Barnes and Noble brings new clothing brand

When browsing the Barnes & Noble on campus this semester, one might find a new clothing brand, catering to the female 49er fan, has popped up on the back wall of the store.

School House Inc., designed by North Carolina-native Rachel Weeks, designs clothing that caters to various universities around the United States.  The designs incorporate each school’s style and colors, while also catering to the fashion crowd.
Interestingly, the clothing line not only offers new styles to UNC Charlotte students, but also offers clothing that is produced in North Carolina.

Weeks started the line as a Fulbright Scholar in Sri Lanka, attempting to create a socially responsible and ethical company that would help those who produce the brand.

“I was inspired by the stories of many of the woman I was meeting [in Sri Lanka] who worked in the garment factories, who could not make ends meet or sustain themselves with $60/month salaries, “ said Weeks.

Weeks noticed that while on campus at Duke University, her alma mater, that the school apparel choices were somewhat bland.
“I did not see a lot of fashionable options for young women,” said Weeks. This observation is a contributing factor to why School House incorporates the collegiate style of the campuses they design for.

“We absolutely look to what is happening already in college fashion when we design a new collection,” Weeks said.
“I think that has been a major problem with this industry: that not enough retailers and brands in the collegiate apparel market are truly listening to what college students want. So we make an effort to bring that into our work every day.”
The company officially started in 2007 and has grown to include around 100 schools.

After several years, Weeks moved the brand’s manufacturing to North Carolina and now employs several hundred North Carolinians to produce the line.

“Our supply chain, from yarn to fabrics to zipper to cardboard boxes, supports hundreds of jobs across the state,” said Weeks. “That is an incredible feeling.”

Weeks also expressed that since she is a native North Carolinian she wanted the UNC Charlotte line to be special.
“We wanted to honor the 49ers athletics tradition but in a cute, trendy, wear-anywhere kind of way,” said Weeks about the new UNC Charlotte additions sold in Barnes & Noble.

For Niner fans who are looking for something new and different, the brand offers “a pinstripe pullover hoodie, an on-trend color block dress and a black varsity cardigan.”

Students who have had the opportunity to go to the university’s Barnes & Noble and check out some of the new apparel have been impressed.

“There is not that much offered for girls that are really dressy,” said UNC Charlotte senior Jessica Mills, talking about the 49er clothes sold on campus in previous years.  “And I think that all of the School House products are definitely cool. I also think it’s neat that they are all made in North Carolina.”

The School House products sold on campus range from $32.98 to $74.98.