David Merritt is becoming the conductor of the little fashion start-up that can now that his IMU brand is starting to gain traction in Ann Arbor.
Excerpt:
At Sunday's IMU photoshoot, LSA sophomore Courtney Cox took a brief break from tweeting giveaways to describe her unique internship experience. Like many Michigan students, Cox had been hopelessly looking for internship opportunities in merchandising, until she came across the Facebook fan page for I Miss You, Inc. (IMU), a brand founded by David Merritt, former captain of the Michigan men’s basketball team.
"Have you ever had someone tell you that they miss you?" Merritt asked. "It makes you feel special. It makes you feel valued."
David Merritt is not the typical self-absorbed all-star-athlete-turned-fashion-designer. If you’re looking for an entourage or the arrogant swagger that comes with leading a team to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 11 years, you won’t find it here. Instead, Merritt is so admirably humble, it’s almost frustrating. He just keeps it real — and stylish. He has everything you’d hope to find in the president and CEO of one of Ann Arbor’s hottest up-and-coming fashion lines.
But how did the former hoops player combine his two seemingly disparate interests of basketball and fashion?
According to Merritt, he never had any intentions of getting involved in fashion. But his experiences playing basketball with selfless teammates like School of Public Policy graduate student and former captain C.J. Lee ultimately became his inspiration for IMU.
The IMU brand sells T-shirts which combine the urban style with joy and color. The shirt designs serve perfectly to illustrate the meeting point of style and service.
"As a captain, I learned the importance of selflessness and giving of yourself to reach team goals — goals that are bigger than you personally." Merritt said. "Like watching C.J. Lee come in every day just to motivate people in order to make the team as good as it could be. These types of goals are what's really behind IMU as a brand."
Read the rest of the story here.
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