Charles Stuart Platkin has a lot on his plate, and it’s not just vegetables. With a law degree, a doctorate, a successful column called Diet Detective in multiple newspapers across the country, the author of five books and health class teacher in Miami, Platkin certainly has some solid credible experience in health and nutrition. But one question prevailed: How else can you convince people to eat healthy without forcing it upon them? Here’s where he got creative, literally.
One Friday night, Platkin began working with some designs and quirky sayings and began treating vegetables and fruits as fashionable concepts. He wanted the messages to inspire people to think about what they were putting into their bodies and steer them towards healthy alternatives. After crafting up some prototypes, his fashion-conscious wife said in passing, “I’d wear one.” Thus, Food Tee Market was born in November 2007.
Excited about creating something with a powerful message, being creative, keeping it fashionable and wearing the designs himself, Platkin states, “It’s great to be able to practice what you preach.”
And these T-shirts do more than just look good. Ten percent of the proceeds go to three charities that do not take funding from the food industry. This way, the messages are never slanted but genuine in fruition, and sales can assist in better educating schools.
In just a mere five months, sales have taken off, and already an entire new line has just been launched last week. The new line now includes women’s tank tops and yoga bags. With approximately 35 images rotated so as not to oversaturate a specific message, Platkin can keep the designs looking fresh by not having all the options available all at the time.
Expanding his knowledge on nutrition further, Platkin is looking to launch a TV show in the next six months, but he admits about his current fashion project, “Nothing else has given me the excitement that this endeavor has.” This passion, however, does not cloud Platkin’s objectives of making his public-service messages clear. He has no interest in going into retail stores and rather hand selects specific organic markets to carry the articles of clothing as well as maintaining his online store.
“We’re not trying to knock the ball out of the park... We’re not interested in being the Tommy Hilfiger of T-shirts,” he says. “The message is about what we’re about... Loving earth is also loving the food it creates.”
See Charles Stuart Platkin’s design and personal messages on T-shirts, onesies, bags and more by checking out www.foodtee.com. Start your healthy chapter and your nutritious and fashionable crusade today.
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