What Gator girl cannot make room for a little more orange and blue in her closet? Plus, basketball season is starting up and who would not want to be the most stylish fan in the O-Dome? The solution to your craving for trendy University of Florida attire is the sport – and style – friendly College Couture.
College Couture made its debut during the 2011 football season, and it is proving to be truly cutting edge. In fact, College Couture is already working on expanding its designs for future seasons. Not only will the brand continue to produce fan favorites such as the Safari dress, the Triple Button dress and sleeveless dresses perfect for the fall heat, but owner Ashley Stafford plans to also add new styles that address customers’ needs.
Currently the brand offers color combinations of Orange and Blue, Burnt Orange and White, Crimson and White, Garnet and Gold and Purple and Gold, but Stafford plans to add on new colors every season. More winter-friendly apparel is also something to check back for, especially if you are looking for something special to wear to a bowl game or a basketball game. Also, when shopping for College Couture apparel, keep in mind that there will soon be a new branch of College Couture called College Couture Off Season with the same cut and styles as the dresses available now but in spring colors. This new branch will keep you stylish in College Couture’s designs even when you’re not obsessing over your ensembles for sporting events.
Although the brand itself is expanding to include more than just game day apparel, football is still vying with fashion to be Stafford’s number one priority. The idea of College Couture came about when the owner had to write a business plan and decided to merge her two loves – football and fashion. Who would have guessed that a class assignment would lead to future professional success? The story behind the brand is certainly an inspiration for college girls with fashion ambitions.
Actually, the story is an inspiration to any girls still trying to figure out what they want to do a few semesters in. Ashley says, “Students reading this who are currently undeclared don’t worry, take a deep breath, and spend time trying and researching different things.”
A self-proclaimed “barn rat,” Ashley’s interest in shopping and fashion was gradual. However, she was always “artsy” and the fashion industry allowed for a collaboration of her respective creative and business backgrounds while meeting her three job requirements of looking forward to going to work, working her own hours, and being able to bring her precious English bull dog, Bentley, along with her to work. Forgoing following in her father and sister’s legal footsteps was not the most stable decision Stafford could have made, but her design talent and business insight have made her a success in her own right and it was well worth the risk.
It takes a leap of faith combined with education, skills and strong work ethic to make it in the fashion world – all of which is demonstrated by the achievements of College Couture. Ashley Stafford’s idea hatched during an entrepreneurship class has led to a brand not only available online but also in boutiques in five states – Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina. Locally, College Couture garments in orange and blue can be found in Ilene’s Gator Shop. Ashley’s favorite thing about College Couture is “seeing her designs come to life.” The designer “loves attending a game or an event and seeing a total stranger wearing her designs.” Perhaps next football season this “Florida girl at heart” will see her designs dominating The Swamp.
Check out College Couture at the official website, http://www.collegecoutureonline.com/as well as on its FaceBook page, http://www.facebook.com/CollegeCoutureOnline. It may be getting a little late to buy items for this football season, but with the holidays coming up, it’s the perfect time to put one of these dresses on your wish list!
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UFL chapter.