Clothing to find your ‘Identity’

Is it possible to wear yourself? This question, one many have probably not considered, is being answered by a new clothing company called Identity Apparel.

Identity Apparel claims that with its innovative concept, which combines genetics, science, technology and fashion, "wearing yourself" is possible. The three clothing lines — DNA, Kiss and Fingerprint — seek to find the unique traits from each customer and place them on a one-of-a-kind garment.

Each line offers a variety of graphics, colors and T-shirts for personal selection by the customer, and depending on what line they plan to purchase, customers are sent one of three collection kits in prepaid envelopes.

Dylan Ferguson and Aman Melkoumov started the clothing company, after meeting at Ryerson University in Canada. They both graduated with majors in entrepreneurship in 2009, from the Ted Rogers School of Management.

The interesting journey from business school to fashion shows began as soon as the two classmates completed their degrees.

Ferguson said that it took four to five months to organize their ideas and work on the details of the clothing line to bring it to life. Since both had backgrounds in business and not in science or fashion, he said that it took a lot of outside consulting and collaboration to create a successful product.

The two consulted with owners of clothing stores, fashion majors and friends to find what trends are currently successful selling points in the fashion world.

"We learned that individuality is a hot selling trend," Ferguson said. "[With Identity Apparel] you're wearing yourself, and not a brand."

Of the three lines, Ferguson said the DNA line seems to attract the most attention, but the Kiss line is currently selling the most pieces.

Students at Cal State Long Beach seem to have mixed feelings about this clothing concept.

"It's not something that I would usually seek out in clothes, I look more for fit rather than something so individualized", said Elizabeth Payan, junior liberal studies major. She added, "It's a nice idea, I like that they are trying something so new."

Jeff Dang, a CSULB student, was intrigued by the idea, but was a bit nervous about the thought of his DNA being sent out into the world. "It sounds kind of scary to have your DNA out there like that," he said.

Dang's point was one that Identity Apparel thought of, and in an attempt to keep the process completely private and confidential, all transactions are done using serial numbers instead of names. The process takes place completely in-house, and unless specified, the samples are destroyed after the customer receives the desired product.

Another common response discussed the high price of an Identity Apparel design, with the average cost ranging from $90 to $100 per item.

Katrina Neumann, freshman communicative disorders major, said she thought the idea was ambitious and would be interested if it weren't so expensive.

Ferguson recognized that their concept isn't for everyone, but they are seeking to tap into the market for those who seek something a bit flashier. Identity Apparel said its ideal customer is someone willing to pay for premium clothes that offer something unique and cannot be found from any other clothing line.

Despite the high cost for an Identity Apparel garment, the company seeks to give back by donating ten percent of its proceeds to charity. Each of the three lines are associated with a different charity: the DNA line to Avert, which is AIDs prevention and awareness, Kiss line to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and Fingerprint to the Trillium Foundation, which sends children who suffer from illness to camps.

Identity Apparel has never been featured in any fashion magazines, but has recently been featured in many online news stories. They received a lot of attention after participating in Montreal and New York fashion shows and are scheduled to appear in another show on March 28 in Toronto.

For more information about Identity Apparel, visit their company Web site at http://www.identityapparel.com

Comments powered by Disqus