DEIS Sweatshirts

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Categories
Fashion Design
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Timeline
2017

Problem

Most university bookstores are owned by one of two conglomerates. That means you'll find the same style of apparel in Massachusetts as you would in a college in Kansas. This voids culture and tradition unique to each school from being featured on the clothing, and adds to the current trend of fast fashion (the bookstore annually refreshes with each new fashion trends and throws out "out-of-date" clothing). In addition, the average price of a collegiate sweatshirt ranges from $50-$60 which can be expensive for most students.

Action

I wanted to design my own collegiate apparel for my university. I researched the history of campus clothing in the library archives and began adopting 'Brandeis-isms' into my sketches. To address price and sustainability, I worked with local thrift stores to source blank sweatshirts and students donated denim for the lettering.

Response

Through word-of-mouth, I sold over 25 sweatshirts at $35 each. Each sweatshirt sports the word "DEIS" on its chest which is shorthand for Brandeis University and is how students refer to the school. I accomplished my three goals: include a design specific to the college culture, create an environmental friendly alternative using only thrifted materials, and provide affordable collegiate apparel to students.