Name: Victor Archila
Year: Sophomore
Major: Art Major
Hometown: Richmond Hill, Queens
Relationship status: Single
What do you do on campus? “On campus I’m not involved with a lot of clubs, but I still do enough to know what’s going on. Because I am involved with MolloyLifeMedia, I’m exposed to all campus life. My position is Design and Photo Editor so I take photos, make posters and flyers like some of the big ones in public square. I also help out with video and with the Molloy Forum. As an art major, I help the Art Department a lot and volunteer as much as I can. I set up galleries and frame different pieces.”
What is it like being an Art major? “Being an art major is fun. I get to do what I love the most, which is art. I get to paint and do digital- I even made a 3D model of C3PO recently.”
Is being an art major as easy as it seems? “Honestly, a lot of people assume that it’s very easy but it’s not. If you don’t know what you’re doing you’re not gonna have an easy time. And even if you do, you will have a lot of work to do. We have different pieces to make for different classes and we also have a lot of art history courses to take that include a lot of writing. I think people generally assume that as an art major, I’m probably not that intelligent but I think it’s wrong to assume. Before coming to college I actually wanted to be a nuclear chemist because I loved chemistry. In high school I was great at all subjects and graduated with a 4.0. I actually do read a lot of science and history publications because it interests me.”
What is Evil Grin Apparel? “Evil Grin Apparel is actually a company I started my junior year of high school…so a long time ago, but I had stopped it for a while because I had gotten very busy with college. This year I decided to start it back up again but this time really take my time with designs and make it as professional as possible. To me, Evil Grin Apparel is a way of a person expressing who they are. It’s never wrong to be a little wild.”
What made you start Evil Grin? “I started Evil Grin Apparel because I’m very interested in fashion. Everything from streetwear to couture fashion. I even love women’s fashion as some of the women in the MLM office can tell you. In my opinion, I think all fashion is unisex, just gotta have the courage to wear it. Another reason I started Evil Grin Apparel is because my parents are starting to get old and as immigrants in this country, it was hard for them to get ahead. I wanna set up Evil Grin Apparel and get it to a point where my parents no longer have to work. They’re always first in my heart.”
What are your goals for the company? “My goals are to make this my career. I want Evil Grin Apparel to be my livelihood. I want people to say ‘oh Evil Grin Apparel? That’s Victor Archila!’ I want to make a name for myself in fashion.”
How do you incorporate what you learn as an Art major into your business? “Well, as a graphic designer I’ve learned how to create so much with different Adobe products. I apply my knowledge of design and art to my shirts. I do most of the designs alongside my younger brother. I also give him advice on what to do with certain designs when it comes to the aesthetic or style I’m aiming for in a certain shirt or collection. What I’ve learned actually has evolved my designs and has also made it easier for me to create designs for different collections. I think it’s also good to let culture influence your work and I make sure that I do that. For the last collection I released I called it “WayOutEast” because it’s influenced by South East Asian countries. I applied what I knew about art to what I knew about those cultures and countries to my designs. Art also has shown me how to be open minded and how to be more respectful of art and culture.”
Instagram: @thescooch
Evil Grin Apparel’s Instagram: @evilgrinapparel
Twitter: @yungscooch
Tumblr: victorarchila.tumblr.com
Snapchat: victorarchila