Two brothers with a passion for fashion are branching off from their startup to launch a clothing line.
Richmonders Britt and Bennett Sebastian launched their screen printing business UTR, ink last year. Now, from their shop on the 400 block of East Main Street, they’re getting ready to unveil Hollywood Cemetery Apparel, a high-end clothing line for men.
Britt, 22, runs UTR (Under the Radar), a shop that sells custom printed T-shirts and other gear to local businesses, bands and other residents in the area.
He plans to launch a small line of shirts, duffel bags jackets, and shorts under the Hollywood Cemetery name in the next couple of weeks, as well as a line of denim products in the fall.
The brothers took over the family screen-printing shop a year ago, although a clothing line has been on Britt’s mind for years.
“Hollywood was in the works a long time before UTR,” Britt said.
UTR was started by Britt and Bennett’s mother as a wholesale clothing business about four years ago. Britt took it over the in the past year.
They do all of the screen-printing, sewing and design work in-house, and most of their products are sold in bulk over the phone.
Business has grown through word of mouth and referrals, and Britt said UTR is starting to be profitable.
“It’s been a steady incline,” he said. “I don’t have any loans on the place.”
They started out with just two clients and now they have about 20 regular clients, including VCU’s Mass Communication Department, a construction company and many local bands.
Britt and Bennett got a feel for the business while interning for Raleigh Denim, a North Carolina jeans company, for a summer in college.
“We helped them out and both learned how to sew and tailor clothes,” Britt said.
Britt, a VCU graduate, also learned the ins and outs of screen printing while working at a local screen printing shop through college.
“I’ve always wanted to be a business owner, but within the last four years I knew clothing was the way I wanted to go,” he said.
As for the launch of the Hollywood Cemetery line, it’s a big step up in price from UTR’s products. UTR shirts usually run between $4 and $8, but the Hollywood line will cost between $20 and $60, Britt said.
They tested some of the Hollywood products at Richmond Fashion Week last year and sold 50 shirts at a recent show for Virginia State University.
“It’s nice to see the clothes around town,” Britt said.
The brothers are working to revamp the Hollywood Apparel website in the next few weeks so they can start taking orders for the clothes. Sales will be taken over the phone for now, but a retail shop could be in the cards down the road.
“We want to be known as a brand more than a store,” Britt said. “We want to be part of a culture that starts from the ground up.”
Two brothers with a passion for fashion are branching off from their startup to launch a clothing line.
Richmonders Britt and Bennett Sebastian launched their screen printing business UTR, ink last year. Now, from their shop on the 400 block of East Main Street, they’re getting ready to unveil Hollywood Cemetery Apparel, a high-end clothing line for men.
Britt, 22, runs UTR (Under the Radar), a shop that sells custom printed T-shirts and other gear to local businesses, bands and other residents in the area.
He plans to launch a small line of shirts, duffel bags jackets, and shorts under the Hollywood Cemetery name in the next couple of weeks, as well as a line of denim products in the fall.
The brothers took over the family screen-printing shop a year ago, although a clothing line has been on Britt’s mind for years.
“Hollywood was in the works a long time before UTR,” Britt said.
UTR was started by Britt and Bennett’s mother as a wholesale clothing business about four years ago. Britt took it over the in the past year.
They do all of the screen-printing, sewing and design work in-house, and most of their products are sold in bulk over the phone.
Business has grown through word of mouth and referrals, and Britt said UTR is starting to be profitable.
“It’s been a steady incline,” he said. “I don’t have any loans on the place.”
They started out with just two clients and now they have about 20 regular clients, including VCU’s Mass Communication Department, a construction company and many local bands.
Britt and Bennett got a feel for the business while interning for Raleigh Denim, a North Carolina jeans company, for a summer in college.
“We helped them out and both learned how to sew and tailor clothes,” Britt said.
Britt, a VCU graduate, also learned the ins and outs of screen printing while working at a local screen printing shop through college.
“I’ve always wanted to be a business owner, but within the last four years I knew clothing was the way I wanted to go,” he said.
As for the launch of the Hollywood Cemetery line, it’s a big step up in price from UTR’s products. UTR shirts usually run between $4 and $8, but the Hollywood line will cost between $20 and $60, Britt said.
They tested some of the Hollywood products at Richmond Fashion Week last year and sold 50 shirts at a recent show for Virginia State University.
“It’s nice to see the clothes around town,” Britt said.
The brothers are working to revamp the Hollywood Apparel website in the next few weeks so they can start taking orders for the clothes. Sales will be taken over the phone for now, but a retail shop could be in the cards down the road.
“We want to be known as a brand more than a store,” Britt said. “We want to be part of a culture that starts from the ground up.”
Dear Britt and Bennett,
While Hollywood Cemetery is an historical location, it is also a modern day cemetery where the loved ones of Richmonders are buried. For example, my father and brother are buried very close to the Harvey family (the poor souls who were brutally murdered in their own home in 2006). I wonder if you would reconsider the name of your clothing line. I’m sure I will not be the only person who finds it to be in poor taste.
Regardless, I wish you all the best in your future business ventures.
Megan
Living downtown, I think Hollywood Cemetery Apparel is a fantastic addition to the neighborhood. I couldn’t help but noticed the striking facade and I’m sure other passerby won’t miss it either. I’m interested to see what they have to offer and look closely at their progress. To the previous poster: Any location is a historical location and they all are capable of having negativity and/or positivity associated with it and that shouldn’t repel a business owner from taking pride in his/her city. I think using the name Hollywood Cemetery is original, edgy and uniquely identifies with Richmond. I imagine the… Read more »