Greater Latrobe student business creates apparel and signage from design to delivery

Isabella DiCecca has an order to make T-shirts for fellow Taylor Swift fans on a super-tight deadline.

The Greater Latrobe junior started the week on his laptop, piecing together design elements for a shirt celebrating Swift’s boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce,’s Feb. 11 appearance in the Super Bowl.

It’s a project that requires the attention of DiCecca and nine other students enrolled in Cat’s Customs, an elective course modeled as a student-run business, creating customized apparel, signage, and other items. Just one of the pending orders.

One thing she’s pretty sure about is that the shirt design will likely include highlights in the Chiefs’ red, white and gold.

“I try to think of things that go with a theme,” said DiCecca, who is also taking interior design classes. “You can put something in there that matches your team colors.

“We’ll try out some ideas, and if[the customer]doesn’t like the idea, we can change it.”

The customer in this case is Courtney Koss, a former tutor and consumer sciences teacher at the school, who launched Cats Customs last year in partnership with business lecturer Michelle Butler.

Butler, who currently shares teaching duties with Brianna Donahue, hoped to have the Swift Kelce shirt design completed by the next class period in two days.

“Some days you have downtime, some days you feel overwhelmed,” Butler said.

In addition to individual orders, many of which came from faculty and staff at Greater Latrobe and other districts, the students secured larger orders from school-affiliated organizations.

The class recently completed an order for nearly 300 custom T-shirts for the Greater Latrobe Teachers Union and is looking forward to ordering another shirt for an upcoming National Honor Society induction ceremony.

“When you get a big job, you have to go all in,” Butler said. This sometimes meant that students spent part of their long lunch period putting the finishing touches on their work.

“We started by doing custom designs for stores for customers and students, and now we have grown to make stickers and posters,” she said.

Other items created by students at Cat’s Customs include holiday ornaments, key chains, earrings, dog scarves, and playground signs displayed by graduates to celebrate the completion of their high school careers.

The district provided or acquired funding for equipment to start this project. This includes machines that print designs directly onto garments, large printer/cutters that produce everything from posters to more durable vinyl appliqués for shirts, and versatile machines that can work. They are made from a variety of materials, including vinyl and leather.

“We’re independent now,” Butler said. “Everything we buy comes from our budget,” including plain shirts for customization, ink for color printing, and hardware to complete jewelry.

“Our goal is to operate as a small business,” she said. “Our vision is to put half of the money we make back into the program and designate a portion of it to take the students on a day trip or do something fun as a closing activity.”

Cat’s Customs made a profit of about $500 the first year, but has posted a surplus of about $2,000 so far this semester.

Students have yet to use a special press to customize hats or use glass etching tools to design items.

“I would love to buy an embroidery machine,” Butler said.

After teachers trained students on how to use the equipment available, Mr Butler said: They’re kind of jack-of-all-trades. ”

But as in any business, each student brings their individual talents and interests to bear on the challenges at hand.

Senior Leticia Rossi hopes to one day start her own business. “It’s probably going to have to do with clothing,” she said. Through her experience at Cat’s Customs, she realized that “it’s a tough job.”

Fellow senior Gabby Cavallo is in her second year in the class. She is considering pursuing a career in business law. So she said:

“It’s really fun. I like being hands-on.”

natural fit

Cat’s Customs is a natural fit for Rob Phillips, a fourth-year student who studies digital media at Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center and already runs his own photography business, including shooting images for his school’s sports teams.

“I like designing and creating products from designs and photos,” he said, noting that he designed an ad for a relative’s hair salon. “I’m really enjoying it.”

Jace Pedicone, now a senior, displayed a lot of skill when he participated in last year’s Cats Custom. He was instrumental in setting up his website for classes (catscustoms.square.site) while managing his associated Facebook and his Instagram accounts and overseeing invoicing and processing customer payments. played a role.

Motivated by his positive report about the experience, his younger sister, Samara, a third-year student, enrolled in the course this year.

“It’s really fun,” she said. “I like the design and advertising aspects. I want to major in marketing, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to gain some experience.”

In an effort to grow the business, Butler tasked the students with regularly posting on new social media platforms and coming up with new product ideas.

“We are trying to get our Etsy shop up and running,” she said.

Considering online competition, Cat’s Customs keeps its products affordable, from $4 for a keychain to $25 for a sweatshirt.

For more unique custom items, Butler said, students must track the quantities and costs of all materials used and mark up prices accordingly.

“This is true project-based learning, very student-driven and student-driven,” she said. “It’s so satisfying to see our designs come to life and see someone walking down the hall wearing something we made.

“It’s really great to see them own it.”