An Interview with Nicole Kowalchuk: Balancing School and Business
Written by Rana Rastegari
The past year has been a whirlwind of chaos, confusion and uncertainty. A lot of us have felt stuck; unable to move forward without lives during these times but that's not to say there hasn’t been a silver lining. In the midst of all this perplexity, young creators have found their true calling. Small, sustained businesses have been thriving, promoting their products online and working to make (often) handmade goods. I had the pleasure of talking to Nicole Kowalchuk, a small business owner from Texas, about her experience with ping working in the fashion and business industry at such a young age, whilst balancing her school and social life.
Sat across from one another (separated by zoom screens, of course), Nicole spoke to me about how she started her business, selling custom embroidered hoodies and sweatshirts. Think minimalist, meaningful and practical clothes with a reference to your favourite artist on it. I mean, what more could you want? From Harry Styles to Kanye West, her line of hoodies and sweatshirts comes in multiple colours, patterns and sizes AND all of it is handmade! Nicole was certain that starting a business would aid her future career, and upon seeing another creator's business on TikTok, she was inspired. Her mom was taking sewing classes at the time and told her that she should buy a sewing machine and just start her own business. “Of course, a small business takes money, time and energy and to convince her parents to invest in it, I had to make a whole PowerPoint and I wrote down all the numbers and how much I needed to sell, and thankfully, they bought it!”. With the current circumstances, support for small business owners is higher than ever and the need for more sustainable and ethical brands is on the rise. “I think that small businesses have, for a long time, been under-appreciated. There’s so much money that goes into it; like for me, all of my personal income goes towards this brand so I feel like they're more personal and heartwarming”. Right now, Nicole’s main focus for the brand is incorporating music and fashion, most of her sweatshirts being adorned with lyrics or references to artists but she is set to take fashion classes through the summer where she is hoping to be able to make her own clothes, such as crop tops, which as we all know are a summer essential. “I also want to make a website because right now, it’s been really hard to take all my orders through DM’s and I can't get to everyone which is very stressful to manage with school and work, so I think a website would definitely help with that”.
“There’s this programme on the embroidery machine where I have to design what goes on the clothes. I do a lot of my personal interests, especially at the beginning, and when I get feedback from people I try to make sure I respond to it. Like Mac Miller, a lot of people ordered some sweatshirts with a design relating to him and so, I had to start listening to his music a lot more to get a vibe and some inspiration for designs. Definitely knowing the music and the colours that relate to the artist, that really helps.” Nicole started her business at the beginning of lockdown and she had never imagined the number of orders that she would get. “It does take quite a while, depending on the design, like an hour to an hour and a half maybe. The Frank Ocean ones, for example, took a really long time because they were so complex.”
Having always been an advocate for climate change and sustainability, Nicole feels very strongly about the incorporation of green manufacturing in her business. For earth day, she made specific sustainable designs, the funds of which she donated to climate change organisations. “I’m currently in the process of trying to find more eco-friendly packaging, because that’s definitely one of the focuses of the business”. I had the honour of talking to her about her achievements and what she has been the most proud of since she began. “I’ve been proud of how I’ve managed it all, I’m only 16, and I do feel like an ordinary 16 year old high school student but I am proud of how on top of everything I’ve managed to stay.” In such a small amount of time, her business has grown tremendously, hitting 1000 followers in less than a week.
Style changes and brand new trends are undeniable forces in fashion, often affecting many small businesses and the products that they create. When I asked about how Nicole’s personal style resonates with her brand, she answered gracefully mentioning that she loves to dress up. “I have an obsession with clothes, like it’s really bad. I was banned from buying clothes from my parents. I was in urban (outfitters) and I saw an embroidered sweatshirt for $70 and I thought ‘that’s insane, I’m not paying $70 for a sweatshirt’”. She’s fond of sweatshirts, she told me, finding them confronting and easy to style. It’s no secret that loungewear has snuck its way into high fashion, seen on models and on runways in recent years.
As a high school student, it’s undoubtedly difficult to manage a business and academics alongside each other, but Nicole has the drive to balance all aspects of her life perfectly. She quit her job because of her business as it took up a lot of time and alongside being a tennis player and a junior applying to colleges soon, she spends her Sundays working on her brand. “Sundays are basically full working days where I can just focus on the sweatshirts. I try to get at least one done though the week, like after school while I’m studying, aswell, just so I can keep up with all the orders' '. Having achieved so much in such little time, i was curious about Nicole’s advertising process, and how she gained attention as a creator. “I first advertised it on my snapchat private story and a few people responded to it and really liked them. I have pretty bad social anxiety so I was really worried that people would make fun of him but I got over it and posted it on my main story which gained a lot of attention. I think my biggest form of advertising was on tik tok, though, like my Frank Ocean and Kanye ones were the ones that really put me out there”.
Nicole is still working and making products, alongside her AP exams and intends to continue the brand long term. “I definitely do want to make it more personal though, like I said, I’ll be taking fashion classes this summer so I can have more of my own input in the sweatshirts”, she said.Small businesses such as Nicole’s are constantly growing, expanding and improving and we should all be looking to support smaller creators who are working ethically and sustainably. If you want to follow along Nicole’s journey, Instagram is @nicsfitsco!