Monique Hagler has always had an artistic streak, though it wasn’t until a few months ago that she transformed this passion into a business. The sophomore from Nashville, TN created the t-shirt line Teeze this summer, reaching out to audiences of “cool kids” who want “stuff you couldn’t find at stores.” Each shirt or tank is made-to-order, hand-printed and completely one-of-a-kind.
Hagler first learned to screen-print in high school, primarily so she could make shirts to wear herself. It was actually her art teacher, Rosie Paschall, who taught her each step of what she calls a “tedious” process. While Hagler had always been more of a painter, and still enjoys oil painting, silkscreen printing offered an alternative creative outlet.
Since the creation of Teeze by Monique, Hagler has sold a few t-shirts with her etsy site, though most of her advertising comes through word of mouth and individual orders. Facebook and “faithful friends” also help promote the line. When asked to describe her t-shirts in just three words, she responded: “unique, bad a**, swag.” While she says she struggles most with the patience required to successfully screenprint, the pride she receives from “any positive feedback from any customer,” makes it worth it.
As the company continues to grow, Hagler hopes to keep her product as “personal” as possible. “I want my customers to feel like each shirt they buy is an individual piece of artwork in itself,” she explains. While she’s focused mostly on shirts and tanks to appeal a wider audience, the nature of screen printing allows her to print a design on just about anything, adding versatility to her art. A few on-campus groups have approached her about inquiries for future ideas, though nothing has been finalized yet.
Her favorite design thus far features Twiggy and the phrase “Gorge Us,” a beautiful and clever work emblematic of the creativity of her other prints. All of her designs can be viewed at: http://www.facebook.com/TeezeByMonique
When she’s not making new designs, the neuroscience major loves exploring the art culture in Memphis. TO order a shirt, contact her via her facebook page (above) or etsy page: http://www.etsy.com/shop/teezebymonique.