High school is a time when students long to express themselves. For many artists, this is difficult, as materials are often pricey. A solution to this problem, which many students have discovered, is starting a business. Artists specifically can sell their art, either directly or on a product. Malika Labossiere is a senior at North Forsyth. Labossiere puts her artistic skills to use by selling her designs on t-shirts and stickers. 

While not running a business, Labossiere is involved in band and drama. She is currently practicing for the NoFo Stage performance of Newsies. Labossiere is also part of the Raider Band and plays French Horn in the Wind Ensemble.

Her business, Labossiere Art, is a t-shirt and sticker business. Labossiere explains, “I put my designs on t-shirts.” She sells these products through her Instagram @labossiereart and website Labossiere Art. It is a lot of work starting and running a business, but Labossiere explains she started it because “I really enjoy making art and I like t-shirts.”

Each product goes through a process before being sold, Labossiere explains, “Usually I sketch out the designs on paper, and then I do it in Procreate digitally on my iPad.” She uses a website where “I take a no background PNG and put it on a t-shirt.” Unlike many t-shirt businesses, Labossiere’s designs are “DTG printed onto the t-shirt.” DTG stands for direct-to-garment printing. It isn’t like using a heat press where designs are transferred onto the shirt; instead, the design is “printed onto the t-shirt.”

Owning a business takes a lot of time and dedication. Labossiere explains, “This year, I don’t have as many classes and so it’s a lot easier. I have IE2 at the beginning and the end of the day, so I have a bunch of time now.”

While Labossiere is in charge of everything on the management end, sometimes she gets some help from friends. She explains, “My friends help me take pictures and make commercials.” She features many of her friends on her website and Instagram, including seniors Emily Johnson, Kaitlyn Boere, and JR Bannit, and juniors Taylor Kelley and Carson Peeley.

To attract more customers, Labossiere includes gifts in every order during the month of February. She explained, “With every order placed this month, you get a framed picture of yourself and Barack Obama.” The inspiration behind the Obama photoshopped photo is “because he was the first black president and it’s Black History Month,” Labossiere commented.