With the beginning of fall, students may be on the hunt for new, cozy attire. Currently, Apparel, a Raleigh-based embroidery studio, has a variety of sweatshirts ideal for the season.
NC State alums Hira Iqbal and Vanessa Daniels co-founded Currently, Apparel in January 2023.
“Our brand is Currently, so everything we make says Currently,” Daniels said. “And then we add something fun, something cute, something meaningful.”
They carry T-shirts, sweatshirts and tote bags with phrases ranging from “Currently, Reading” to “Currently, Trying My Best.” The limited edition fall collection includes “Currently, Sweater Weather” and “Currently, Ghostin’.”
“The idea behind Currently is that it’s just celebrating where you are in life at that current moment,” Iqbal said. “It doesn’t have to stay the same forever, but whenever you have that on a T-shirt or a tote bag, you can always look back at where you were at that point in life.”
The pair studied textile design, which they said helped them use their design knowledge to incorporate creative imagery on their branded apparel.
“The images we put under our artwork is a fun way of incorporating that,” Iqbal said. “When we were designing our fall collection, we just sat down in a coffee shop with our iPads, and we were drawing up ideas.”
Daniels and Iqbal started the business with the “Currently Cities” collection, which includes “Currently, Raleigh.” As the business has grown, they’ve added more styles.
“I think a lot of people like it because it’s very customizable,” Iqbal said. “We allow people to choose whatever they want to write underneath currently. … That gives people the ability to be as creative as they want to be with it.”
Some of their favorite designs are “Currently, Dilly-Dallying” and “Currently, Optimistic.”
“My newest favorite from our fall collection, which is just a limited time collection, is a navy blue sweatshirt,” Iqbal said. “It has Currently and then three images: leaves, a pumpkin and then acorns. It’s really speaking to my favorite season.”
The customizable aspect also means there are designs for everyone.
“I always thought it was important to do something that makes a difference,” Daniels said. “In its own way, this has provided me with that. When people come up to us at markets, they think it’s funny, they think it’s cute. It makes people happy.”
One major goal for Currently, Apparel is to keep growing.
“I would love to see us more integrated around Raleigh,” Iqbal said. “Maybe working with more shops and small businesses … and then growing outwards from there. I would just love to see all types of people enjoying the shirts and sweatshirts and tote bags.”
Daniels and Iqbal said one of their favorite parts of owning a business is seeing the support from people they don’t know.
“I hit my first goal seeing it outside in the wild,” Daniels said. “I was at a restaurant/brewery, and there was this girl wearing a Currently, Raleigh sweatshirt.”
One way NC State has supported the duo is by fostering their knowledge of embroidery when they were students. They have also found support from family, friends and other small businesses.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised about how supportive the other small businesses that are at the pop-up markets have been,” Daniels said. “Everybody is wanting to get to know everybody. Everybody is super supportive.”
Currently, Apparel sells at Curate at Crabtree Mall and pop-up markets in the Triangle. For more information or to place an order, visit their website or Instagram.
