Sitting in his Quad single one day last spring, Brian Mascarenhas was bored. So the soccer midfielder started drawing in Microsoft Paint and came up with a logo he really liked.
A few months later, that design became the icon for Elev8ted Basiks, a startup clothing company
"I had never really done any graphic art before," he said. "I was just drawing stuff up and I just had this idea of creating this logo. It wasn't really anything to be thought serious to start with."
For now, the company has only one product - a sleek charcoal-grey T-shirt - but he's looking to expand.
"Ideas come into my head at the worst possible times," he said. "I'll be studying for a midterm and I'll be like, 'Oh this is a good idea' and I'll have to try and incorporate that while studying."
His plan is to launch more thematic designs and foray into hoodies and jeans, all while adhering to his company's mission statement: A dedication to designs that "will be subtle but unique, bold but not obnoxious. A retro look and feel with modern refinement that can be dressed up or down for any occasion."
Seventy of the T-shirts - 100-percent cotton, featuring the company logo on the front, a smaller logo on the back, and the words "Elev8ted" and "Basiks" on the bottom-front and bottom-back corners, respectively - were produced by an Atlanta-based printing company this summer.
Ten teammates have already purchased them at $20 a pop, and more intend to when he releases the next color scheme - royal blue with a light blue or white logo.
"The support's been great," senior goalkeeper Drew Healy said. "You go into the locker room and every week you see at least one guy wearing the shirt. We're all just really excited for him."
Without a Web site, Mascarenhas has relied primarily on word of mouth, turning not only to his fellow Quakers, but also to friends and former teammates at Vanderbilt and Georgetown, where he played his freshman and sophomore years.
And when all else fails, the defensive midfielder wears the shirt as much as possible, hoping people ask him about it.
Regardless of its eventual success, Mascarenhas views his initiative as a representation of young people's dedication.
"The ideology behind it is no matter what industry you're in - be it recording artist, athlete or young professional - as long as you're willing to work hard and stay dedicated to trying to succeed, you can rise above the competition," Mascarenhas said. "I thought this clothing company would integrate all those ideas into one brand."
