Sophomore Shahan Ali has an ambition outside of his academic career. His business includes designing clothing from scratch. He launched his business fueled solely by his passion for clothing and innate design talent. Influenced by a YouTuber who predominantly showcased hoodie fashion, Ali decided to embark on a new adventure. He named his business “Hoopworld” to cater primarily to basketball athletes. Ali finds joy in the creative process of designing hoodies and sweatsuits.
“I used to scroll on TikTok a lot and I would see a lot of people creating their own clothing brand and I really enjoyed designing and making clothing,” said Ali.
With the immense support of his parents from the beginning, Ali dreams of hitting six figures by the end of this year and eventually having a whole store dedicated to his merchandise. Despite having a solid support system, Ali encountered skepticism from some of his close friends who doubted his potential for success. They frequently criticized his aspirations, yet Ali continued to pursue his passion. The journey of Ali’s entrepreneurship has not only been a creative outlet for him, but also tested his determination.
“Last year a couple of people were saying I wouldn’t make it and that my business wouldn’t make it,” said Ali. “But I kept on going and now the people who said it was trash last year are now saying it is good this year.”
For Ali, his incentive to start a business was deeply rooted in the desire to shape a brighter future for himself. Ali’s business marketing strategy is predominantly Instagram and TikTok. After he goes home, he spends an hour or two marketing his clothing on social media platforms. His most memorable memory is when his first hoodie dropped.
“ I remember feeling really anxious when it dropped, so I logged off my computer and distracted myself for a bit,” said Ali. “After I logged back on, I found out that there were actually a lot of people that ordered my clothing and the excitement I felt stuck with me.”
Ali’s style is usually just fit to what he likes at the moment. All of his hoodies have a logo on the back that is a basketball inside a heart. Using photoshop, he designs his hoodies which can take him a couple of hours to design. Ali prices his hoodies at around $45 because he wants to attract more customers and make it more affordable.
“My brand is really important to me; I love it.,” said Ali. When I was starting it, I didn’t know much about what I was doing, but after working on it for four months, I realized I enjoyed doing it.”
Through the hardships, Ali hopes to continue to expand his business and use his intellectual knowledge of how to market his clothing. His Instagram account is called @hoopworldapparal_.
