After drafting designs of peace signs, dream catchers and gentlemen smoking pipes, three St. Thomas juniors combined their passions for fashion and charity to start up their own line, Panacea Cache.

Last winter, juniors Chris Neuwirth, Chris Knoblauch and Jake Powell began the clothing line Panacea Cache. Since then, they have thrown a 500-attendee launch party, sold pre-orders and partnered up with the Breast Cancer Coalition to help raise awareness and funds for the charity.

Neuwirth said the team was looking for something to be passionate about.

“We were just kind of sitting around one day after class and started thinking, you know, we want to get something that we can be passionate about; we wanted to get up off of the couch that we were sitting on,” Neuwirth said.

Neuwirth also said the name dictated their choice to get involved with nonprofits.

“We thought it would be good to help nonprofits, too, and that’s where the name ‘Panacea’ came from,” Neuwirth said. “It means ‘remedy, solution, cure all.’”

The team met with the Breast Cancer Coalition Tuesday to discuss working with them in the future.

“(The Breast Cancer Coalition) was impressed and wanted to work with us and said, ‘Let’s do what we can to set up an event,’” Neuwirth said.

In addition to partnering with the Breast Cancer Coalition for the fall, they plan to help other charities based on the season. In the winter, they hope to donate some of their proceeds to the Salvation Army. In the spring, the trio will focus on suicide awareness.

Powell said he thinks Panacea Cache’s charity partnerships will allow buyers to support causes they’re passionate about.

“Everybody is passionate about something different, so everybody can find something that they’re passionate about to support through us,” Powell said. “It makes it more about Panacea, so it is a ‘cure-all.’ We’re trying to impact as many people as we can.”

Neuwirth described their design esthetic as “street wear.”

“It’s clean street wear,” Neuwirth said. “It’s basically taking street art ideas, like graffiti-type things, and implementing that kind of design on the shirt.”

While the designs may be too “edgy” for junior Garrett Smetana, he thinks that people sometimes buy products solely because of the cause.

“I think for a lot of stuff, people don’t necessarily buy it because it’s the most stylish thing available, but because they really support the cause behind it,” Smetana said.

For senior Quinn Andreasen, the company’s community involvement sets it apart from other lines.

“It’s nice that they’re giving to charities and such. When I look at a clothing line, I always kind of like to see that,” Andreasen said.

Sophomore MacKenzie Watson said she was surprised the designers are St. Thomas students, and likes how edgy the clothes are.

“When you said St. Thomas students, I expected a much more conservative set,” Watson said. “The designs are really edgy and modern. I really like them and would probably consider getting one.”

Junior Josh Balk teamed up with Panacea Cache during their launch party planning process.

“I think the Panacea name is getting out there, which is huge,” Balk said.

Anupama Pasricha, associate professor and chair of the apparel, merchandising, and design department at St. Catherine University, said that it’s difficult to break out into the fashion industry without a degree or background in fashion.

“I think it’s fairly difficult because unless you have a really great idea, it takes time to establish yourself to make yourself known,” Pasricha said.

However, Pasricha said the company’s decision to print graphic designs will help with branding.

“You can see the visual and you can get to know what the product is,” Pasricha said.

Neuwirth said line’s website officially goes up within a week. Prices range from $25 for T-shirts to $40 for crewnecks and $45 for sweatshirts.

Powell hopes to one day see his designs on students walking around the St. Thomas campus.

“I’m just hoping for the day that I can see somebody that I don’t know wearing one of our shirts,” Powell said. “I don’t know what I’ll do; I’ll probably just start dancing right there.”

Kayla Bengtson can be reached at beng2004@stthomas.edu.