A few fresh designs from the local Ken Supply Co. (Photos: Richard Alvarenga)
By Rylie Smith
When Malique Miller graduated from college in 2020, he decided it was time to bet on himself. “It was was kind of like the best time to start something if I’m going to start it,” he said.
Miller’s relationship with clothing started long before he created the Ken Supply Co. After a pivotal shopping trip in middle school, Miller became fascinated with how style could shift perception. In high school, he worked at a local suit store, learning how proper fit could transform someone’s confidence. As he put it, “It was like watching people see themselves for the first time.”
So when Miller decided to create his own brand, he sat himself in a corner booth at St. Kilda in Des Moines and started jotting down names, hoping something might stick. The one he landed on was already close to home: Ken — his father’s name.
“He was always the one to do the right thing, and he always just took care of people,” Miller said. “He always honored people really, really well. He was always really consistent. He always came through.”
That kind of quiet integrity shaped not just the name, but the ethos of the entire brand.
Ken Supply Co. began that December with just a few graphic tees, sold one at a time — often face-to-face at local farmers markets. “In our first year, we sold maybe 20 shirts,” Miller said. “But every one of those sales meant something.” At the time, he screen-printed each by hand in the living room of his apartment.
Miller’s steady, relational approach has become core to the brand. Today, Ken Supply Co. operates out of Mainframe Studios. There, Miller leads a small but growing team of designers, production help and inventory support. “I used to do everything: bag stamping, fulfillment, Instagram,” he said. “Now I’m learning how to let the brand grow through other people, too.”
The storytelling behind each shirt has remained intentional from the beginning. “Let Your Dreams Drive You” features a classic Mustang and a woman inspired by 1940s actress Sheila Guyse. “It’s a reminder to trust the direction you’re being pulled in, even if you can’t see the whole road,” he said.
That design remained the brand’s best-seller until recently, when the “No Luck Needed” tee surpassed it. Miller has restocked it four times just in the last month. “People think it’s just a bold statement, but there’s a reference to Psalm 127 hidden in the design,” he said. “It’s my way of saying I don’t believe in luck. I believe in purpose.”
Five years in, Miller is beginning to stretch the brand into new categories, including leather wallets, cut-and-sew garments and various small goods that are already in development. But he’s also dreaming of something bigger, a lifestyle label rooted in taste, craftsmanship and care.
“I want to create beautiful, useful things — objects designed so intentionally you treat them differently.”
He paused. “I used to want to sell a lot. Now I just want to build something that lasts.”
Explore the collection and vision at kensupplyco.com or follow along on Instagram @kensupplyco.
Contributing writer Rylie Smith is a local fashion designer and owner of RÜTD clothing brand. She writes about style, trends, and other designers and artists for dsm. You can find her designs at @rutdstudio on Instagram, or in her studio at Mainframe.
