A pillow and a quilt with the new design, highlighting aspects of the Andover community.
As spring term has officially commenced, Parents of Students of Phillips Academy (PSPA) dropped limited spring merchandise inviting students and parents to take a look. Elena Kim P ’27, P ’28, a PSPA member, explained the wide variety of items included in the new merchandise.
“The [spring merch] collection includes hoodies, crewnecks, t-shirts, and a few accessories like tote bags and hats. We chose these items because they’re things students actually wear on a daily basis as their everyday style… We tried to keep the designs clean and modern so that students would feel comfortable wearing them both on and off campus,” said Kim.
Apart from original bestsellers, there were new items, designs, as well as partnerships with different brands. Victoria Kunzer P ’29, the Campus Closet crew manager, commented on the new pieces of clothing available this term.
“We have a lot of staples that we try to have year after year that are really popular, like the Navy hoodie. But then we try to do some new things, and some different colors for this year. The [partnership with the brand] Rab was a new experience for us. We are always interested in student feedback for designs or ideas or maybe brands that we’ve never heard of that we might want to try out,” said Kunzer.
Stand-out items included the Andover Pillow and Blanket, both created by partnership with J & Burke, which is a hand-stitched clothing brand founded by Colby Gendron ’18. Kunzer explained in detail about the unified design of the two items.
“[The design of Gendron’s clothing] encompasses the entire four years at Andover in one small keepsake, which is really special. It has all the different quads, buildings, dorms, and all the activities there… It also has inside jokes and words you are only going to know if you have experienced your time here as a student, such as [team chants] during Andover-Exeter weekend,” said Kunzer.
Noriko Yamaoka P ’28, the director of Campus Closet, emphasized the significance the two pieces of clothing hold.
“[Colby Gendron] brought up the design because he graduated from Andover. That’s why he made [his memories] into a piece. He brought all those memories, and he was also talking to his friends who also graduated [Andover]. He said he wanted to make a special item for you [students] when you graduate,” said Yamaoka.
Student feedback about the new items were mostly positive. However, some students expressed wishes of more diverse colors and sizes. Kunzer P ’29 elaborated on recent feedback Campus Closet has received.
“The students said they love to come over, bring the parents, and then [take a look at the clothes]. And see, the problem [they said] is that sometimes we run out of certain sizes, and I feel bad when we don’t have a certain size, because we can only order things through the season. But, we always encourage [students] to try to grab something if [they] see something you like, as [we] might not have it back again.”
The spring merch also played a role beyond simply clothing by serving as a link between students and parents. Kim P ’27, P ’28 added on the meaning Campus Closet merch brings.
“The collection helps create a sense of connection between students, parents, and the school as a whole. It allows parents to feel more involved in their child’s experience and reinforces a shared sense of identity and community… Even for parents who are not physically on campus, it creates a link to their child’s experience and to the broader community,” Kim said.
