Gone Maad (part ⅔)

I feel like the world of fashion has gotten so much bigger as the internet has become a larger part of people’s everyday lives, and that this has led to some smaller independent designers coming out of the woodwork. So, I decided to take some time to talk to three local, up and coming brands. These brands are pumping out some crazy cool stuff and are run by some incredibly creative and driven individuals.

I talked to 24 year old Madison Brawn Armstrong, who runs Gone Maad (@gone__maad on Instagram). She makes crazy, vibrant, streetwear inspired pieces with an edge to them. Personally, her designs are a bit Billie Eilish-esque with a little more sex appeal and punk rock attitude. Madison was born and raised in Warwick, Rhode Island, but sees herself as also from Colorado and California, having spent some of her most influential years there after high school, focusing on becoming a better person and surrounding herself with fashion and the arts. Now back in Rhode Island, she shared with me her journey of starting her brand.

After a 12-year-long struggle with an eating disorder, she went all in on Gone Maad, explaining: “Gone Maad is Madison Armstrong’s alter ego, it stands for Madison Armstrong Alternative Designs.” She says the alter-ego makes it, “easier to express myself and my emotions without actually having to be me if that makes sense at all. I always joke and say I just wanted to make clothing that makes your grandparents uncomfortable in public lol. I just wanted to make crazy shit the world hadn’t seen. It just felt important.” Her designs feature the slogan “No more sad girls in [insert your state here],” the idea of which has an inspiring backstory. Madison explains, “The no more sad girls t shirts came from something I wrote in my notes on my phone back in 2017. I was sitting on the Santa Monica pier a few days before I was about to go to treatment for my eating disorder. I hated how sad I was when all I ever wanted, was to live in California. I wrote in my notes that day that I never wanted to be a sad girl in LA again, it was pointless. How could I live my dream if my demons were in the way? This past summer I got a new phone and ended up logging back into my old iCloud and saw that note. Last summer, everything was going great, My brand was taking off rapidly, but I was MISERABLE at best. When I opened my notes and saw that I realized the same applied as before. Different demons same feelings. You really could be in the most beautiful place in the world or succeeding in your dream career but if you aren’t happy with yourself, you’ll always be a sad girl. I made the t shirts knowing a lot of girls could relate to this… and guys (those are coming soon with Bad Taste PVD clothing)” Madison recently had a pop-up in Newport, RI, but has much bigger aspirations of making unique stage outfits for artists like Billie Eilish, Halsey, Oliver Tree, etc., as well as stores in major hub cities like NYC, LA, Miami, Toronto, London, and Tokyo.

I was curious about the role of social media in each of these brands' experiences in this age of the internet. I asked each of them if they thought it would be possible to build up their individual brands without social media, and was met with some interesting answers. Madison is 50-50 on the issue. She explained that she created the Instagram page that is now Gone Maad primarily to promote her art, with the name @mb.artdesigns. She switched the name and did a shoot with a friend that has a following of over 100k and decided to focus on building up her brand. “If I hadn’t changed the name and launched the page strictly as a clothing line, at the same time the shoot was being posted, I 100% wouldn’t have the following that I do.” She then reminisced on her first display at PVD Fest, including, “2 mannequins, 4 racks, new merch & a huge crazy Gone Maad backdrop (I stayed up for 3 days straight to make it PERFECT).” This was huge for her, gaining 364 followers in 4 hours, she emphasizes that her “clothing had never been seen in person like this before. I got invited to do some of the biggest events in the state immediately after that event.” She believes Gone Maad is what it is today because of events and festivals, but social media is an important tool to keep customers engaged, stating, “The right combination of personal interactions and social media is the recipe for success in this industry.”

Madison’s story inspired me, and it really shows that with an idea and the right set of skills, you can make a name for yourself. I was lucky enough to be featured on her instagram in these dope overalls, and you can just tell the care and thought that goes into her clothing. Gone Maad is a brand that just radiates coolness, and it goes without saying that rocking any of her pieces would make you stand out from the crowd. Be sure to check her out!!

Photos: Courtesy of Gone Maad