Name: Michelle Shahparast
Major: Business (finance)
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland
Sophomore Michelle Shahparast just got a whole lot busier. Why? Because she tapped into her entrepreneurial side and launched a brand that she hopes to spread to future campuses. I’m talking about the new website, ShopUnwriten.com, a UMD student run online store that is a trendy resale shop. The site allows girls to virtually shop each other’s closets. Before Unwritten, Michelle has been involved with Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority, as well as Club Field Hockey and the Primannum Honor Society. Before becoming a campus entrepreneur, Shahparast worked at a bridal store her senior year of high school, designed her own UMD t-shirts for the basketball team to be sold on campus, and had an on-campus internship with Rent the Runway this school year.
A little about Unwritten:
Unwritten is a UMD student run online store that is reliant on curated re-sell. Girls on campus sell their still trendy clothing to the site, kind of like a Platos closet concept. Then, Shahparast has hired UMD models to wear the clothes for the site to be sold online. Once the item sells, the original owner of the clothes receives 50% of the selling price. Unwritten has given girls a place to buy trendy styles without leaving college park!
Now, read the interview below for the inside scoop about Michelle and Unwritten.
How did you come up with the idea for Unwritten ? My fellow Co-Founder and older brother Sean Shahparast (2008 UMD Smith School alumnus) approached me with the idea last year around this time. He had told me that college is the best time to take advantage of the resources around you and explore entrepreneurialism. After he brought up the idea of consignment, we worked together to solidify the idea by discussing our options. We first were only going to do pop-up shops/clothes trades but we then realized an e-commerce site is the best way to go.
Why did you create Unwritten? I created Unwritten because I came up with a solution to a major problem girls have in college park (no shopping venues, and the need for more cash). When I realized I had a solution and that this could really catch on I knew it was the right thing to take on. In addition, I knew I couldn’t see myself with a boring 9-5 job after college so if I can have a business before I even graduate it would be a dream come true. Besides the logistics, Unwritten stands for more than a consignment/shopping site, it’s a brand and an identity.
We know that your brand is currently UMD exclusive. Who is the site targeted at?
A girl who is Unwritten, is someone who is independent, stands out but in an admirable way, she turns heads at party because her slick presence leaves everyone in awe, she doesn’t follow trends but instead she makes her own and writes her own written story. The best part about it is that this girl is a college student at UMD and any girl can be her if they just let them selves be unwritten.
What were the barriers for creating the site?
Money, money, money! It was tough because as a college student starting her own business, funds are almost non-existent and great websites have hired developers to build it for them but My brother and I had to take that on ourselves and made the website together. Another barrier was finding models who fit the clothes we had received and matched the look of the outfits. Lastly, making sure the layout is as simple and clean as possible so all consumers are happy with the site.
What plans do you have for the site? I hope for this site to really catch on at UMD, and eventually spread to nearby campuses such as GW, American, Georgetown, Penn State, UDEL, and then I would be able to hand pick college ambassadors at each school to run the consignment for their campus.
Do you plan on continuing this after you graduate? I would love nothing more for this to become my full time job when I graduate, but it is hard to tell what the future has in store for Unwritten. All I know as of now, is that I will be putting my 100% into this company and if the work pays off and the site truly expands I will definitely continue but if not then I will take in everything I have learned from Unwritten to move on to a new venture with fashion.
What is your dream job? My dream job is owning and being the CEO of my own fashion company, so as of the moment, I am living my dream. However, my dream includes living by the beach in California! So hopefully that will be my future steps after college!
I also hope to do a little designing. I’ve been sketching since high school.
How would you describe your style?
My personal style is quite a bohemian look mixed with an edgy side at times. To be honest my style is very in the moment I don’t stick to one look or follow much of the ongoing trends that everyone else is wearing. I truly love scaling back the decades to be inspired for my style (especially 80s/early 90s). Thats how i came up with the brand image for unwritten as well I was noticed by others for my out-there style and i could never confidently embrace it and as a result i made a brand of a girl who can rock it with confidence.
What qualities do you think a person who wants to start a company needs to possess? You must be dedicated and willing to miss out on all the free time other college students have. You must be organized and self-driven, in order to set goals for oneself and complete them without anyone being on your case. Lastly, you have to be a visionary, have a goal for your company and be driven enough to do everything in your power to strive to achieve that vision.
Any advice for other campus entrepreneurs? Take a risk, if you are interested, but make sure you are willing to give your full a hundred percent because if not, then do not bother wasting your time. To me, this experience has been far more educational and worthwhile than any other internship could compare to.
Check out Unwrriten at shopunwritten.com!