Life at CGS
Aron Williams graduated from Caulfield Grammar in 2019 having been a part of the community since Year 7. Aron’s time at school can be defined as one big learning experience that was integral to who is today: “teachers really believed in me and gave me the best experience possible at school.”
Aron learnt many skills at Caulfield including the value of hard work. Something that he recalls very clearly from his time was an adaptation of Newton’s 3rd law by one of his teachers “if I focus all my energy into my work, the only possible reaction from the universe is excelling at my work/ succeeding.” This is a motto that Aron currently lives his life by.
Post-graduation Aron pursued a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne. Stepping out of the ‘high school bubble’ and meeting new friends was essential to Aron’s personal development and provided him with the opportunity to learn from those with different backgrounds. Before long Aron decided that university wasn’t the best fit for him and he made the decision to pursue his dream of setting up his own streetwear business – METRAMERTRA.
Creating a brand and company from scratch is nothing short of a challenge and 8-hour days are the minimum to succeed in the fashion industry. With money being tight, resources slim, and only having himself to create something unique, Aron had the next few years cut out for him! Fortunately, Aron was able to use his existing skills and background in graphic design to advance his goal. He is the main creator of designs and has the last say in all METRAMERTRA products. One of the most interesting parts of Aron’s job is studying and learning more about consumer behaviour and how to make customers tick. A significant and fascinating part of marketing.
Experiences in the industry
Aron finds it incredibly fulfilling and motivating waking up every day to a job that he loves. “I was raised to have a lot of confidence in myself, I believe that comes from my mum…I have always wanted to own my own business and have always loved streetwear, so it just made sense.” His favourite thing about what he does has been meeting fans of the brand on the street and at MERTRAMERTRA pop up stores. Seeing people wear his garments in public and the adventures marketing has taken him on, whether its filming in the streets or scaling rocks for footage, has been hugely rewarding.
One specific change Aron hopes to see in the industry stems from the over-the-top expectations of needing to achieve something revolutionary within the clothing industry. He believes there needs to be greater importance placed on other factors such as sustainability and the ethical creation of products.
The future of MERTRAMERTRA is bright and it will be fascinating to see the growth of the brand over the next 5-10 years as the company expands to bigger warehouses and explores logistics. There will always be exciting things ahead as Aron hopes to own a few more businesses down the track.
If Aron could go back and give his younger self advice it would be to study your hardest. “Even if your job doesn’t end up being what you expected it to be, you’ll have the developed skills and knowledge that you would’ve only been able to acquire through the time investment that a good ATAR requires”.
One last piece from Aron that was critical to ensuring he got to where he is today is that: “sacrificing short term enjoyment and showing up to work every day is integral to who you are and what you stand for”.
