Check it, the Check clothing line that is.
Advertising major Austin Gebhard created Check four years ago, and now his clothing is sold in stores in Portland and online.
“I have always been really into action sports and I have always had an obsession with vintage apparel so there’s a tie there and then there’s the street style culture,” said Gebhard. “It’s just me doing it, and it’s been me since the beginning. So, I am completely in control of the design process.”
Word spread between local high schools and on social media. As Gebhard advanced to college his brand was put on the back burner, but that did not stop him from landing his clothing a spot in the Cal Skate store in Portland.
“It’s really cool because when I was younger I always thought that store was really cool,” said Gebhard.
His clothes can also be found in The Incorporated store in Portland. Gebhard knew he wanted to take his clothing to another level: retail.
Gebhard wants to create more custom and unique designs.
“Next I am doing a full cut and sew collection, its mainly going to be sweatshirts and I’m doing sweater stuff but I’m incorporating Pendleton wool and sewing in this awesome high end up and coming leather company out of Portland called Tanner Brand Goods,” said Gebhard. “It’s going to be more high-end its fully custom sewn with really nice high-end material.”
As for the name behind the brand, Austin said he liked the visual layout of the word and thought it was an easy name to remember.
“Check also stands for checking goals off your list and moving forward in a positive way,” said Gebhard.
The best part about owning your own clothing line? Seeing it on other people.
“I just got these jackets in last night like late right before I was about to go out and I was leaving and threw it on and went to this party,” said Gebhard. “There was this random dude there who came up and was like, ‘ Oh is that Check, the brand from Portland? ‘And I was like yeah, he was like ‘Ah they’re sick, I have followed them for a long time like that’s really tight that you have heard about them’, and that made my night.”