Alex Reitman ’22 works on a new design. Photo courtesy of Macie Simmons
As countless entrepreneurs have proven time and time again, the merging of passion and work has the potential to produce innovative and successful businesses. But businesses don’t need to be on Shark Tank to thrive; here on campus, we have some of our own developing businesses. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Macie Simmons ’22 and Alex Reitman ’22, the two students behind the newest business on campus: Joe’s Customs.
Joe’s Customs, a custom phone-case business, began as a casual joke between friends. Reitman often posted photos of his artwork online, and friends around him soon began taking notice of his paintings and drawings. After people saw a phone case cover that Reitman designed for himself, they began to wonder if he might be able to paint their phone cases, too.
After an increasing number of requests from fellow students, Reitman asked fellow art student Simmons to collaborate. Last fall, just before Thanksgiving break, they officially established Joe’s Customs as a business.
Reitman and Simmons painstakingly paint all of their products by hand, and each phone case is a careful artistic rendition characterized by bold strokes and bright colors. Though it’s only been two months since the advent of Joe’s Customs, the business has sold fifteen phone cases, and all customer feedback has been resoundingly positive.
When asked about the origins of the name “Joe’s Customs,” the pair immediately turned to each other and laughed. “There is no specific meaning behind the name,” they explained. “We just thought of the most generic name — Joe — and came up with the whole thing randomly.”
The actual process of designing the phone cases is surprisingly simple, but the task of painting is anything but. Reitman explained that they first tape over the edges of the phone cases that will not be painted. Next, they cover the case in white acrylic paint, and then draw over this painted background using permanent marker. Once these preparatory steps are complete, they paint the design onto the case over the permanent marker outline. “But it doesn’t just end here!” Simmons cautioned. “You can’t forget to cover the whole thing with nail polish at the very end. This is the absolute most vital step.” Without the nail polish cover, the paintings on the cases can smudge and won’t stay on for long.
Designs for the phone cases are varied; several of their past products have been posted on their Instagram page @j0es.customs. They use a “0” in place of the “o” because, as Reitman put it, “Someone already took the username @joes.customs, so we had to get creative.” Much like the phone cases they make.
Prices for the products range from between $15 and $20, and the actual phone cases all come from the buyers themselves. Typically, a buyer will bring in their own phone case for Reitman and Simmons to design and paint over. However, if their order numbers significantly increase from the twenty they’ve already sold, the pair is considering buying their own phone cases in bulk so that customers will then be able to purchase previously-made phone cases.
Simmons and Reitman have high hopes for their business. They envision expanding their business to the painting of more than just phone cases: already, they have painted sneakers for customers, an endeavor that proved to be a hit. Reitman and Simmons are considering painting more items, from tote bags to dorm room posters
Business promotion has occurred primarily through word of mouth and social media. For Simmons and Reitman, this method has proved largely successful. Without a doubt, Simmons and Reitman’s passion and excitement for art and their business will continue to drive growth of Joe’s Customs.
