IU alumnus launches environmental friendly, trendy collegiate clothing line

Project571 is giving the IU community a trendy option in going green by launching an eco-friendly collegiate clothing line.

IU alumnus and Kelley School of Business graduate Michael Wheeler started the company.

Project571’s name is a spin-off of “Project Runway” and stands for five oceans, seven continents and one planet.

Wheeler, who designs most of the apparel himself, came up with Project571 when he decided to combine his love for college sports and the environment.

“We wanted to merge environmentally friendly materials and the comfy high-quality look and market it," he said.

Since the company started two years ago, more than 20 colleges and universities have licensed the use of their logo with Project571, including IU.

The clothing is not yet available in local bookstore. It is, however, available on project571.com.

“Stores like Steve & Barry’s T-shirts may be cheap, but the clothes weren’t the highest quality or the most comfortable,” Wheeler said. “We wanted to merge environmentally friendly materials and the comfy high-quality look and market it.”

Project571’s apparel is made mostly out of organic cotton grown without the use of pesticides or insecticides and with recycled polyester and ink that is completely water-based, according to a Project571 press release.

In addition to the eco-friendly materials, all of the clothes are manufactured from certified wholesalers who follow Fair Trade standards and hire workers who are treated and paid fairly, Wheeler said.

“You hear all these horror stories about sweatshops, some even with young children working in them,” Wheeler said. “When people buy some of these big-name brands, they are inadvertently supporting them.”

Although the T-shirts might be more expensive than ones found in the shops on Kirkwood Avenue, there is a noticeable difference in quality and comfort, Wheeler said.

While many students like to “go green,” spending more money on casual wear might not be an option on a student budget.

“Going green in this day and age is very important, but during these economic times, it’s also important to me that the clothes I purchase stay within my shopping budget,” graduate student Eric Tolchin said.

Still, some students don’t mind paying more.

“I’d be willing to pay a little more for the idea that it will make the planet last longer,” junior Lauren James said.