Tee Tingz Designz – personal and philanthropic
Published:Friday | February 25, 2022 | 12:06 AMSade Gardner/Staff Reporter
From as early as she can remember, Stephanie Shaw has always had an organic relationship with fashion and design. She would revamp her clothes as a teenager and later established a crotchet business, only to discover that her two grandmothers were once fine crotchet artists.
At the advent of the pandemic, Shaw took her passion for designing to higher heights with a custom T-shirt brand, Tee Tingz Designz.
“I really wanted to explore my creativity some more, so the idea came about,” Shaw told The Gleaner. “I didn’t have any training whatsoever in printing T-shirts, but I did my research about the machines that I would need to start, and I made an investment. I do everything from scratch: I design, I create, and I print.”
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Shaw said she was drawn to the business idea because of the sentimental value of adding one’s personal touch, which can also make for a thoughtful gift. As for the messages portrayed on her tees, Shaw said she pulls inspiration from all things, be it nuggets of upliftment and black empowerment, or even trends like a T-shirt and mask collection, which was inspired by the popular Netflix series Squid Games.
Tee Tingz Designz has since expanded to include varied masks, tote bags, mugs and other glassware. She also designs and prints invitations. Yet, her bestseller remains her debut product. “I started out with a design which says, ‘Been avoiding people way before corona’, and people legit still order it up to this day.”
She also gets a lot of business from group purchases, adding, “Persons who are getting married and they want a couple T-shirts or even for their anniversary. Some persons order customised T-shirts as gifts or even for something outside of the norm like a funny T-shirt.”
Shaw has further integrated the brand into philanthropic activities, using proceeds from her October 2020 sales to assist with a cancer patient’s medical fees. In January, she was a sponsor for a 100th birthday celebration of a woman residing at The Lord’s Place, run by The Missionaries of the Poor. The latter was a full-circle moment for Shaw, who had always wanted to give back to an elderly home.
“I like giving back; that’s just me. It’s definitely something that I try to incorporate in my business. Some things that I do, I may not post. But in any small way I can, I always try to give back.”
Along with continuing these efforts, Shaw sees Tee Tingz Designz becoming globally competitive in the near future.
“I want us to be known on a more international level and not just locally based,” she said. “Another vision I see for Tee Tingz is to have a storefront because we are mainly online right now.”
Contact Tee Tingz on Instagram, @tee_tingz or Whatsapp at 876-377-0703.