Warwick clothing business which sells graduation hoodies and t-shirts to students across the UK celebrates its 30th anniversary

A Warwick clothing business is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
A Campus Clothing stand. Photo by Campus ClothingA Campus Clothing stand. Photo by Campus Clothing
A Campus Clothing stand. Photo by Campus Clothing

Campus Clothing, which is based on the Heathcote industrial estate, provides personalised hoodies, t-shirts and other graduation memorabilia to students at more than 90 of the UK’s higher education institutions.

It launched in 1992 by Rupert Forsythe, who had one box of t-shirts which he sold to the graduating students in the year above him at Birmingham University.

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The following year Rupert did the same for his own graduating cohort.

The first Campus Clothing stand. Photo by Campus ClothingThe first Campus Clothing stand. Photo by Campus Clothing
The first Campus Clothing stand. Photo by Campus Clothing

By 1994, Rupert was selling graduation t-shirts at Hull University, the first client of Campus Clothing.

As their popularity grew, Rupert introduced more apparel including hoodies, and by the early 2000s, Campus Clothing was providing graduation apparel to universities up and down the UK.

Daniel Simmonds, director of Campus Clothing, said: “The cap and gown are, without question, the item of clothing you think of when you think of graduation.

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"But very few students own the cap and gown they wear to the ceremony, nowadays they are hired and are given back at the end of the day.

“But a hoodie or a t-shirt with the University logo on it, the date of graduation and the names of the graduating cohort is something a student can own and keep forever. They will be able to show their children and their grandchildren in years to come.

"My friends and I still have our hoodies from university, and we are still as proud of them today, as we were back then.”

A percentage of each sale is also given back to the institution where that sale took place.

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The Covid-19 pandemic prevented Campus Clothing from attending on-campus graduation ceremonies, but they were able to adapt, and students could still order their merchandise online.

Daniel said: “Like most businesses, the pandemic was a very challenging and uncertain time, but we managed to keep going.

"We were able to get back to some live events last year, which was fantastic, and this year our diary is packed full of graduation celebration. There’s nothing like being at a graduation event.

“We are incredibly proud to have been providing quality graduation merchandise for the past 30 years – from Rupert starting out with one box of t-shirts, we now provide thousands of items to students around the UK.”