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Entrepreneurs often have an interesting story about their business origins. Allen Clark, alumnae, said he is still in the process of writing his. Clark is a 2013 graduate who majored in human resources and business finance who has begun the process of launching Loyalty Love Co., a clothing brand he said represents a lifestyle.

Clark said his idea began in 2008 while he was in Chicago with a close friend who later departed from the project. But the project did not become a reality until June 2014, when he began to design for his prospective line.

Clark said his interest in fashion was inspired by his mom, who he used to shop with as a boy. The inspiration for the name was a simple idea created by Clark and his friend but was changed soon after Clark began managing the project alone.

“The original, in ’08 when we first started, was just Loyalty,” Clark said. “Once my partner left, I figured it was just too plain, and I wanted to add something more to it. Looking up copyrights, I noticed a lot of companies that have just the name Loyalty, so I decided to add ‘Love’ to it.”

The company started out as an exclusive brand Clark sold only to friends, but he has since opened it to the public. Clark said one of his best moments yet was the opportunity to see people in foreign countries interested in purchasing his clothes.

“When I first started, I only sold to my friends,” Clark said. “Then, after endorsing a kid in Tennessee who has a really good following on skateboarding, I built a website where I saw two people order from England, so I thought that was really cool.”

The clothes are in an urban style that is targeted toward college students, but Clark said it has become widely popular among high school students, as well. Clark, with help from his brother, Austin Coleman, advertises the clothes through social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram.

“Whenever I go out or go to a party, I get a couple of my friends to wear Loyalty Love Co.,” Coleman said. “By people coming to the party and seeing that, they ask ‘Where’d you get your shirt from; what is it?’ And then they want to buy it to help out.”

Altough Clark said he hopes to see his line increase in popularity, he does not rush to put new products out. He often takes advice from his friends and other shops when making the ultimate decision of what is ready to be put on the market.

“I’ve had a couple products that I have made prototypes for that I didn’t buy in mass,” Clark said. “I just bought single shirts just to see what people would think, and I didn’t get a good review on them. I actually took my clothes into a store downtown called Fugitive, and I asked a guy there what he thought about them, and he gave me a lot of pointers on what I could do better with my clothing.”

Clark said he has struggled while trying to accomplish his dream and he often takes a loss in revenue, but he takes pride in seeing people take an interest in his product. He describes his line as lifestyle clothes that cannot be used to identify just one group.

“A lot of people aim their clothes toward a sport or a demographic, but I want to go more toward a lifestyle,” he said.

Clark said he wants to focus on a college lifestyle, but also a lifestyle of dedication. He said he and his crew work hard to create a product that stands out in a market like today’s where consumers are bombarded with muiltiple options. Damien Markham, a designer and advertiser of Loyalty Love Co., said he admires the hard work Clark and the crew invest in the brand.
“Allen has a great idea of where he wants Loyalty Love Co. to be and allows the team to generate ideas that will help get him there,” Markham said. “He never lets a day go by where we aren’t building. It’s the day-to-day that makes a successful company, and he keeps us on our toes. Loyalty Love Co. is more than clothing; it’s inspiration, it’s camaraderie, it’s a platform. We’re enhancing lives.”
Current Loyalty Love Co. products include a zip-up hoodie, four T-shirt series, a crewneck and baseball tees available in various colors. The brand is currently an all-male line but will become unisex once the company starts making more revenue. To join the project or buy an item, visit loyaltyloveco.com.