Winter 2011

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Northwestern is the quarterly alumni magazine for Northwestern University.
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The founders of Sleevecandy, from left, Kavin Arumugham, Hanif Perry, Andrew Fazekas and Reed Hushka

Sleevecandy: Retro Fitting

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Kellogg alums' website sells Salvation Army's retro T-shirts to benefit the organization's adult rehabilitation programs.

A quartet of recent Kellogg School of Management graduates is capitalizing on the growing demand for retro.

In January 2011 Reed Hushka (KSM11), Kavin Arumugham (KSM11), Hanif Perry (KSM11) and Andrew Fazekas (KSM11) developed Sleevecandy, an online shop for authentic vintage T-shirts. The Evanston-based company works with the Salvation Army to sell the nonprofit organization’s best collector and “accidently ironic” preowned shirts.

The site currently boasts more than 2,000 unique T-shirts and aims to have more than 4,000 available within a few months.

The startup donates 30 percent of every sale to Salvation Army’s adult rehabilitation programs, which operate nationwide to assist people struggling with drug and/or alcohol dependence to re-enter society and return to gainful employment. This message inspired the four graduates to set up a partnership with the Salvation Army.

“I think with where the economy is right now it’s a relevant cause, because the Salvation Army is actively working to reduce unemployment,” says Hushka.

Hushka says Sleevecandy might one day employ some of the very people helped by the rehabilitation program, making the process come full circle.

Through January, Northwestern alumni are eligible for a 15 percent discount on the site through the use of the discount code "Wildcat." Additionally, as a holiday promotion ("The site is tailor-made for finding gifts for the hard-to-buy-for," Hushka says), Sleevecandy is offering free shipping on orders of two or more T-shirts through Dec. 31.