Kawaii by Trinity: How a second-year student started a fashion brand from the comfort of her home

Many dream of starting their own company, but Trinity Smith made it a reality with her fashion line, Kawaii by Trinity.

2D Animation student Trinity Smith has always had a love for art. Throughout her adolescence, she was constantly creating, with painting being her favorite medium, producing countless pieces throughout high school. However, she felt that the 2D expression still wasn’t enough and wanted to try something new. “I always felt that I could do more with my art and a canvas wasn’t the only way to show it,” Smith says. “I had an idea to put them on T-shirts and sell them in high school but I didn’t act on it.” 

It wasn’t until the first month of the COVID-19 quarantine that Smith finally decided to revisit her idea of creating a clothing line. But first, she would need a name. “At the time I was studying Japanese and wanted to incorporate my interest in Japanese culture into my brand,” Smith says. “I settled on the name Kawaii By Trinity. Kawaii means ‘cute’ in Japanese and fits the aesthetic of my clothing line.” 

After finding the name, she had to begin the process of registering the business, copywriting material and beginning production on her clothing. She started simple, with a basic short-sleeved t-shirt. With a simple printing set-up at home, she was able to make her first batch of products. Not long after, she created long-sleeve shirts and hoodies, playing around with designs until she was ready to finalize the products. She then submitted the prototypes to manufacturers, later adding embroidery on the right corner, which has now become her signature. After approving all the newly printed designs, she was able to list them on her website, available for anyone to purchase. 

Now, almost two years later, business is booming, with Kawaii by Trinity regularly selling out of new collections. She’s expanded from the original t-shirt, too, now offering luxury streetwear-style hoodies and beanies, with both being best-sellers. 

The regular drops keep Smith busy, as she plays all the roles of a typical clothing company, just sized down for her indie project. “I manage the orders, accounting, social media marketing, make content, set up photoshoots, I’m the creative director and model for the brand. I practically do everything except make the shirts,” she says. “I learned that when starting a business you have to take on every role of the company before you’re able to hire other people too.”

Social media has played a huge role in the rise of Kawaii by Trinity. According to Smith, having a strong online presence is dire for building a brand. “People are becoming more familiar with the brand because of it, which gains their interest and leads to sales,” she says. “[The biggest accomplishment] was being able to build a social media presence and website.” 

In the future, Smith aims to open up her own physical shop here in Atlanta then expand across the country. Her biggest goal would be to have commercials on television. If you’re thinking of starting your own business, Smith has some advice: “Just go for it. Failure isn’t the worst thing that can happen, not trying is.”

To support Smith’s brand, check out her Instagram @kawaiibytrinity and her website kawaiibytrinity.com.