The smell of the bleach and dye. The vibrant, mesmerizing colors and clean design. Folding the sweatshirt, the package is ready to be delivered to an expecting customer across the country. A student, daughter and friend junior Lauren Buchwald is adding one more description to the list: business owner. 

Splattered Essentials is the customized clothing brand that Buchwald started when she was 14-years-old, during quarantine. Living with type one diabetes, Buchwald is at an increased health risk when it comes to COVID-19. Staying in the house all day, like billions of other people during 2020, Buchwald’s life and routine were turned upside down. Rather than brooding over the loss of routine and friends, she decided to turn this unfortunate circumstance into an amazing opportunity. 

Buchwald took a keen interest in self-tie-dye. Tie-dying shirts, socks and other articles of clothing sparked Buchwald’s idea to turn this simple arts and crafts activity into a business. 

“I wanted to create something of my own and make something of my own that’s unique and different then other clothing brands,” Buchwald said.

She knew she had to do something to occupy her time, and creating a small business at home was the perfect solution. 

Splattered Essentials features bleached and tie-dyed sweatshirts, shirts, shorts and more. Self-run, Buchwald can tie-dye any article of clothing and add any text or design the customer wants. Her most popular items are her tie-dyed college sweatshirts. 

“I sell clothes for ages starting at 8 [and] up to elderly people. My grandma wears my sweatshirts. I can make designs where they fit to anyone,” Buchwald said. 

Buying solid color clothes from a distributor, Buchwald then adds her tie-dye and the customers’ design to make it her own. During quarantine, Buchwald faced the problem of finding a distributor for the blank white clothing and getting her business to stand out from the other businesses who also were doing tie-dye. 

However, by contacting small boutique businesses via social media and making partnerships and deals with store owners, her clothes are now featured in multiple boutiques around the country. Splattered Essentials can now be bought in California, New Jersey, Chicago, Miami and South Florida boutiques. These trendy tie-dyed clothes are a big hit for students at MSD. 

“Splattered Essentials is a trendy, affordable clothing company. The clothes are cute, comfortable and can be made to your desire,” junior Eden Rothstein said. 

Buchwald sells products ranging from $26 to $50, donating a percentage of her earnings to the Diabetes Research Institute. 

“The Diabetes Research Institute is very special to me because they have been there for me for the past 14 years of dealing with this disease and have supported my family and I through the way,” Buchwald said.

Right now, Buchwald sells her clothes through Instagram and Tiktok, @splattered.essentials. She also sells through her website SplatteredEssentials.com.

“My dream one day is to have my own store and design,” Buchwald said. Planning to go to college at Syracuse University, Buchwald wants to major in fashion in hopes of expanding her business and her dream. 

Buchwald’s favorite part of her business is seeing her customers enjoying the clothes they bought. 

“The fact that I am able to start my dream of being a fashion designer as a teenager, makes me think that anything is possible if you put your mind to it,” Buchwald said. 

This story was originally published in the October 2022 Eagle Eye print edition.