I had the opportunity to speak to the talented Ronnell Shaw of the denim line Tysen Maxwell for a few minutes. Shaw's hope is to inspire the common man to follow their dreams and persevere no matter what the obstacles.

1.The name for your line, Tysen Maxwell, is very interesting; how did you come up with it ?

We were looking for a strong and timeless name around the same time we were trying to get everything together. I was at work in my home office and my son was crawling around and got to the edge of a step; I looked up and thought he was going to fall. I screamed "Tysen Maxwell Shaw!"

2. When did you start Tysen Maxwell, and was this solely your project?

It was December '07, and it was an idea that me and my good friend Angelo Lobo came up with. It was my idea to make the line revolve around my son. Not just his name but something we like to call "jeanology." The five pair of jeans that we will introduce are directly tied to him; they are named after his grandfathers. As we go along, we will discover his family tree. We eventually approached others and it all came together.

3.Who were your inspirations and at what age did you start thinking about getting into fashion, and
how old are you now?

Ralph Lauren, Armani, Lacoste, memories of my father and grandfather. I have always enjoyed fashion, but never thought about making a living at it. I was looking at some photos that my mom had of me when I was kid, and I looked like I was shooting a Gap Kids ad. I was 40 at the time we put this together.

4. What made you want to become a face in men's fashion?

I really didn't see anything that fit my generation or represented where I was from. We wanted to create something that was timeless and not so traditional. I grew up seeing my grandfather so impeccably dressed, even if he was going down to the corner store. I would watch the old movies of all the greats; Harry Belafonte, Sydney Poitier, Humphrey Bogart, Sean Connery and many more.

5.What are your price points for both your t-shirts and your jeans?

Our t-shirts go from $45-$65, and our jeans will go from $125-$375.

6.Do you have a "signature piece" or a "signature detail" in your collection?

Yes, one of our styles has creative thoughts or poetry embroidered in the waistband.

7.Your t-shirts seem to have an earthy and positive vibe. What was the influence for this?

We try to bring real-life to fashion; there are two tees currently available that were taken from the artwork of the late Charlie Womack. I didn't have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Womack, but everything I have read, and the people I have spoken with, tell me he was an incredible man and gifted artist. He was tragically killed a few years ago near Santa Barbara, when a mudslide crushed his home. We are honored that his family allowed us to use his artwork.

8.Who would you say is your target market, and what celebrity would you like to see in Tysen Maxwell?

I would have to say our target market is the professional male between the ages of 28-48. There are so many celebs to choose from; I would have to say Derek Jeter and President Obama.

9.What makes you stand out from other men's upscale urban lines?

I think what will set us apart is our attention to detail, and our connection with the consumer. As you know we have the blog on our website that allows the consumer to submit poems or creative thoughts and each season we will pick a winning entry to publish in our jeans, and that person will receive a pair at no cost.

10. If you could choose any photographer to shoot your future Tysen Maxwell campaign, who would it be?..... model?

If I could have worked with anyone, it would have been Gordan Parks. I believe he was the first African American to shoot for Life Magazine; I would use Belafonte, or Poitier for my models. Since you are talking future, I would love to have Nigel Barker shoot us and use Derek Jeter, Brandon Trentham, George Clooney, Denzel Washington and President Obama.

11. Where can patrons buy Tysen Maxwell, and where would you like to see it sold in the future?

Currently our items are only available on our website. We are looking to open storefronts in cities across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Africa very soon.

12. What advice do you have for new designers and people wanting to start their own fashion house?

Try to learn as much as possible, don't give up, and keep working hard to accomplish your dream.

13. As this year's new, fashion house CEO, I'm sure both men and women would love to know...are you still on the market?

Haha, that's funny…I am not married, but there definitely is a special lady in my life.