A group of seniors at Henry Clay High School has launched its own clothing brand, featuring a custom altered line of shirts and accessories that aims to celebrate the individuality of the younger generation.
The company, called Unxpectd, was started last fall by Henry Clay senior Ryan Sullivan, with help from classmates Finley Williams, Dylan Holder and Gabe Richie. The group uses a variety of sewing, screenprinting and embroidery techniques to handcraft its one-of-a-kind designs sold on the company’s website, unxpectd.co.
Nina Rennard
Henry Clay High School seniors Ryan Sullivan and Finley Williams sport hoodies from their clothing line, Unxpectd.
“We wanted to make the clothing brand about embodying the youth and their individuality,” said Sullivan. “The name [Unxpectd] didn’t really mean anything at first but, as time progressed, the name [came to mean] more about being yourself and not being what’s expected of you.”
Eighteen-year-old Sullivan started the brand using money he’d saved while working at local restaurants. Sullivan worked up to 60 hours per week during the summer and half that much during the school year, he said, to launch the business.
Nina Rennard
Ryan Sullivan up to his ears in Unxpectd apparel.
“We are in high school, so we aren’t adults who are venture capitalists that are trying to make a bunch of money,” Sullivan said. “We’re hand-making everything.”
Unxpectd has posted dozens of short videos to TikTok, a rising social media platform, to reach its target audience of young people like themselves. The company’s presence on the popular platform has resulted in major growth of its sales and social media followings, Sullivan said. Its 30th video hit 650,000 views, he said, and that’s when they realized they were onto something big.
“[After that, we] got lots of sales and Instagram and TikTok followers overnight,” he said.
One of Sullivan’s role models for the brand’s positioning and promotional strategy is Gary Vaynerchuk, an entrepreneur with 7.8 million Instagram followers.
“I followed [Gary Vaynerchuk] since freshman year,” Sullivan said, “and his messages have always stood out to me about doing what makes you happy, the level of commitment it takes and good marketing strategies. ”
Nina Rennard
Finley Williams processes orders from the company’s website.
The small group of senior boys has spent countless hours making the clothes, processing orders and working on advertising to promote the company’s brand. Clothing products are ordered in bulk then customized by using a host of hand screen printing, sewing and embroidering techniques, including dyes, washes and cutting and resewing the fabric. The company’s second collection was released in early February. Within 30 minutes of the release, Unxpectd hit $10,000 in sales, Sullivan said.
“For [collection 2], the core message was embodying and uplifting people with characteristics like idiosyncrasy and individuality,” Sullivan said. “With the hoodies we have in this collection, all but just a couple are going to be uniquely made every single time; everything is going to be slightly altered. [We want the clothing] to be unique to you.”
“With the hoodies we have in this collection, all but just a couple are going to be uniquely made every single time; everything is going to be slightly altered. [We want the clothing] to be unique to you.” —Ryan Sullivan
Henry Clay senior Morgan Blank is one of Unxpectd’s customers, and an early supporter of the new business. Blank has been friends with Sullivan for a while, and she said she appreciates that Unexpectd’s designs aren’t made by a large manufacturer.
“I told my dad about [Unxpectd] for Christmas presents, and he was really excited about it,” Blank said. “We try to support [Sullivan] and buy stuff.”
Sullivan plans to continue the brand after high school. The team has also been exploring the possibility of opening a brickand- mortar store.
“I’m intending to continue the brand,” Sullivan said. “We plan on releasing new products at least by the end of spring.”