Establishing and running a college apparel design business involves a combination of creative design, strategic branding, effective marketing, and an understanding of the college demographic. Clara Schreiber, founder of Totally Hype apparel, started her business of designing and transforming college gear into new, stylish pieces.
Schreiber is the mom of three Cherry Hill East graduates, who started her business when her two daughters were seniors in high school. She had the idea of starting Totally Hype when she saw college girls wearing trendy gear, and knew that she could create amazing designs too. Schreiber earned a degree in fashion, so she was already very skilled in apparel design. She began her business making custom belts. Seeing that not many other businesses were customizing belts, she took the opportunity to bring in something new. Today, Totally Hype has hundreds of designs to purchase, ranging from sweatshirts to denim shorts to puffer jackets.
One of the initial steps in launching Totally Hype was conducting market research. Understanding the preferences and trends of the college demographic is crucial for creating products that college girls will love. This involves studying gameday fashion, identifying popular styles, and staying updated on emerging trends within the college fashion scene. Schreiber stays up to date on new trends by following college girls on social media, this being friends of the family, her children’s friends, and influencers.
The core of Totally Hype apparel designs lies in innovative and appealing designs. Creative and unique designs reflect the spirit of the college community, making Totally Hype a standout business. The college apparel business has lots of competition, but Schreiber says she appreciates competition because it encourages her to make more unique and high quality designs. Her busiest months are March and April because that’s when most girls commit to college and stock up on their unique apparel. Parents often order Schreiber’s designs as gifts for their daughters too. Totally Hype is not exclusive to college gear, they also create sports team apparel, and any other themed apparel that the buyer requests.
Effective marketing strategies play an important role in promoting Totally Hype. Schreiber utilizes social media platforms and hires current East students to promote the clothing. At the startup of Totally Hype, she didn’t really know how to advertise on social media, so she hired a few high school seniors at Cherry Hill East to make eye-catching TikToks and Instagram posts. Recruiting teenage girls to advertise Totally Hype on social media is a smart way to hit Schreiber target audience, high school seniors, because majority of her orders are from girls right as they commit to their school. So, if you, your child, or your friends are looking for fun and unique apparel, go to totallyhype.com, and shop Schreiber’s hundreds of custom designs!