Dal student combines art with business and sustainability
Meriha Beaton, Staff Contributor
Sleepless nights and a hectic workload are common factors in a student’s life and Jason Duong is no exception. What sets him apart from the average student? He is running his own clothing line on the side.
“Honestly, academics kind of take a hit,” says Duong, owner of Mixtape Apparel and third-year Dal commerce student. “When it comes to my priorities and what’s fun, obviously it’s my business.”
On Nov. 25, 2010, Duong and his childhood friend, Chris Pyke, launched the website for their eco-friendly clothing line. The line offers belt buckles made out of recycled cassette tapes.
Seeing decorative bowls and clocks made of recycled records, Duong figured old cassettes could also be put to good use. Already a belt buckle enthusiast, he slowly started developing the idea that became Mixtape Apparel.
“It wasn’t like a eureka moment. It was more a slow process,” says Duong. “I thought ‘I would wear that, maybe I’ll try it eventually.’”
Being a student while managing Mixtape Apparel has its pros and cons for Duong. While he has made several connections through students in his class, time management can be a struggle.
‘The time is really, really tough, sometimes you really want to do the business stuff and then you have an assignment due—but you have to get the assignment done if you want to pass,” says Duong.
Mixtape Apparel markets towards people of all ages. Many students are interested in the products, while an older crowd has invested in the belts as well.
“The people who are younger who are buying them are like ‘that’s cool, that’s like an iconic image.’ They are buying it for the retro factor,” says Duong. “The older people are buying them because they used to have (cassettes) and they want to keep a part of that.”
The belts are all made from recycled cassettes that have been donated to Duong from people who are going to throw them out. The belt backs and the belts are purchased new, to ensure a quality product. Duong and Pyke are determined to be as eco-friendly as possible.
“I think it’s something every business should integrate,” says Duong.
As of now, the boys are working on Mixtape Apparel T-shirts that should be available in the near future. The shirts will be influenced by music and media images and will be made from environmentally friendly materials. They wish to sell clothing that is locally made and of little harm to the environment.
“You look at every tag right now and it’s from somewhere you have barely heard of,” says Pyke. “I’d like to make clothes that are local. You know exactly where it came from. It doesn’t take any greenhouse gases to get here, and it doesn’t take someone slaving away for a penny an hour to make it. It would be so much more fulfilling to wear something like that.”
For more information check out mixtapeapparel.com.
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