Meet Olivia Frates | Undergrad Student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Olivia Frates and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Olivia, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Fashion and art have played a massive role in my life for as long as I can remember. With that being said, I always felt a passion for taking both of these things more seriously. When starting Tigers Eye Tshirts, my motive wasn’t originally to create a business, it was to explore my two passions and see where it took me. I began making bleach-painted t-shirts; regarding my painting technique and skill, I worked extremely hard to create things I was genuinely proud of and was open to failure initially. I mainly started with making pieces for myself and my friends. People began asking me where I got my clothes, and I was proud to tell them that they were my creations; it made me extremely happy to see people enjoy my work. This led to me making more and more and improving my skills. When I realized this was something I was genuinely passionate about, I wanted to share my creations with the world, I knew that around my university, there were multiple opportunities for pop-up shops as well as a vast crowd who was interested in my pieces. This made me feel so much more passionate about my work, leading me to open an Instagram shop and sell at events.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is extremely important to me. I have always found interest in drawing, painting, and any form of art where I can speak my mind. With that said, I recently began to start studio art as a minor at my university, and it has shown off in my business as well as my passion. When deciding to make studio art my minor, I knew it would truly help me when it comes to improving my technique regarding my designs and my creative vision behind a lot of pieces. One thing that truly excites me is seeing where the future goes and understanding that over time improvement is something that will happen. It wasn’t always easy getting to where I am today. I feel as if anyone who is pursuing art experiences the idea of imposter syndrome and the feeling of being unsure about what people will think about your creations. Something that I truly struggled with when first starting my business was the fear of people not enjoying my pieces, but over time you begin to realize that as long as you are proud of what you are creating, people will see that and appreciate it. Something I truly want people to know now is to never doubt yourself, When starting your business and it is important to not get discouraged. One of the biggest takeaways I have gained from my experience is understanding that patience is important. When first starting, it is common to feel like you arent good enough, but giving it time and coming to the understanding that if it is something important to you, your passion will drve you through.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Living in Orange County is great, My hometown is San Clemente, but going to school in Orange has opened my eyes to the different locations and things to do. Starting off in orange I would go to Philz Coffee and shop around the orange circle at all of the second-hand stores. I find a lot of inspiration in second-hand stores. Another thing I truly love is hot pot, the best food you can get is from Tabu Shabu in the orange circle, you get so much food for such a good price and nothing compares. The Live Music scene is something truly amazing in Orange County, small venues such as Find the Good, or the Warehouse OC an amazing places to find other artists and see some smaller bands before they get their big break. If we were to have enough time I would love to go to the Amoeba record store in LA. I collect CDs and I really love Amoeba for the variety, To end my itinerary, I would make my way over to San Clemente not only for the wonderful beaches but for dinner at Nomads Canteen, coffee from Zebra House coffee, and breakfast at Cafe Rae. All of these wonderful places are a small business that has some of the best food as well as variety in OC.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Regarding my story, I want to shout out to my friends and family. From the start, my friends were the people who supported me unconditionally. With that being said, my best friend was the first person I made a shirt for, and since then, her support for me has never stopped; on top of this, one of my excellent friends runs her own business; she showed me the ropes and gave me the confidence to go into starting my own business. In regards to my family, they helped me kickstart my buisness. My dad being a buisness man, he has always helped me stay motivated and on top of my buisness and my Mom has always helped me promote. My friends, day after day, have continuously shown nothing but support for me and my endeavors, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the support I have received from them and my family.

Instagram: @Tigerseye.tshirts / @Livfrates