Take charge!

Derin Thorpe

Hoodie innovator

THE DIYer: Clinton Van Gemert, designer

THE CAUSE: Putting a face on the hood of a sweatshirt may not strike most as an incredible idea, but when it occurred to a caffeine-addled Van Gemert four years ago, he knew it had potential. “I was like, I have to do this,” he says. Last August, the Williamsburger gave up a string of disappointing jobs—and paychecks that were diminishing with the economy—to focus on hoodies. “My finance friend was saying that the economy was going to get really bad,” he says, “but it was now or never.”

THE EFFECT: After creating a rudimentary website, Van Gemert landed himself a post on a widely read Swedish blog. “It all just kind of exploded from there,” he says. He got a friend to revamp his site (headhoods.com), sent shirts to the the Real World: Brooklyn cast (Sarah donned one last month) and more recently, invested in a retired NYC meter-maid vehicle—a three-wheeled oddity that serves as delivery truck, potential future store and head-swiveler. “I’m paying my rent and affording to live. It’s not lavish, but I feel lucky.”

HOW TO DO IT: Van Gemert buys American Apparel hoodies wholesale, which allows him to sell his silk-screened versions for the retail cost of a plain one. Despite the hard work, he recommends going it alone—the appeal of the line is that there’s just one regular guy behind it. “People feel like they’ve found something special—and they have,” he says. “When you have one in your hand, it feels like an art piece.”—Kate Lowenstein

NEXT: Home shopping networker, Laura Cardillo

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