Since high school, Baker and a few friends from his hometown of Traverse City, Mich., have been waiting for the opportunity to sell their own clothing to display the lifestyle of local extreme sports. And last semester, they finally got on their feet, creating their company Midwest Coast Apparel.

The line features a variety of clothing, including outerwear for extreme sports and basic apparel, such as T-shirts and hoodies. They also sell a special series of apparel, Murder Mitten Clothing, specifically geared toward the typical style of Northern Michigan residents.

“We’re showcasing everything Michigan has to offer and offering the gear for people to look good while they’re out,” Baker said.

Residential College in the Arts and Humanities sophomore Dylan Rickard, who runs the design end of the company, said the group wanted to keep comfort in mind along with style.

“I enjoy the laid-back aspects of clothing,” he said. “We wanted to make clothing that you can still lounge in, but it doesn’t look like you’re a slob.”

Rickard said their clothing recently has started to gain popularity on MSU’s campus, and they currently are negotiating with larger clothing companies, such as Billabong, to make promotional deals.

No-preference sophomore Tucker Cartwright, who has bought clothing from Midwest Coast Apparel, said he supports the creative camaraderie the team has.

“It’s cool and unique to find a bunch of friends who have some cool, artistic ideas work to put them all together,” he said.

Although members of the group currently take orders and sell their clothing from home, they have gained the rights to a warehouse in Traverse City for the summer, where they will begin mass-producing their clothing. They plan to release their clothing in stores in Traverse City this summer and in East Lansing by the fall.

“We’ve all been wanting to do this since we were younger, and we finally get the chance to do it,” Baker said. “We’re not trying to be a mainstream clothing brand — we want to maintain a unique style of clothing that represents nature and being outdoors.”