Student at Hampton U. is one of three Target design winners nationwide
Like most college students, Trajan “Trey” Baker has often shopped for school supplies at Target. But when he walked into the retail giant’s Hampton store last month, he was looking for something much more special: his own hoodie on the racks.
Baker, a 20-year-old junior architecture major at Hampton University, was one of three winners of a nationwide student design contest for Target’s 2022 Black History Month collection. His design will be on sweatshirts and journals in stores across the country and online through February.
“It felt weird to see people browsing through them,” he said. “I met one lady who bought one. It’s been unbelievable.”
Baker’s design, which features the words “We Rise” beside a raised fist and curvy brown roots with white blossoms, symbolizes Black progress:
“We’ve come from this state in America that was lesser, but we’ve pulled ourselves up by our own will, our own determination.”
Target’s “Black Beyond Measure” collection includes designs submitted by students at historically Black colleges and universities. Ten finalists met with company designers for feedback on their final submissions, which judges winnowed down to three.
After picking Baker as a top 10 competitor, Target designers encouraged him to reinforce the themes of prosperity and growth in his entry. That led him to add its green background and flowers at the top of the roots.
“Trey’s design stood out because of his bold message, dynamic composition and stylized refined illustration,” said Tawnya Artisst, design director at Target. “His final color choice added differentiation that helped balance out the assortment. His design is such a strong graphic.”
Baker received his congratulatory email from Target as he was sitting in a barbershop getting a haircut. The native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, immediately shared the news in a
family group chat and in a flurry of text messages to his friends.
The prize package included $3,000, an Apple MacBook Pro, an online user experience (UX) design course valued at $4,000 and a pair of Snapchat augmented reality Spectacle glasses.
Baker initially entered the contest for an architecture class assignment at HU. He wasn’t entirely new to clothing design: Two years before, he founded a small business called Covrt Artist, which specializes in custom hand-painted streetwear such as denim jackets, shoes and hats. (The name refers to helping customers express their creative sides.)
Looking ahead, Baker plans to intern at an architecture firm this summer while also growing Covrt Artist.
“I’m in love with both architecture and design,” he said. “I’d love to find a way to merge those two fields.”
Meanwhile, his phone has been blowing up with pictures of family, friends, and HU students and alumni wearing his Target hoodie, which went on sale in late January.
“I’m so thankful for all the support,” he said. “I’m just humbled by the whole experience.”