How a Charlotte startup is turning fencing into streetwear

• "You don't hear a lot about fencers to begin with, and on top of that, you probably don't hear anything about Black fencers," 25-year-old Butler tells Axios.

Catch up quick: Butler is a three-time Junior Olympic fencer who was mostly home-schooled and trained at Charlotte Fencing Academy before going on to fence at Penn State. He knows the ins and outs of the sport, so he wanted to create a lifestyle brand with a nod to fencing.

• Growing up, Butler always wanted to start a clothing brand with meaning behind it, he tells Axios.
• He created TAB DEPT not as a fencing apparel brand, but rather as daily essentials like shirts and hoodies. TAB DEPT's logo is "Be En Garde," which Butler says is as much a nod to the sport as it is a call to live by to guard your heart and your mind.
• "I kind of noticed growing up fencing, there wasn't really any apparel for the sport," like there is for sports such as football and basketball, Butler says.

Zoom in: Butler's operation is fully remote and self-funded at present. He invested roughly $4,000 to launch the brand in the summer of 2024. Butler also does all of the graphic and web design work for TAB DEPT. His distributors are based in Los Angeles and Italy.

What's next: Butler's goal is to open a storefront in Charlotte and to expand into more high-fashion pieces, including suits, dresses and shoes.

• He'll continue to train to qualify for the 2028 Olympics.

The bottom line: "TAB DEPT is more than clothing," Butler says. "It tells a story about readiness, discipline, and redefining who belongs in certain spaces."