Her designs are rad
Fashionistas treasure fresh pieces designed with recycled textiles by law student Georgi Gnibus.
Georgi Gnibus is making the most of her Mizzou education. Not only is she pursuing a law degree, she also is cutting her entrepreneurial teeth as the owner of a sustainable fashion shop, called Rad by Design, in the MU Student Center.
Gnibus, a talented designer and seamstress who transforms used clothing and textiles into new garments, has been operating her brick-and-mortar store on campus since August 2021. Mizzou selected her and two other student business owners to receive retail space this year through a competitive process managed by staff in the Griggs Innovators Nexus. U.S. Bank sponsors MU’s storefront program.
Gnibus has two employees helping her run the store, but juggling a fashion business with law school hasn’t been easy. What keeps her motivated, though, is her goal to work with entrepreneurs when she’s an attorney and a desire to combat waste in the textile industry.
“Because of this experience, I feel like I can relate to clients on a deeper level, not just as their attorney, but also as a small business owner,” Gnibus said.
Originally from Carisbad, California, Gnibus learned how to sew as a hobby from her mother and grandmother. She began selling her pieces online in 2018 after receiving encouragement from friends and family who received compliments on creations made from hand-me-downs and clothing from thrift stores and garage sales.
“I did pretty well, which led me to develop new designs, try new things, and I started doing different pop-up markets,” Gnibus recalled.
For the people
Receiving regular feedback from customers has been invaluable for Gnibus. She's also built a following of more than 600 people on Rad by Design’s Instagram account, where new items receive likes and comments.
“Repeat customers come in and recognize me,” she said. “I love that. That’s one of my favorite parts.”
It’s not uncommon for customers to see Gnibus using her sewing machine to whip out new designs inside the store. She clearly knows her craft. And now she has firsthand knowledge of what it takes to run a business with help from the Innovators Nexus and the 4impact and Entrepreneur Quest programs.
“They helped facilitate my experience here in the retail space,” she said. “And they have also provided the resources for all the other not-as-fun aspects, such as taxes.”
A key characteristic Gnibus shares with other successful entrepreneurs is persistence.
“It’s all just slow traction over the years,” she said. “I’ve stuck with it even when things have been slow.”
Making vintage trendy
Business major Grant Houston's retail store thrives in the MU Student Center.
On a cool October morning, MU junior Grant Houston was busy tagging newly arrived jackets at Hype & Stripes, his store in the Griggs Innovators Nexus at the MU Student Center.
Hype & Stripes is not a typical clothing store. Instead, Houston offers his customers vintage finds, selling everything from 2012 Adidas sneakers to Mizzou T-shirts from the Y2K era.
Each of Houston’s items is unique with a special story behind it. For example, he once sold a shirt displaying unrecognizable cartoonish puppets. After a little research, he discovered that the characters were from the obscure “Tightline and Sinker Show,” whose puppets enjoyed fishing (and only one season on cable TV in the 1990s). Stories like this have helped Houston sell his products.
Hype & Stripes is a student-run business in the Griggs Innovators Nexus, a place where students collaborate, receive mentoring and learn firsthand what it takes to start and run a company. The Nexus partners with the Missouri Student Unions and U.S. Bank to offer three 300-square-foot spaces for student ventures. During the spring semester, students apply for the spaces, which are awarded through a competitive process for the next academic year.
“Students like Grant who receive a retail store front for the year also are provided with a $2,000 scholarship from U.S. Bank,” said Greg Bier, executive director of entrepreneurship programs. “U.S. Bank’s sponsorship of the program allows the students to build out the storefront and buy initial inventory.”
A Kansas City native, Houston has been reselling sneakers for about eight years. His passion for shoes came in seventh grade when he went to a Ross Dress for Less store and recognized a pair of sought-after shoes.
“I ended up buying them and made about $100,” Houston said. From then on, he started buying shoes from discount stores and selling them online. Four years later, Houston added clothing to his inventory after noticing the popularity of vintage fashion among YouTube influencers.
Since the beginning of his entrepreneurial career, Houston has been selling his goods online. The idea for a physical retail store came to him when he was touring the university as a high school student and learned of Mizzou’s many entrepreneurial opportunities. Soon after he arrived, Houston met with Bier, who he describes as “an awesome resource.”
“He really just gave me this plan and the steps that I needed to be able to pitch for my business and to be able to have a successful business,” Houston said.
Nexus staff provided Houston with a step-by-step guide on starting a business, which included crucial information, such as how to file articles of incorporation and obtain a business license. And they connected him with bankers, lawyers and other entrepreneurs. In addition, Houston has gleaned valuable information from focus groups, biweekly meetings and university databases and journals.
Merchandise on display in Houston’s store changes frequently. Nearby are Rad by Design, a store that offers custom styles with upcycled materials created by owner and law student Georgi Gnibus; and CruzX, an athleisure-wear business founded by Spencer Ramirez, BS BA ’21.
Running Hype & Stripes has taught Houston how to manage employees, comply with complicated regulations and promote his business using social media. Daily posts that feature customers and offer sneak peaks of new inventory have been very effective. In fact, members of the Mizzou football team had been purchasing from Hype & Stripes lately, including head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz.
“Grant knows who his customer is,” Bier said. “He knows what time of the day to post and what day of the week to post for maximum visibility.”
Houston believes vintage clothing is a better option than fast fashion because the latter produces a huge amount of waste. Vintage clothes are sourced ethically and are more environmentally friendly. Houston’s goal is to get students to switch to buying vintage clothing.
“I want people to express themselves with clothing, but to do it in a more sustainable way,” Houston said.