Clothing for a Cause: Hutch
February 27, 2014
It started with three friends and one idea to make a mark on the world. Making use of their passion for design, Diamond Bar High School seniors Tushar Nandwani, Brandon Wilson, and Nimitt Shah launched their own clothing line, Hutch.
Hutch, described as a brand based on the philosophy: “Stay Young, Grow Wise,” currently specializes in t-shirts and bags. Merchandise is primarily sold online on a Facebook page called Hutch Apparel but can also be found in Metropolitan Apparel, a local Diamond Bar store. Current prices for Hutch are $12 per shirt or $20 for two.
“I don’t really see Hutch as a clothing brand. It sounds cheesy, but I see Hutch as more of a lifestyle. We don’t really do this for clothing, we do this to sort of create a name for ourselves,” Nandwani said.
Shah and Wilson had toyed with the idea to start a clothing line long before Hutch made its debut last September.
“At first, it was something we’d just talk about and draw designs for. It was just something we thought about. Nimitt and I actually got really close through that. At one point, though, we decided that we had this concept that we had spent so much time developing, so we just put the plan into action,” Wilson commented.
The pair had just started Hutch in their junior year when they came in contact with Nandwani, who had experience with entrepreneurship and knowledge on business from his family members who are entrepreneurs. With the third member in place, they began to put the project into action.
For about a year, they thought of different ideas and devised plans to officially launch the brand.
“I think it took a whole year because we were afraid it might not work out, but by September we just decided to just take a leap of faith and hope that it would work out,” Nandwani explained.
And it did. They officially launched the brand in September and advertised through various forms of social media, including Facebook and Instagram. They are currently in the process of creating a Hutch website.
Shortly after launching, the trio hired a designer, DBHS senior Hannah Li, to help design future items. Li, who has experience designing clothes, created the second shirt in their developing line, which simply featured the brand’s name with a pair of hands around it that made a triangle. Li will also be designing the next line-up of Hutch Apparel, which may begin to also include women’s tank-tops.
Since then, Hutch has been used to not only make money but also to donate to many different charities and causes. In light of the recent tragedy in the Philippines, Hutch sold drawstring bags with the slogan “We Will Rise”; for every bag they sold, one was sent to the Philippines. The company also contributed $400 worth of products as prizes for raffles and contests in Jesse Chow’s “charity: water” concert last month.
The trio plans to take Hutch forward after high school and spread the brand to the college market.
“I definitely want to continue Hutch, even if the only reason we’re doing this is to keep in touch and to keep this great friendship going,” Wilson said.
