Using a passion for fashion to empower communities

Rachel (pronounced Rah-shell) Gai graduated in May 2020 with a degree in marketing and a minor in apparel, merchandising and design. This summer she’s participating in Iowa State’s CYstarters program as she launches her business, Rachel Reloaded, which combines creativity with community-building.

How did you choose Iowa State?
I grew up in Des Moines and went to Lincoln High. One of my instructors had a son who’d gone to Iowa State. I found out about Iowa State’s Multicultural Vision Program, and she helped me apply. I was accepted before I’d ever even seen campus, but when I came here, I loved it.

Tell me about your Iowa State experience.
I started out studying marketing. In the spring semester of my sophomore year, I was having a tough time because my family was facing some challenges. I started having a hard time academically and almost got dismissed, but when I explained to my advisor and professors what was going on, I appealed it and was reinstated. After that, I was determined to focus on school and what makes me happy, and I found my passion and happiness in fashion.

How did you get your business, Rachel Reloaded, started?
It all started with a pink outfit I wanted for Halloween, and I decided just to make it. I bought a sewing machine, made the outfit, people said it looked good, and I started creating clothes. Then I thought of the name Rachel Reloaded; I created a brand and was making clothes for myself and my friends, slowly getting into the business mindset and teaching myself new sewing skills through books and videos.

I added the minor in apparel, merchandising and design, took an entrepreneurship class and created a business plan. The professor helped me think about how to scale my business even bigger, how to market it – really, everything I needed to know about running my own fashion brand. Our class had a competition, and I won Best of Show, which made me take it more seriously. After that, a woman who owns a boutique on Main Street invited me to sell at her shop. She helped me realize people are willing to buy my garments.

Iowa State has a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. How have those programs and resources been helpful?
I came to Iowa State interested in marketing, and I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset, but as a student, I was a bit discouraged and unmotivated until I realized I needed to follow my dreams. In my senior year, in addition to fashion, I shifted my focus back to business, so when I graduated I’d be ready to go. My professors were amazing – I asked if I could use Rachel Reloaded for class projects, and they were 100 percent down for it. Classes in entrepreneurship encouraged me to pursue the uncomfortable and learn to be my own boss.

I was also a mentor in the ISU4U Promise program and led a branding workshop for fourth- and fifth-graders at Moulton Elementary School in Des Moines. I had them do mood boards and vision boards and design T-shirts, while teaching them about personal branding and how important it is to discover themselves and follow their dreams.

This summer, Rachel Reloaded is one of 14 student businesses in CYstarters. How is that experience valuable?
It’s so cool being a part of a cohort where we’re all entrepreneurs with the same aspirations and questions. We all help each other grow. The staff is amazing. I love how everything is structured and how we hold weekly accountability sessions to set goals, share highs and lows, and help each other find resources and tools. I love it.

You recently had a success with some Black Lives Matter T-shirts.
I was about to drop a new collection called Vibrant Summer, but when the recent events occurred, I wasn’t comfortable selling something that deflected from those issues. It was a tie-dye collection, so I added a BLM T-shirt and donated proceeds to bail out protesters in Des Moines. The first morning I had $2,000 in sales, by the end of the day, $7,000, and within three days, $10,000. I had to take a pause on selling while we got the orders fulfilled.

Looking to the future, what does success look like to you?
I’ve always wanted to help out in my community, especially youth. My Reloaded Workshops will offer a safe space for people to express themselves through art and fashion, especially inner-city youth with dreams and ambitions that may seem unconventional within their communities – to become fashion designers, musicians, artists. I’ll also offer do-it-yourself sessions for families, like mothers who want a more sustainable lifestyle to learn to create clothes for their children or make household items.

I plan to start in Ames or Des Moines, then branch out, hire great staff who have the same ambitions and goals that align with our values – who are authentic, free-spirited, motivated and passionate about helping others – to represent the brand out of state.

I want to empower and encourage people. Growing up, I didn’t have a sense of community with designers or makers or creators, and I want to help build that community.