![Sophomore Atul Prabhu wears and holds up his grey zip-up hoodie. “[LUSH] is in big bold letters because action can only take place if the idea itself is heard. The back [reflects how people make decisions at the expense of nature. The spider shows how if we do not [take action], [our world] will forever stay an unreachable cobweb.”](https://whshoofprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ftre_teaser.png)
Once a new idea comes to mind, sophomore Atul Prabhu hurriedly grabs his stylus, opens his tablet and begins sketching his latest design: a light black zipper hoodie with four bold letters that spell his clothing brand, LUSH APPAREL.
Previously named VEREFLORES, meaning “spring flowers” in Spanish, Prabhu’s business was renamed LUSH APPAREL to symbolize a world not completely overrun by technology and pollution. He hopes that this name—which ties to the abundance of plants—would present their message clearer and be more memorable.
“Lush” is a word that really symbolizes what the brand is about,” Prabhu said. “Our vision is that [our clothing brand] will help the world become greener and full of nature by bringing awareness to the obstacles that block this goal.”
Having been concerned with the environment and the lack of action taken to counteract the damage, Prabhu founded LUSH APPAREL last March and launched his first collection, the VEREFLORES collection. This featured a hoodie with a butterfly design on the back, symbolizing the rebirth of the natural world and a graphic T-shirt of a woman’s face staring above, representing how the sky is the limit for our world’s future choices.
“I wanted a simplistic design,” Prabhu said. “There’s a lot of clothing brands that have crazy designs but I wanted to create something [symbolizing] the beauty of the environment [that] people could wear everyday.”
For Prabhu, creating a new product begins with deciding on the type of clothing, ranging from T-shirts, hoodies and jackets. From there, he brainstorms designs and the message he wants to express with his new piece, utilizing the apparel design software “Kittl”. Once completed, he contacts a certified manufacturer, requests a sample and determines if he should bulk order and begin selling. All of LUSH’s products are 100% cotton, a more sustainable option compared to synthetic polyester.
“There are factories in [China] that are [environment-friendly], and [these] are the factories that we’re supporting,” Phabhu said. “Besides the [designs], we’re going to try to build on how [we] as a brand can support the environment.”
Promoting a brand also requires media presence. Prabhu currently works with junior Arvin Chau, who helps him film promotional videos, and sophomore Aman Khan, who models for the apparel. For LUSH APPAREL’s latest clothing drop, Chau filmed the advertisement in an open field, having Khan and other actors run freely to convey the brand’s message of embracing nature and freedom.
“The promotional video I filmed for [LUSH APPAREL], I [wanted] a luminal space area [that was] like a void,” Chau said. “I also took inspiration from music videos that are running related, and [from there] planned and filmed the video.”
Prabhu hopes that the traction the brand gains from social media will help fund future projects and new clothing variations, such as sweatpants and long sleeved shirts. He also hopes to grow a small team of designers to take production to the next level.
“One of the main reasons I started this clothing brand is because I’ve seen a bunch of clothing brands on Instagram and TikTok that are mostly about aesthetics without a positive message they try to put out,” Prabhu said. “People buy clothing if it has a good message behind it and I want to push out a good message behind every piece of clothing I make.” Ω
