URI Senior launches Devoted Apparel

By Amanda Lanzarini

A URI senior majoring in Textiles !ashion "erchandising and Design #T"D$ %ill &e launching his personal line o' clothing Devoted Apparel %ith the help o' 'riends in April at several local stores( )alter *assell ++ is the lead designer cooperating %ith stores li,e A&solute -thnic .oncepts and Rigs to get his clothing pu&lic( The name o' the line comes 'rom the com&ined %ishes o' him and his 'riends to design clothing and pursue dreams( /It0s called Devoted Apparel 1 said *assell( /)hen it comes do%n to it you can loo, at anyone in this room and everyone0s devoted to something22 %hether it0s music %hether it0s art %hether it0s journalism22 %hatever it may &e everyone has a passion(1 !unding 'or the production o' the clothing comes 'rom their o%n poc,ets &ut support is a&undant 'rom 'riends and 3hi 4amma Delta 'raternity &rothers( .urrently only one shirt is availa&le to &e purchased online 'or &oth men and %omen ho%ever the line plans to expand as it is released o''icially( /Because it0s privately 'unded &y us it0s di''icult to get into 'ormal %ear or things o' that nature 1 said 5ustin *oo,stadt +6 in charge o' 3u&lic Relations( /So %e0re trying to ,eep it casual(1 /As o' right no% %e0re ,ind o' &uilding 'or our spring line and 'rom there %e0re going to have endless possi&ilities 1 added *assell( The shirts are &ought in &ul, &lan, originally then a&le to &e printed %ith any design made ideally %ithin the United States( -ventually they plan to o&tain a heat2trans'er press o' their o%n to &e a&le to ma,e clothes independently( /Right no% %e only have the &rand name on the shirts 1 said "atthe% Berard +6 'ello% designer o' Devoted Apparel /But %e have many ideas 'or %hat %e %ant to put in terms o' images or ideas(1 !uture designs include the &rand on a Rhode Island license plate to emphasize their Rhode Island 'ounding( Designs o' these type are to &e completed in the next 7 to 8 months( *assell has &een %anting to design clothes since his childhood and &egan ta,ing his am&itions seriously a'ter arriving at URI( 9It %as actually at a party: I %as pretty much ma,ing every&ody0s clothes 1 he said( /I %as ma,ing stupid things li,e gar&age &ags into suits I %as ma,ing sho%er curtains into dresses22 I %as going all out %ith it and it %as all my 'riends that %ere ,inda li,e ;you ,no% %hat you0re pretty good %ith this I thin, you should do it(1

They hope to see the company inspire others as %ell( /<ur love o' clothes is %hat &rought us together &ut %e all have our o%n dreams too 1 said *assell( /)e all see this company succeeding as a %ay to reach our other dreams as %ell: It isn0t a&out the money to us it0s a&out changing as many lives as %e can(1 Devoted Apparel0s o''icial %e&site can &e 'ound at devotedapparelco(&igcartel(com %here anyone can shop online and vie% product details( Supporters are invited to 'ollo% Devoted Apparel on !ace&oo, Instagram and Tum&lr =devotedapparel and devotedapparel(tum&lr(com