When Brandon Alston ‘24 walked in the front door of Kudu, a coffee shop just off the College of Charleston campus, the barista behind the counter took a step back in wide-eyed recognition.
“You’re the Fresh Prince,” she exclaimed. “I love your stuff!”
In a mustard sweatshirt strategically decked out with sections of a former sweater, Alston wears his upcycled clothing line with a degree of coolness that would make TV’s Fresh Prince proud. He takes beloved clothing that may have holes or stains and transforms it into something new but also familiar.
Originally, Alston was just making clothing for himself, but he received so many compliments and requests to create something for classmates that the Honors College student majoring in theater created Fresh Prince Fits Designs.
Now Alston’s company is part of his Honors Immersed project with Janine McCabe, associate professor and chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance. Alston also joined a select group of student entrepreneurs in the Founders Club mentored by David Wyman, associate professor of management and marketing, in the Center for Entrepreneurship. In addition, Alston participates in the Honors Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community (E-LLC) under the guidance of Lancie Affonso ’96. All these resources are helping the School of the Arts – Theatre Scholarship recipient learn the ins and outs of setting up a business.
“Brandon is a terrific ambassador for peer-mentoring and interdisciplinary experiential learning at the College of Charleston,” says Affonso, the Honors College faculty fellow, director of the E-LLC and senior instructor in computer science, management and marketing. “He brought his creative talent fostered in our School of the Arts and combined it with the entrepreneurial mindset and the support of a peer mentoring network.”
To learn more about Brandon Alston and Fresh Prince Fits Design, check out the full article by Darcie Goodwin in The College Today (with an accompanying podcast episode!).
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