Two Elgin Park Secondary students are wearing their pride on their sleeves – and pants – with their self-designed school attire.
Blake Hawkins and Magnus Rashid said they decided to boost school spirit with a clothing line consisting of black and grey sweatpants and sweatshirts that would be available to “everyday” students.
“We decided there was a huge void in the market of selling it to the regular students in Grade 8 through 12,” said Hawkins, who is student council president and co-president of the business executive club with Rashid.
The Grade 12 students began drawing up their designs which they kept simple, paying homage to the Nike swoosh.
“We came up with three fins, the biggest one representing the older students, helping out the younger students and then the middle fin represents the mid-age student,” Hawkins said.
Once the design was complete, the two began to drum up interest with a Twitter page and posters at the school. After seeing there was a market for the clothes, the next step was having a finished product, which meant bartering to get the best price, said Rashid.
“We had to go to different companies and work with them, comparing prices and letting them know we are shopping around,” Rashid said.
Once the sweatpants and sweatshirts were ready, the boys displayed the clothes, with help from the school, in the common area and the main office. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, said Rashid.
“They like all the gear, I mean there isn’t too much to not like about it,” Rashid said. “You can even mix and match the colours.”
According to Rashid and Hawkins, the reaction has been so good there will be an expansion of the line to include T-shirts, tank-tops, long sleeve shirts and gym-wear.
And keeping up with the business trends, the two have decided to focus on a green angle, which is why they have created a design for reusable, eco-friendly bags to help eliminate the use of plastic and paper bags for lunches.
With all the merchandise offered, the students are set to make a sizable profit, which Hawkins said will go right back to the school
“It’s going back into the clubs and the school trips, we’re helping to fund all these different things,” Hawkins said.
For the two students, who are both considering a career in business, the process – and success – of the project has been a rewarding experience.
“You always hear about people thinking of stuff for their school, but then to go out and actually do it and finish it, it’s pretty cool,” Rashid said.
The clothing line is being sold for $40 per piece and is available to all students at Elgin Park Secondary.