You can't really miss them, especially during rush week. They match each other in bright colored shirts and dresses with different curly and classic typefaces screen-printed on the front and back. You know these girls are in a sorority, but do you know where they get their seemingly endless amounts of cute campus gear and clothes?
Most of those shirts and designs come from the masterminds at 224 Apparel & Design.
The name, 224 Apparel & Design, came from a business meeting Jonathan Radow and Ali Matthews Radow had on Feb. 24 2010, and a name was born. Since then, the company has focused on creating branded items for corporate and Greek life.
“(Matthews) was a part of her chapter at Arizona State University and loved it,” says Jordan Wessel, former brand and marketing ambassador. “She noticed that there was a niche market where they were getting all their apparel from.”
In the last month, Matthews has left her position at 224 Apparel & Design as chief creative officer.
“We’re really excited for Ali to start the next adventure in her career,” says Katelyn Bruns, creative consultant.
Wessel was in charge of the company’s social media, a critical aspect to its success. 224 Apparel & Design can be found on Twitter, Pinterest and much more, but has the largest presence on Instagram.
“We’re only a referral based company so that’s how we do our advertising,” Wessel says.
The company’s social media accounts need to be continuously monitored, Wessel says. Many of the company’s clients will post photos of the apparel they purchased, making each post a main tool of marketing.
"Social media is huge,” Wessel says. “Especially since we don't do any outside marketing other than that.”
Unlike other apparel companies 224 Apparel & Design does not partake in paid advertisements or have brand ambassadors at different universities, Wessel says.
“It's really important for us to be able to connect with all of our clients from across the country and meet new girls,” Wessel says.
Anna Utter, a Kappa Alpha Theta member at ASU had her first interaction with the company through social media when she was tagged in one of the company’s Instagram photos. Utter, who currently serves as her sorority’s chief of marketing, is in charge of her sorority’s apparel orders and works closely with 224 Apparel & Design..
“Their customer service is unreal,” Utter says. “They understand what a sorority girl wants to wear and what her lifestyle is like.”
Before beginning the designing process it’s important to come in with a few design ideas and sketches, Utter says. A creative consultant is then assigned to each order and helps formulate final apparel designs along with communicating between graphic designers and printing companies.
“It’s exciting to see what girls can bring to the table, but we also like giving them the opportunity to work with our artists.” Bruns says “It’s always nice to find a happy medium because the client feels more invested.”
Much of the designs also contribute to the price of each order, Bruns says. The price will fluctuate in the number of colors used and the number of print locations, such as the front, back or sleeve.
“The price first depends on the garment the girls select,” Bruns says. “If someone has a strict budget we guide them to a more cost efficient garment.”
The company also offers price breaks for clients every 12 pieces. Major price breaks occur after 36 orders, 72 orders, 124 orders or 300 orders.
“Quantity is a huge factor in pricing,” Bruns says. “It’s really easy to hammer out a lot of shirts, so if the press is only set up for 12 or 24 shirts it’s more work to reset it.”
Previously vendors who partnered with 224 Apparel & Design only had V-neck T-shirts available. However, as the trends have changed vendors have adapted to carrying a wider variety of clothing pieces. A larger selection of clothing pieces particular targets collegiate women, especially those in sororities.
Since the orders vary from customer to customer there is no set price, Wessel says.
“Bottom line when it comes down to finances we like to be very transparent with our clients,” Wessel says. “You can clearly see everything broken down and we like to make sure our clients know they're getting their value.”
CORRECTION: At the time of publication Jordan Wessel was no longer affiliated with 224 Apparel & Design.
