School of Fashion students are collaborating with fitness guru Jaime Brenkus to compete for their t-shirt design to be featured on his show.

Brenkus rose to popularity in the 1990s after he created the program “8-Minute Abs.” Since then, Brenkus has helped millions of people meet their fitness goals. 

Over the last two years, Brenkus and associate fashion professor Vince Quevedo have created a program that will help prepare students for the real world. 

“I think the biggest thing is knowing that basically putting the students in an arrangement gives them a platform for the students to achieve,” Brenkus said. “We call it a real life experience with a national brand.”

Quevedo’s students each make a t-shirt design suited to Brenkus. Once the competition is over, Brenkus chooses a design to wear on his PBS program. Not only does this allow students a chance to design their own piece of fitness apparel, but also the chance to be featured on a major platform. 

With nearly 1,500 students in fashion design and fashion merchandising, the collaboration has many benefits. For fashion students, this opportunity is preparing them for their future even while they are still in school.

With fitness at the forefront of the assignment, Brenkus explained his steps to start a fitness journey.

“I think you have to look at and see what your goals and objectives are, whether it’s to basically lose weight or whether it’s to shape your life. You have to go back to tried and true strategies,” he said.

The collaboration between Kent State students and Brenkus has offered a good experience for both parties.

“Students themselves exemplified the type of curriculum that Kent State has, because they’re very bright and talented,” Brenkus said. “When everybody created shirts for us, I gotta tell you, I could have probably used every single one of them.”

Lauren Vaughn is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].