Two University students and an alumnus are not only creating trendy T-shirts with innovative designs but using their brand to encourage people to reassess the world of pop culture around them.
Kris Nelson, Alec Nelsonand Spencer Groshong grew up together in Eugene and attended Churchill High School. They have always shared a tight friendship and a passion for design, fashion and entrepreneurship.
A few years ago, their childhood ambitions of starting a company together and their interests in the streetwear clothing scene, an alternative to mainstream fashion, prompted them to take action. That action culminated into a streetwear clothing company they called Enliten.
The brand began with their smart and witty thinking paired with a little bit of luck, Groshong explained.
“We all thought it would be really cool to start something like this,” he said. “We decided we would go for it. When you are young like us, you have the opportunity to just take some risks and see what happens.”
They designed their clothing business around the idea of spreading educational awareness and creating clothing with a meaning. They chose a light bulb as their official company logo, which Kris Nelson said was no coincidence.
“Our name and logo encompass our whole idea; we want to be more educated. We are all college students trying to come up with educated and smart ideas,” Kris Nelson said. “We don’t want people to wear something that doesn’t have a meaning.”
Groshong said the light bulb symbol is important to remember because it inspires all of their work and designs.
“The light bulb is what is going to define our company. It is simple and clean; you can do so much with it, but most importantly it is reminding people to think,” Groshong said.
Kris Nelson said the shirt-making process is nothing less than a team effort. The guys sit and brainstorm together and throw out ideas for Groshong, a digital arts major, to draw and sketch on paper or create on the computer. He said they all contribute their input until the group finds what it likes.
“We are influenced by pop culture and the current trends. We observe what is going on around us, and we would never put out anything that we don’t all like,” Kris Nelson said.
Groshong said his favorite shirt so far has the word “Enliten” written in an antiquated font with an array of symbols including a cross, Buddha and a science beaker.
“Once we come up with an idea, we try and create or design something with a deeper meaning, with a story behind it, so that you have a reason to wear what you are wearing,” Groshong said. “Our shirts can represent so much.”
Kris Nelson, who graduated with a business degree, Alec Nelson, a marketing major, and Groshong seem to make up the ideal trio to start a clothing design business. Thus far, Enliten has created its online store with only T-shirts and stickers, but the trio hopes the brand will make its way into stores and even beyond Eugene.
“Right now, we just want to see our stuff gain popularity and let people know that we are really into design and we hope to get a following,” Groshong said.
The trio continues to design T-shirts and has recently begun tapping into the music industry. Groshong said they are beginning to collaborate with music artists who are interested in having them design their album covers.
“We are all really into music, and I thought it would be perfect for us to get in touch with musicians so that they could rep stuff that we design for them,” Groshong said. “I haven’t really seen anyone trying to focus on anything of that nature. It will be a great way for us to expand.”
The Enliten Web site is dedicated to more than just the online store of shirts and stickers.
“We try to keep people updated with different blogs and categories like music videos, sports, news and fashion. We want people to know the latest and all the newest things coming out,” Alec Nelson said. The collection of blogs and Web sites is all part of their company motto — information and education.
Although the streetwear scene seems to be a hot trend in California, Alec Nelson said he hopes the sensation will be traveling north soon.
“It is definitely a lot more popular in California and especially the L.A. area. But we wanted to see what we could do here, start our own thing and have our own style,” Alec Nelson said. “Eventually we want to try and get into Portland and other cities on the West Coast.”
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