FIGHTING STIGMAS WITH T-SHIRTS

Two creative Berwick, Maine women have come together to start a business around a concept that was originally conceived as an art project.

Menter and Duquette 2013 "If every woman wore a scarlet letter, wouldn't it make it obsolete?"

Artists Erin Duquette and Elisabeth Menter have joined forces to design and launch a unique line of graphic apparel called  Kiss My Disorder.   A few years ago, Erin was working as a part-time artist for Red Fish Blue Fish Dyeworks in Somersworth, NH. She was quietly dealing with epic waves of anxiety after complications from Graves disease.  She was having trouble talking openly about what was wrong.  "I wanted a way to explain my sometimes odd quirks and behavior to the people around me, but I could never find the words," said Duquette.   Then she came up with a simple thought...

"I could open up the conversation by wearing it on a t-shirt."

Duquette set out to make a few t-shirts that splashed "ANXIETY" across the front to show them off on social media. She shared a couple with anxious friends and was able to express her condition openly. She soon found that the previously dreaded chat about her condition was suddenly much easier to initiate.  

However, Duquette's t-shirts opened up more than just conversation. Suddenly, hundreds of emails flooded her inbox and phone calls started coming in with requests for every disorder imaginable.

"Requests have come in from as far as Uganda & Scotland...the verdict is in...everyone has a disorder  that they want to overcome," said Duquette. 

After being laid off from her part time job, Duquette decided to pursue the idea as a business venture under the business name Later Fall. She spent the last of her income on print runs to test fabrics and set out to try the local market at places like Poppyseed Studio in Somersworth and Hayden Sports in Durham, NH.  She met Lis Menter in her Berwick neighborhood last spring and sold her an anxiety t-shirt. This lead to a conversation with Menter about anxiety and depression, two things that Menter had battled with on and off over the years. The two women have been working side by side ever since and learning the ins and outs of how to be modern entrepreneurs, while sensitively handling mental illness with grace and humor. "We started at the beginning, with what we wanted, and what we didn't want in a business. For instance, I knew I never want to work as a grocery clerk again...and I believe in the concept, you can wear your heart on your sleeve,  so why not wear a disorder on your chest?" said Menter.

A creative way to do business... An offer for a free t shirt in exchange for modeling and testing and reporting the quality and fit of the apparel for Later Fall. Shown above is model Stefanie Lynn in a first run Anxiety T shirt.

The two mothers jumped in with combined knowledge and about $48 in a checking account and are very proud of how far they have come in a short time.

"Without Lis, a supportive family, and others helping me when they can, I couldn't have reached the milestones I've hit on this concept," said Duquette.

The two women are launching a Kickstarter campaign soon after the holidays with the hopes that they will be able to aquire the basic tools and equipment needed to get the product into the hands of the customers that are asking for a shirt of their own.

Local singer/songwriter Lizzie Goguet gave two thumbs up on on fabric and style on the second Kiss My Disorder print run.

"The t-shirt business is one of those deals where it's crazy expensive to buy one shirt because of set up costs.  If you can buy 50 shirts, or print them yourself, it then becomes affordable to produce ...right now, I can sell 50 shirts to anyone at a great price, but if you want just one with your disorder on it, I can't help you... it's maddening," said Duquette. A successful crowd fund will provide the ladies with everything needed for the next step of their business, and allow them to produce one or two shirts at a time for their customers.  "Having this equipment is our hope of  growing at a good pace in the competitive apparel business. If in a small way we help someone to overcome their fear of handling a sometimes crippling mental illness, then I would be happy.  These t-shirts make people smile, and a smile goes a long way towards living a good life," said Menter.

The kickstarter campaign is planned to launch in January where clients will finally be able to order up their new favorite disorder t-shirt, as well as help grow a business for two hard working moms that are very deserving.

Find and watch the progress of Kiss My Disorder at www.kissmydisorder.com