How to Make a T-Shirt

Hey Readers,

Working on this blog for JNava has been inspiring and encouraging to the entrepreneur in me. Starting a successful business is a rewarding achievement, and when the foundation of that business is a passion you have something special. That’s what I hope to create in principle some day. For Jason Nava that meant making t-shirts. It started slow and as more of a hobby, but when you keep the idea of starting a business in the back your head, opportunities find you. After learning how Jason started out just making a few cool shirts for his friends I kind of realized that it might be easier than many think. So how do you make small batches of custom shirts? After a little research I found that there are a few ways to do things based on your budget and scale of production. The first step is buying blank shirts.

google images

JNava uses American Apparel shirts, which are very high quality, but also fairly expensive. If your plan is to try and make a little bit of money American Apparel probably isn’t the best place to start because costs will be high. However if you want to make a few special shirts meant to last then maybe something high quality is worth it. There is a learning curve to this and unless you pay a print shop to print your designs, you could ruin your first few shirts. You need to have a wholesale licence to see the American Apparel prices but t-shirt forums say that they are anywhere from $3.50 to $6.00 per shirt depending on quantity, color, size, and type. Hanes and other cheaper companies charge around $2.00 or less per shirt (t-shirtforums.com/find-wholesale-blank-t-shirts). I suggest practicing with cheap shirts or even some old used ones in the back of your drawer

google images

Making the shirts yourself requires a silk-screen press and a few other supplies. These can be basic homemade screens that you manually press ink through, or very pricey machines that automate certain tasks and allow for much faster production. There are beginner kits that start at a couple hundred dollars whereas the machine in the picture above is thousands of dollars. The extremely stripped down process includes making a stencil of your design, applying the ink in the appropriate places, and pressing it through the stencil into the fibers of the t-shirt. It is a simple process but I’m sure there is plenty of technique involved in getting it just right. Rather than trying to explain something I have never done I found a really good video on screen printing, check it out! I also linked to some silkscreen suppliers and related resources below. Good luck and perhaps I will be buying your shirts soon!

-Robert 

http://www.silkscreeningsupplies.com/

http://victoryfactory.com/

http://www.americanapparel.net/wholesaleresources/

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/ 

Meet Hannah!

Hello Readers!

In this blog, I want to start off by introducing a long time friend of mine, Hannah Richtman. The picture to the left is of me and Hannah when we were little kids. Hannah currently goes to Fordham University in New York City. Being situated in arguably the fashion capital of the United States, she gets exposed to all of the upcoming fashion trends and movements on a daily basis. She currently runs a blog that has over 200 active followers and is updated almost daily with pictures of what she sees around New York (http://www.thefashionhash.com/). I encourage everyone to check the blog out, as it is surprisingly similar to JNAVA's current blog regarding content as well as the style of clothing. Hannah writes about innovative and unique forms of fashion that she so often comes upon in New York City. Hannah would love to have your input on her blogs.

Finally, be on the lookout for JNAVA's spring clothing line that will be coming out within the next couple weeks. I'm interested to see the new designs that Jason comes out with, as every season his creativity doesn't cease to surprise me.

Best Regards,

Ned Hamilton

The Importance of Photography

Hey Readers,

Designing the aesthetics of this blog and posting quality pictures has been fairly easy so far. There are so many cool pictures at our disposal from Jason Nava that we haven't snapped a photo yet, except to show you all the nxt | FASHION show.  Photography is a part of life for the folks at JNava, as well as an integral part of the company. All of the photos used on their website are composed very professionally and good use of light is immediately noticeable. The website is designed very well and the photos are clear, creative, and effective. Jason has used photography to enhance his brand and company. It is exciting to write a blog for a company like this because the art, especially the photography, really keeps me engaged.

Photography is important to everyone. Some people don't realize it but we see thousands of photos every day and to take one that stands out to people is more impressive than it may seem. To a certain extent our memory has pictures of the past but photos have the unique ability of giving your brain a reference for that moment in time. Nostalgia, emotion, and clarity come rushing back and are very real when you have a good picture to bring you there. I think that is the main importance of photography, its power to clarify your memories and bring you back.

I picked up photography during my freshman year of high school when it was first offered to me as a class. My friends all decided on pottery, where they spent the majority of the semester trying to make bongs that the teacher wouldn’t recognize as bongs. Despite missing out on that, I really enjoyed getting to walk around town taking pictures during school. I now have a digital camera but I am glad I got to learn on an old Pentax 1000 film SLR. With the things a digital camera and Photoshop can do these days it is no wonder that film has become obsolete to most. However dragging and editing two photos together just isn’t the same as a dark room. Developing the film, dodging and burning to get exposures right, and seeing the final product slowly materialize in the bins of chemicals makes a good photo so much more rewarding. There are a dozen times you can mess up the process, some of which can ruin your irreplaceable film. It gives you an appreciation for the trouble people had to go through to take pictures until fairly recently. Photography is an integral part of nearly all world cultures by now and provides many different functions and uses.

Effects and uses of photography:

Document a moment in time (google images)

Capture artistic expression and human emotion (from JNava fb page)

Modeling (from JNava fb)

Nature, Wildlife, Travel, etc... (hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park)

Sun rays are a cool effect (Chairlift in Whistler, BC)

Find creativity in everyday objects (found on the internet long ago)

Use of a great vantage point just like above (found on the internet long ago)

Use of light and color (long exposure of lights being twirled)

Edit photos to apear unreal (great Vans image from internet)

New Season, New Line

Once again, spring is upon us as.  Sending our favorite North Face fleece or pair of Uggs into hibernation, we embrace the arrival of a new wardrobe! Although for some, it is bittersweet to part with the hot chocolate and snowboards, but for most, the returning warm Colorado breeze is a welcome friend as we greet the new season. 

As the seasons ever change, fashion must stay equally dynamic.  With the launch of new spring line on April 15, JNava clothing (www.jnavaclothing.com) is dedicated to outfitting you with the hottest spring apparel.  Spring is all about looking hip, chill and comfortable and what better to rock then steezy, locally made graphic T. 

The dream of Jason Nava and his team is to create the next generation clothing; to make urban inspired styles accessible and affordable for everyone.  To realize this dream, customers must truly enjoy the product being produced.  So as JNava moves into spring alongside you, we ask that you take a second to stop and reflect on winter.  As you flashback to that epic powder day at Vail or New Years Eve in Boulder, I ask readers to reflect on the JNava winter fashion line.  Since JNava believes that your reflections are the lifeblood of the company, please follow the link below and take the online survey.  On the site, you will see shirts from the JNava winter line and will be asked to rate them from 1 to 4.  Your responses and input will be the genesis of new designs and graphics to help the JNava team provide you with the best clothing possible.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WXSRYTB

A Night Out With JNava

Hey Readers,

Being someone that was previously very distant from the fashion world, the weekend before Spring Break was quite an eye opener for me. As previously mentioned, the NXT fashion show was in downtown Denver with JNava being one of the featured designers. Zach and I were fortunate enough to get the opportunity to attend, and it went far beyond our expectations. As soon as I walked in the doors, I realized that we were in for quite the treat. The first thing that caught my eye was the variety of the crowd at the venue. The crowd had a plethora of people including fashion designers, photographers, older parents of the models, and children from the Boys and Girls Club of Colorado (www.bgcmd.org). And then there was us, two college students that had never been submersed in anything even remotely close to this.

Break-dancers

The night started off with a few live musical performances from local Denver artists, along with a break dancing skit put on by two young boys from the Boys and Girls Club that got the crowd clapping in unison.  After that it was time for the models to walk the runway. Getting seats right by where the models stopped and struck poses for the photographers, Zach and I found ourselves sitting by many fashion enthusiasts.

JNava was the first company to have their clothes shown off, with models sporting JNava t-shirts, bags, jackets, and sweatshirts. A model came by about every 30 seconds, striking three to four poses before proceeding to the back to sprint and change into their next outfit. Each model had a distinctive hairdo and make up design. For instance, every model had a specific splash of a brightly colored hair. By the end of the night, I even found myself critiquing the models walks and poses. I found some looks to fierce, and some too soft. Some walks seemed to fast and high speed, while others looked almost lazy and too laid back. This showed me how difficult being a model truly is.

"Lien on your dreams" shirt being modeled 

Overall, the night made me establish a new level of respect for people within the fashion industry. Noting how much time was taken by the designers, photographers, and models, I was able to realize that fashion can be more than just a hobby for some people. Rather, it is a lifestyle. These people all have goals and directions in life that are dictated by fashion, whether it is trying to make it as a top model, getting an established and known clothing company, or snapping pictures that are of value. Often times people disregard other people’s passions that are irrelevant to themselves. I am surely guilty of this. Driving back to Boulder from Denver I had some time to reflect upon the night as a whole. Seeing people so enthusiastic and inspired about clothing resulted in me asking myself “What is my passion?” It’s a question I’m still struggling to answer. It has stimulated a sense of urgency for me to continue to do the things that I love. With that, I will leave with this closing quote:

“Those who danced were thought to be quite

insane by those who could not hear the music.”

                  -Angela Monet

Find what inspires you and do it,
Ned Hamilton

Fashion and JNava’s Place in the Industry

Hey Everyone,

My name is Robert Luckett and I am a part of the three-man team blogging for JNava Clothing this semester. I am a finance major at CU Boulder and I feel very fortunate to get to work on this blog. I am really excited to be paired with such a cool group and get to explore the world of a small t-shirt company.

Today I would like to talk about fashion and where JNava might fit into this somewhat ambiguous industry. Fashion has a broad meaning and can be very tricky to define. Can all clothes be considered fashion? Is fashion just about clothes? Does the way you wear the clothes or your posture matter? So instead of attempting to pinpoint the definition of fashion I will try to find where JNava fits in.

The perception you have of what looks pleasing, especially as it relates to clothing, is called your “style.” Peoples’ styles are very diverse, and the further you look the more styles you will find. This isn’t surprising when you consider the number of different cultures around the world, each with its own influences and fashion styles. Or when you consider how fast styles can change or branch off of each other within just one of those cultures. The resulting definition for fashion becomes very broad, and may have different meanings to different people. Fashion can be meant for practicality and mass production; on the other side of the spectrum it can be a one-of-a-kind garment used for a single fashion show. Generally people care about functionality in their everyday attire. Whereas in many fashion shows artistic expression trumps everything, being able to fit through the average doorframe is not even a concern. JNava, I think, is somewhere in the middle.

Victoria Secret Fashion Show

JNava is a t-shirt company; t-shirts are extremely practical and have probably become the most generic piece of clothing on the planet. On the other hand this company evolved out of Jason’s creativity, and from what we have gathered, being unique and continuing to express himself is still priority. Competition is endless in the t-shirt industry and creativity is an integral part of success. Art is central to the JNava lifestyle, which is apparent if you check out their website and Facebook page. Not just t-shirts are on display. There are tons of photos that really give you a sense for Jason’s style of art. They put just as much thought into their photography as they do into their shirts. T-shirts are just one of JNava’s mediums of expression and it seems to fuel originality. So even though it is just another t-shirt company, the clothes appeal to people with a more sophisticated fashion sense. After all, they were just in a Denver fashion show...

Photo from JNava Facebook page

The nxt|FASHION show was this past weekend. If you didn’t get to make it don’t worry, we’ve got you! Check back soon for some pictures and details of the event.

-Robert

www.nxtfashionshows.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/JNava-Clothing/146905405438

nxt | FASHION Show

Welcome!

Hello Readers!

Two fellow classmates at the University of Colorado and I have recently been given the privilege to write and develop a blog for a local Colorado clothing company. Our team consists of Zach Nassar, Robert Luckett, and myself, Ned Hamilton. The company we are writing about is JNava Clothing (jnavaclothing.com). JNava Clothing is a fun and innovative clothing line that is owned and operated by Jason Nava out of Littleton, Colorado. I have been following JNava for two years now and currently own five of their shirts. The picture above is my favorite of the JNava shirts that I own.

We will bring a unique perspective to our readers on JNava Clothing, as admittedly none of us are very connected with the fashion world. On any given day, it is likely you would be able to find a member of our blogging group wearing a pair of pants picked out by our mother, or possibly a t-shirt that Grandma gave us for Christmas a few years ago. However, this serves as motivation for our team, as we vow to learn more about the fashion industry and blog about our progress. We will also be updating our blog with important dates for JNava clothing, interviews, and topics pertaining to the company that are of interest to our readers.

We look forward to developing strong relationships with our readers through our blog. We strongly encourage questions, comments, and suggestions in order to create constructive back-and-forth conversations with our readers that can further enhance the quality of our blog. To get more familiar with JNava Clothing, I suggest you take a look at their website, current blog, and Facebook page. The links are provided below:

• JNava Website: http://jnavaclothing.com/


• JNava Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/JNava-Clothing/146905405438


• JNava Blog: http://jnavaclothing.com/blog/

Best Regards,

Ned Hamilton