Andrew Escala is probably best known at Tyrone High School for his talent on the basketball court. The junior guard was one of the team’s top scorers this season, helping lead the Golden Eagles to a nine-game winning streak and a 2024 playoff appearance.

But Escala’s interests extend well beyond the court. He has always been known around the school for having a great sense of style and since last summer he has been diving into the fashion industry as a designer and small business owner, dropping his fourth line of clothes on March 1.

Escala said the idea to start a fashion line came to him while he was on a family vacation at the beach.

“I was scrolling through Instagram at like 2 a.m. and saw a t-shirt design and I just decided that I wanted to make my own,” said Escala. “I looked up a video on YouTube and found a supplier in the USA that would fulfill everything for me. All I had to do was send them my design.”

Escala’s first design ended up being a hit, landing him numerous paying customers.

Through friends, social media, and word of mouth, Escala has sold over 100 of that first t-shirt design, which he continues to offer for sale today.

The success of that first design gave him the confidence to expand his vision to other clothing items such as jeans, hoodies, and sportswear.

His line is called Imperil Vestures and features bold graphics and textures. Escala describes his design style as colorful, casual streetwear with a vintage vibe.

In addition to t-shirts, Escala also offers hoodies, sweats, beanies, jeans, and custom-made original designs.

According to Escala, social media like TikTok and Instagram allow anyone with a good idea to get involved in fashion.

By connecting with other grassroots designers on Instagram, he learned more about the industry and how to get started on a small scale.

The internet also makes it easy to connect with manufacturers.

“I use a professional overseas manufacturer. I met some people in the fashion industry online and I also know some people from around here who have worked with them,” Escala said.

What sets Escala’s designs apart from other small designers is the attention to detail and meaning behind each piece.

“I design a prototype and create my sample. I send them to manufacturers in China and Pakistan and they recreate them. It takes from two weeks to a month to get the product from the suppliers.”

But his handmade designs also make the manufacturing process more complicated.

“One of the hardest parts of running Imperil is finding the right overseas manufacturers and ones that can perfect the designs,” said Escala.

Escala has hand-crafted some of his pieces to create the exact look he is trying to perfect.

He has also created a website through Shopify and actively promotes this outlet through social media to move his products.

When he dropped his first pieces he worked hard to get the word out on many social media platforms. This allowed him to reach 50,000 views and over 100 sales of his first t-shirt, which is still one of his biggest sellers.

Escala said that a drop is about 100 of each item. The jeans were a pre-order, and he got around 75 presales.

Tyrone sophomore Eli Riling was one of Escala’s first local customers. “I bought a t-shirt. It’s super comfortable and I love the design. I’ve gotten compliments on it,” Riling said.

Escala said that he also learned a lot about the impact of advertising and marketing on his success when he launched his second line.

“When I dropped my second line I didn’t market and advertise as much as I should’ve. This showed through my sales and I’ve worked on it ever since,” Escala said.

When Escala’s third clothing drop came out his jeans became a huge hit for his buyers. The third drop was his most successful so far. Escala says that he sold 75 pairs of jeans in that drop.

Escala said that his ultimate goal after high school is to have a career in fashion and continue doing what he loves. Escala said he would like to move to New York City or Atlanta in the future and study business and fashion.

While he has sold his designs locally, Escala said his main audience is not central Pennsylvania.

Escala says that the majority of his sales have been in New York and Atlanta, and he even has made a few overseas sales, with the furthest being a sale to a customer in Germany.

He gives most of the credit to his family for supporting and inspiring him.

In the future, Escala plans to create a collection based on his dad’s athletic and martial arts career.

Right now his collections are just menswear but Escala says that he is already thinking about doing some unisex and/or women’s designs in the future.

Escala encourages everyone to check out his online store and support his passion for fashion by purchasing something from his newest clothing drop.

This story was originally published on Tyrone Eagle Eye News on March 4, 2024.