In September of this year, senior Thea Wagner accomplished two milestones in her life: sharing her art with the public and starting a clothing line. Since she was little, Wagner has always loved to draw.
“I sat down to [design] one day, and I drew a snail doing a kickflip,” Wagner said.
After posting the image on her Instagram, Wagner found that many people requested to purchase her clothing.
“At first I [thought] I could just custom paint [each] one,” Wagner said. “But it is super time consuming … [and] expensive. I also do not have many good online drawing utensils.”
Apart from her love for art, Wagner has a variety of other interests and is involved in other communities that occupy her time and attention.
“I’m a big part of the theater community here,” Wagner said. “I’m [also] trying to upgrade all my art so that I can create more sketching, painting and drawing [and] I play soccer. Just a variety of stuff.”
Since she launched her clothing line, Wagner has been met with encouragement from friends and family.
“It’s her passion to be an artist. So the fact that she started … putting her ideas out there and trying different things … is really nice,” said senior Kelsey Araghi.
Wagner’s dedication to her work and her thoughtful personality play a big role in the success of her business.
“She is like a ray of sunshine and brings joy to all the people around her,” said senior Aiden Peschke, Wagner’s classmate and friend.
Wagner does not take the positive feedback lightly, but rather cherishes it and uses it as motivation.
“I think … it’s a super uplifting and validating, especially … since it is the first time I’ve ever put my art anywhere,” Wagner said.
Before releasing her line, Wagner researched different brands to ensure that she was providing her clients with the highest quality clothing.
“I ordered some [shirts] for myself to check [them] out before I released [the line]. I really wanted to make sure it look[ed] nice,” Wagner said.
Wagner found it difficult to balance her needs and the growing clothing line. Along with concerns about stress, Wagner was also worried about the impact her clothing line would have on her current life.
“At first I was thinking about selling them out of my house and packaging … and shipping them myself. I [didn’t] know how that’s going to financially impact me,” Wagner said.
Wagner wants her clothing to be self expressive and unisex, without any gender restrictions. She hopes this will encourage anyone, regardless or their size, sexuality or gender to purchase her clothing. This was important to her due to her own experiences and preferences.
“I hate how women’s clothes [are] fitted to be slim and curvy with transparent fabrics, so I sought to get rid of that,” Wagner said.
In addition to her unconventional categories, there are some other aspects that separates Wagner from other clothing lines.
“[Brands] are more focused on the branding and making money,” Araghi said. “She never even thought about that; she’s just doing it because she likes it,” Araghi said.
The most rewarding aspect of her line is not related to money, but the personal connections she’s made and the experiences she’s gained.
“Teachers ask about it sometimes. Mr. Thurtle, was like, ‘why are all these people wearing the shirts?’ He doesn’t know who I am which is so funny,” Wagner said.
However, even with all the attention she has gained, Wagner is not one to boast about her line.
“When people talk to her about it, she’s really shy. She is not … out there saying buy my stuff … She is really humble,” Araghi said.
Once she was satisfied with her products, Wagner is able to enjoy all the rewarding outcomes of her line. As she continues to receive positive responses and support from her buyers, it is only a matter of time before Wagner expands her line.
