Christmas is quickly approaching, and with finals around the corner for college students, it is hard to find time to put a list together. While many students may be in a time crunch to find some items they want, Saint Joe’s students are lucky to have the opportunity to find trendy merch to show school spirit. Ali Hendricks is a sophomore at Saint Joseph’s University and has created an online shop where you can find custom clothing. After talking with Ali, we have discovered all the things you need to know before shopping!
Q: Why did you start creating these clothes?
A: “I actually have had an Etsy shop and Waves N’ Laces since my sophomore year of high school. I sold personalized vinyl stickers and painted sneakers. I really only started consistently selling my sweatshirts this semester. In the past, I would only make clothes when people would ask me, which was not very often. Now, many more people are discovering my account, and I am much busier!”
Q: Where do you draw inspiration from?
A: “I have several sources of inspiration! Many of my designs are inspired by celebrity’s merch, such as Kanye West and Travis Scott. I will take this and customize it, so it is more personal to my customers! I also am inspired by designer brands and will use their fonts to recreate my own designs. I follow plenty of cute Instagram accounts that spark ideas here and there too!”
Q: What types of designs do you make?
A: “I can almost make any kind of design. Most of the time, my customers come to me with a design they have in mind and ask me to recreate it! While some designs are simply positive messages, others can also be Saint Joe’s designs, or celebrity merch inspired designs.”
Q: What is the process of creating these clothes?
A: “So all of my clothes are made to order, meaning that once you place an order, I will order the supplies needed to make the sweatshirt right away. Once it all comes in, I create the design using Adobe Illustrator, put it on the Silhouette Studio application, and cut it out using the Silhouette Cameo machine. Meanwhile, I pre-shrink the sweatshirts. When both components are ready, I use my heat press to iron the design on!”
Q: How long does each piece of clothing take to make?
A: “Since my sweatshirts are made to order, they can take anywhere from around 7-10 days. I’d say the sweatshirts take about 5-7 days to come in, and then I will make them within 1-2 days! Now that I’m shipping out more orders for the holidays, shipping is around 1-2 days.”
Q: What are your future plans for your business?
A: “As of right now, I don’t really have any solid plans. I’m just going to see where this takes me! My interests seem to change over time as I’ve gone from making stickers to painting sneakers and tables, and now I am into making sweatshirts. I try to follow the trends, so as I am enjoying creating clothing now, I am looking forward to seeing where this takes me!”
Whether you are shopping for yourself or a friend, this is the perfect opportunity to get your Saint Joe’s apparel. This business is not only limited to students, but anyone can find the custom clothing that they have been trying to find for a decent price. Be sure to check out @allalimakes on Instagram to order today!
