Designers often take their first steps into the world of design by crafting sketches, and such was the start for sophomore Joseph Watkins, whose clothing label Livery LLC launches in the coming weeks. If you scan his Facebook page, digital drawings with vibrant hues and animated faces will come into view–drawings that Watkins intends to transform into T-shirts, sweatshirts, and some day shoes.

“Livery is a clothing line that can appeal to both men and women,” Watkins said. “We hope to expand to shoes when we have more funding.”

Livery LLC, according to Watkins, is registered under the names of him and Sunnil Garg, Parker parent to sophomore Olivia Garg and junior Talia Garg.

Since he was 12, the budding designer has been making digital drawings of people, sketching designs onto shoes, and freehand drawing. His brainstorming process began in eighth grade, and the positive feedback he received from his peers inspired him to push his smaller scale designs into the larger, multi-faceted orbit of clothing design. “I’ve been drawing digitally for a few years,” Watkins said, “and people always tell me how I should put them on T-Shirts.”

The motivation Watkins garnered from those around him was compounded by the similar path his older brother has taken in the fashion industry. “I was mainly inspired by my older brother who has always been into fashion,” Watkins said. “He has taken me and shown me some of his connections, most of whom have started clothing lines themselves.”

Although Watkins’s older brother helped guide him through the business realm in starting a label, it was designer Rick Owens that encouraged him to begin transferring his digital drawings into clothing. Owens’s website features flowy, monochromatic tops and dresses, along with dramatically tall, dark boots and platform sandals.

Watkins’s artistic style is likewise experimental.  He uses a variety of mediums. One of his drawings appears to be a man with slightly obscured features of maroon, yellows, blues, browns, pinks, with detailed flourishes sweeping across the paper. Another stars a hoodie-clad Watkins consisting of 3D sketches.

Livery is still in its developmental stages, and Watkins aims to push out his designs into the market very soon. “We are working on an application to get blank clothing from American Apparel to print on,”  Watkins said, “because they have very high quality shirts and pants.”

Starting a clothing line is not a task to be taken lightly, and like other aspiring artists, Watkins understands the financial costs of starting a company. “Right now the only thing that’s holding us back is space to print,” Watkins said. “The machine is set up at my friend’s house.”