit — they speak. They move people. They say: I’m free.

Join Exotic Creations for the Grand Opening of their second location at Southpark Mall on Saturday, June 21st, from 12–6PM.

17 1/2N 17TH ST
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
TUESDAY - SATURDAY: 12PM - 7PM

Southpark Mall
Chester, VA
Details Coming