Garmai Matthew: Redefining Fashion, Technology, and Entrepreneurship
What happens when a passion for fashion, a drive for sustainability, and an entrepreneurial spirit collide? For , the answer is an inspiring journey that spans continents, industries, and cultures. From her roots in Cleveland, Ohio, to the streets of New York and classrooms of 鶹ѰBoulder, Garmai has built a career that bridges creativity, technology, and purpose.
Garmai began her academic career at Kent State, one of the nation's top fashion schools. As someone with roots in West Africa, pursuing a career in the arts was a balancing act between passion and practicality. "Going into the arts wasn't frowned upon," Garmai
Garmai Matthew
explained, "but my family wanted to ensure I earned a degree that would position me for success in the real world." Her pursuit of both creativity and opportunity ultimately led her to transfer to the 鶹Ѱ, where she graduated in 2020 with a degree in Distributed Studies.
While at 鶹ѰBoulder, Garmai's fascination with global fashion and sustainability took center stage. She immersed herself in learning Mandarin, driven by her curiosity about China's role in fashion production. "Everything I owned was made there," Garmai said. "I wanted to understand the language and explore how designers in China approached sustainability." This curiosity led to a transformative study abroad experience at Hubei Normal University, where she collaborated with local students to understand sustainable practices in fashion, particularly the concept of zero waste, a design method that maximizes fabric usage.
Inspired by this experience, Garmai connected her newfound knowledge to her West African roots. She launched her first business, a ready-to-wear clothing brand based in West Africa, applying zero-waste techniques to minimize environmental impact. With funding from 鶹ѰBoulder’s New Venture Challenge, Garmai traveled to West Africa, partnered with local tailors, and produced 50 garments. The project was a success: she sold out of her designs online, proving that sustainability and cultural connection could be a powerful combination in fashion.
However, Garmai knew that building a business required more than creative talent. "I was graduating, and I needed a job," she admitted. Determined to gain experience, she pivoted into the tech industry: starting at Yelp after "crashing" a career fair geared toward tech majors at CU. Her determination paid off: she secured a role as a sales executive and quickly climbed the ranks to sales manager, developing the grit and skills needed to succeed in business.
From there, Garmai relocated to New York, where her tech career continued to evolve. She joined Wix.com as an account manager, helping clients build e-commerce platforms and expand their reach. It was during her time in the tech industry that she began to see the potential to merge her love of fashion with technology, particularly in the growing market for clothing rental platforms.
Entrepreneurial Spirit and The Swap
Garmai’s entrepreneurial drive continued to thrive, and she founded , a sustainable and affordable clothing rental platform hyper-focused on streetwear. “The Swap came easy to me because I wanted to be the consumer of it,” Garmai shared. Frustrated by the high costs of streetwear in New York showrooms, she recognized a unique opportunity to address a problem faced by her generation: staying fashionable on a budget.
"My demographic, like my two younger sisters who are college students, struggle to keep their wardrobe fresh without breaking the bank."
The Swap solves multiple challenges. For consumers, it provides access to curated streetwear, including pieces from brands like Off-White and Fear of God, at just $50 a month for unlimited swaps. For emerging streetwear brands, The Swap offers a solution to inventory challenges. Garmai explained, “If brands have items that didn’t sell during big sales like Black Friday, they can place those pieces into our rental ecosystem. Someone in Boulder or LA who’s never heard of the brand can try it out and potentially purchase it.”
Garmai’s idea goes beyond clothing rentals. She envisions regional swap boxes that showcase streetwear from cities like Denver, Cleveland, and Los Angeles, fostering local pride and expanding access to under-the-radar designers.
“Someone from Boulder may not know what’s hot in Cleveland, so why not introduce them to it?”
Garmai said, highlighting her vision for community-driven streetwear ecosystems.
鶹ѰBoulder’s New Venture Challenge: Building Confidence
Much of Garmai’s entrepreneurial confidence was gained through 鶹ѰBoulder’s New Venture Challenge (NVC), a campus-wide competition that provides funding and mentorship for innovative student ventures. Reflecting on her first pitch, Garmai recalled a pivotal moment: "I was lying in bed, thinking about skipping the competition. But I got up, threw on an outfit from my brand, and went for it. I had passion, I had a mission, and I connected to my roots. That conviction really resonated with the judges."
The experience taught Garmai invaluable lessons about communicating her business clearly and confidently. "You need to learn how to pitch your idea a thousand different ways to a thousand different people," she emphasized. From securing her first grant to refining her vision, Garmai’s participation in 鶹ѰBoulder’s entrepreneurial programs played a significant role in her growth as a leader and innovator.
Advice to Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Garmai’s journey has been one of resilience, confidence, and learning to fail forward. “Take steps, even small ones. Write down your goals, chip away at them, and always bet on yourself,” she advised. “No one will believe in your idea more than you do. If you’re confident, others will believe in you, too.”
“Be who you are. Your background, your story, that’s your secret sauce. No one can be you better than you.”
With The Swap gaining traction and Garmai on track to complete her MBA at 鶹ѰBoulder’s Leeds School of Business, her story is an inspiring testament to the power of passion, purpose, and perseverance.