Student brings style to PLU

Jacob Greene

mast news intern

Perris Wright was initially recruited to PLU to play point guard for the basketball team. Wright, then a senior at Foss High School in Tacoma, decided that he would attend PLU, but not for sports. Despite Wright’s decision not to play, the sophomore has still found ways to make an impact on campus.

While most college students take jobs at restaurants or retail stores to afford the expensive college tuition, others work summer jobs such as construction to save up enough money. Perris Wright took a different approach, deciding to use his interest in fashion to make money. The result was a streetwear clothing line dubbed “Flawed 2 Perfection,” Wright’s own creation.

“Flawed 2 Perfection” was started in 2006 by Wright and childhood friend Umi Wagoner, currently attending Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles. The clothing line was originally called “Verseau,” which means “Aquarius” in French.

“Umi and I started the brand to be able to express our style through various t-shirt designs,” Wright said.

The products can be seen worn around campus, such as the crewneck reading “I [heart] Street Culture.” This design has been popular and was designed in collaboration by Wright and Wagoner.

Wright has used his local style sense to make the brand appealing to people from around the Northwest. More recently, with Wagoner in Los Angeles, the brand has added a touch of style from a city that is known for fashion.

“I like the brand because it has a unique style that is very personalized. It’s a local brand and it’s good to be able to support a small business,” said senior Adrian Hedwig, who has supported “Flawed 2 Perfection” since the beginning.

Hedwig is not alone in his support and respect for the brand. “Flawed 2 Perfection” is gaining popularity in the Tacoma area as well as in Los Angeles with Wagoner’s efforts. Some people have become aware of the brand thanks to local hip-hop artist Clemm Rishad, a childhood friend of the owners and a representative of the line. The brand has also been aided by MySpace, which Wright and Wagoner use to spread its name and gain a following.

Wright, a business major with a focus in marketing, has been actively designing and selling products both by hand and online.

“With studying marketing, I will be able to understand how it works and learn techniques,” Wright said. “I’m able to use the brand to get experience by marketing to stores and our target market to sell clothes.”

The duo has released three lines in the past two years which have included shirts, sweatshirts, jackets and hats.

“We haven’t had just one influence in our products, we’ve used all types of brands to help design concepts,” Wright said.

Wright has no plans to stop his work anytime soon. The next step for the company is their fourth line coming out this spring and getting their products in local boutiques such as “Goods” in Seattle and “Sureel” in Kirkland.

“We hope to eventually open a boutique and have stores around the country, maybe even overseas,” Wright said.

Aside from the brand, Wright has also been active in intramural sports on campus, including football, basketball and softball. In intramural basketball he helped lead his team to win the spring championship. Along with sports and fashion, Wright has a large interest in music, particularly hip-hop and rap. He recently worked to help friend Clemm Rishad sell copies of his EP titled “Image of Me.”

Next year Wright will attempt to spread his style to a new area as he plans to transfer. He will head to either Eastern Washington University or Howard University in Washington D.C. where he plans to complete his degree in business marketing and pursue further success for “Flawed 2 Perfection.

Photos by Chris Hunt