New clothing brand promotes positivity

IU senior Dee Greene wanted to create a brand that promoted positivity and love for others. The result was Twelve Plus.

“I was just looking at a lot of clothing companies, and a lot of stuff didn’t really have any meaning,” he said. “So I just decided to do my own thing.”

Based off the biblical story of the 12 disciples, Greene said he wanted the disciples to be the virtual spokespeople of his brand.

“You have to try to do something positive,” he said. “You can’t just be negative and hope it will get you somewhere.”

Much like how the disciples had flaws, he said he believed his brand could help customers embrace what makes them unique.

“They were good role models,” he said. “But at the same time, they weren’t
perfect.”

Once the idea sprouted in his head, it didn’t take long for Greene to turn his dream into a reality.

Three weeks, in fact.

Released in June, Twelve Plus sold out within the first month. Greene credits part of his success to being knowledgeable in many ways, but he said his informatics major helped him get the background needed to create his website.

He knows website design, but he attributes most of his success to his support system. The entrepreneurial spirit is within his group of friends. Among them is the person who connected him to the production company that currently creates his
apparel.

A support system was also his number-one piece of advice to other students hoping to start a small business.

“It really didn’t take as long as I thought it would because people helped me out,” he said.

He recommended not to pump a dream with steroids. You won’t become a millionaire right away, he said. No matter what, it’s the journey that leads to the reward that is most memorable.

“Anybody can really do it,” he said. “You can’t think that it’s going to be too hard. Just try to do it.”

-Audrey Perkins