Student clothing brand opens pop up shop

Sus Boys, the self made clothing brand started by three friends, is starting to gain traction and momentum with the clothing brand that is slowly but surely securing a name for itself. Started by Lars Christiason, Parker Strauss and Duncan Meyer, the group was created for the three friends to get together and just hang out. It was a homegrown group that didn’t start out as much in the beginning. It was just for fun.

In the early days of the brand as they were just getting started, they decided to make shirts by going to department shops, buying shirts and doing custom drawings with sharpies on them. Selling the shirts to friends or anyone willing to buy one, they found an outlet for their creativity through the cheapest means possible.

Fast forward a few months, and now the heads of the group are made up of Parker Strauss, Duncan Meyer, Erik Walther, Jacob Ostrich and Will Burken. All members participate in the process, creation and distribution of the shirts.

Everyone serves a crucial purpose in the group. Meyer is involved with the electronic side of the brand, working on a website for them use in the future. Walther works with the inventory and business side of things. Ostrich handles the budget and how they make money and get funding. Burken helps with the organization of the pop up shops and was taken onboard for his creativity and commitment to their work, and Strauss houses the equipment and handles the production, overseeing operations within the brand.

Striving for something that is not bland on the spectrum of clothing, the group values creativity, work ethic and not being the norm.

Regarding the brand itself, Strauss said, “I like art that doesn’t tell you it’s cool and you have to believe it, like it’s just cool and you can see that, and it kinda makes you go ‘wow.’ We’ve put a lot of effort into it. In all, we just wanted a really quality product.”

For people interested in buying merchandise in the future, they are only selling shirts at this point in time. If a shirt is ordered, their package includes a shirt, sticker and a custom bag.

The process that goes into making the shirts is a departure from where they originally started. While being tedious, messy and fun for the group, it is a step in the right direction regarding the evolution of the group. Producing the shirts brings the boys together with a sense of friendship and also one of seriousness as they build their brand.

The Sus Boys use a few, very homemade looking items to create their shirts. They have screens and stencils for their designs made for them by a Professor at UNI, and they use them for their three different shirt designs. After locking the stencil in a press they have specifically made for them, they put the shirt in between and close the press. They add ink all on the bottom of the screen and proceed to squeegee it directly over the design and onto the shirt. After allowing it time to dry, the shirt is ready to be added to the pile of finished shirts.

The whole printing setup the group uses is located in Strauss’s house. Set in his basement, their operation has quite an underground feel to it. Almost an undercover, secret feel to it, creating a parallel to what the image of their clothing line is supposed to be.

Their first pop up shop is appearing at 1321 Catherine Street in Cedar Falls this Saturday, April 28 at 2 p.m. The boys will be debuting their shirt designs and selling shirt packages for a limited time at this specific location so people will need to get in fast and hurry to get clothing from the drop. To keep up with drops, artwork and news from Sus Boys, fans can follow them on instagram @susboysworldwide.

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