Delaware State University (DSU) is making history by becoming the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to own and distribute a clothing line and private label brand of merchandise.
Starting this week, select DSU apparel and items will be available on Amazon Marketplace, Walmart.com and online, thanks to a groundbreaking partnership with Everything Collegiate, LLC, a black-owned business based in Atlanta, Georgia.
DSU’s private label will provide an expanded opportunity to control the design, quality, and variety of products that students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community wear and purchase. The brand inventory will include various types of limited-edition merchandise that will only be available directly from the HBCU, and five percent of the sales will support student success by funding scholarships.
Everything Collegiate, owned and operated by Terance Harmon for over 20 years, holds more than 85 brand licenses for colleges, societies, and fraternities. As a primary vendor to over 60 colleges, including 39 HBCUs, it provides thousands of custom collegiate products including apparel, shoes, and giveaway items.
“This partnership marks a significant milestone in our journey,” said Harmon. “Our goal has always been to support and uplift HBCUs, and working with DSU has been a fulfilling step in that direction. I am excited to work with DSU on this historic move.”
Delaware State University initially partnered with Everything Collegiate on a launch of merchandise last year at the time of the University’s branding update.
“Thanks to our team, the designs were met with an overwhelmingly positive response,” said Dr. Dawn Mosley, Senior Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications.
“Our students, faculty, staff, and alumni were thrilled with the new products and kept asking for more. The key difference was that we had control over the design process, working closely to ensure it resonated with our brand and audience. It made perfect sense, as we best know what our audience wants.”
The partnership will begin with a select choice of merchandise for which Everything Collegiate will manage the distribution while continuing to assist DSU in growing its private brand inventory in additional retail spaces and online. This will allow the University’s products to reach a wider audience while maintaining high standards of quality and authenticity.
“We’re no longer restricted to buying pre-made or mass-produced products that follow a standard design with our logo incorporated within,” Dr. Mosley said. “That’s not true ownership. We must protect what has taken over a century to build.”
However, existing relationships with retailers will continue to be a valuable resource for students and the DSU HBCU campus community to purchase everyday branded items.
“We are not competing with our campus stores or partners who sell merchandise with our brand. We value their contributions and the royalties they generate,” Dr. Mosley said. “It’s simply smart business to establish our own revenue stream from custom products. This also creates an exciting opportunity for our students and alumni to share their unique design ideas, which can further support scholarships for our students.”
The first round of student scholarships from initial product sales will be awarded in spring 2025.
Moving forward, new-arrival merchandise will now feature the Hornets ™ private-label branding. For early sales, click here or visit https://hbcudsu.com.