Benjamin Rivera
Staff Writer, Designer and Photographer
Senior Antoine Carter loves fashion and money, and has managed to combine his two passions with his new clothing line. For more than a year he’s been making and selling Carter Clothes. Carter has been preparing to launch his brand with a major in Apparel Merchandising and a minor in Business Management.
“The goal is to make money while I sleep,” said Carter, as he walked to deliver a packaged sweater to a new customer. Since high school, Carter has been showing early signs of becoming an entrepreneur.
“I used to sell potato chips in 10th grade,” he said. “From there, I got my rst taste of making money, and I saw that I do not want to work for no one else. I’d rather make my own money.”
On June 6, 2017 Carter released his clothing line, “Carter Clothes’’ with the famous black shirt saying “i ain’t shit” being worn all around campus along with many other designs.
Carter’s entrepreneurship is part of a long trend within the fashion department, according to Professor McKinley Johnson. “We have students who create their own brands on a regular basis,” said Johnson. “It is taught in the following classes: Design Foundations and Visual Literacy & Specialty Markets.”
With local Chicago area brands like Fashion Geek and Dope Boy Magic both run by black entrepreneurs, Carter learns and strategizes for his next release. “I pay attention to how they move, as far as a business, to take pointers.”
Carter has his fans among Dominican students. “His clothing line is raw and original,” said Juan Garcia, Graphic Design major and designer behind the Carter Clothes brand. “You don’t see many people exploring the vocabulary used in the hood. It’s a little bold”
Cheyenne Dyer, 2018 alum with a masters in Social Work, owns almost every release. “I wear them to support another black man and his business, also because they’re cool and catchy”
“We are proud to see him succeed. He didn’t even graduate yet and he’s already running a business,” Dyer explains after mentioning his favorite one.
“The biggest obstacle has been finding reliable resources,” Carter says. When mentioning his many options as to which manufacturing company can help display the best quality for his designs.
“My strategy has been to stay consistent on social media.” His Instagram account (@carter.clothes) features a screenshot of customers wearing his clothes as part of his strategy to ensure that the brand is being shared with others and therefore increasing brand awareness.
rivebenj@my.dom.edu
