Students are always looking for new ways to be stylish. After all, we see their attempts in the halls every day (unless you’re still on Zoom). Naturally, some students have taken to designing their own.
Junior Adam Klenovich recently founded a combination fashion, art, and media company called Imperfect XYZ. Obviously, everyone who has heard about Klenovich’s creative endeavor had some questions, so I asked him some on their behalf.
The company grew out of Klenovich's desire to connect with other artists, local and international.
"It originally started with me just making my own clothing and wearing my own clothes, but it was eventually finding other creators and building an online platform to sell items," Klenovich reports.
According to Klenovich, anyone can join the collective for no fee, presumably under the condition that you produce enough art/clothes/media. However, when I, a budding artist, attempted to press the "join collective" button at the 90s-chic impf.xyz, I was brought to a blank search bar. I typed in "help" to perhaps receive some, but was left helpless. At first I thought it was a bold statement on the nature of consumerism, but was later informed by Klenovich that the website was thankfully just undergoing some maintenance.
Through the sale of their products, Imperfect aims to promote social causes and give to charity.
"For now, I decided that we're working with the Sierra Club, bail bonds, and the Jed Foundation [and emotional health group aimed at teens]. For now, we're deciding the charities, but the vendors will actually get to pick the charities. The user will be able to pick which charity they want their donation to go to at checkout," Klenovich said.
According to Klenovich, 11 percent of the site's profit is donated to the charities.
Right now, many of the clothes on the website are from existing brands with Imperfect's art and logos applied. However, Klenovich hopes that he and his fellow artists can move on to creating their own clothing.
"We're not really knowledgeable enough yet to make our own clothing. What I want to do one day is to make my own clothing out of my own materials that I’ve done stitch work on, but I’m not that good yet, to be honest," Klenovich admitted.
Imperfect is also aiming to exhibit their art and clothing at a gallery in Lawrenceville March 5, with tickets available for purchase on their website. The gallery will be displaying their clothing, artwork, and a film that one of the artists in the collective made.
The film was shot in locations around Pittsburgh. Klenovich is unsure of exactly what the film is about as it is being made by an artist named Reese, but described, "It’s like, someone finds something they’re not supposed to find in a place they’re not supposed to be, and then people who don’t want him to have it try to get it back."
While I thought the plot closely resembled the 2007 film No Country for Old Men, Reese probably just came up with the idea independently.
But what do students think of Imperfect? Junior Krystof Purtell was seen wearing one of their hoodies.
"I love their stuff. Adam got me this one for my birthday," Purtell stated.
One day, perhaps, the halls of Beaver Area and beyond will be filled Imperfect-branded clothing, but for now, Klenovich and his collective are still growing.