At 14 years old, Trey Scott was designing logos and graphic tees on his mom’s computer. A high school passion project was the seed that would later grow into Scott’s business of today, Johnson & Scott.

Johnson & Scott sells streetwear with custom designs and logos. A variety of crewneck sweatshirts, lounge pants and accessories are available on the brand’s website.

While Scott is based in Columbia, his business partner, Cyrus Johnson, works out of Oklahoma City. Scott focuses on designing apparel, while Johnson has a specialty in the business aspect of Johnson & Scott. 

In order to manage their business while maintaining their full-time college student schedules, Scott and Johnson communicate with their team via Discord — a messaging platform with organized channels. When classes get busy, prioritizing is key for Scott.

 “I’m still working on picking the important stuff, like the dates we have to meet for different [company] events versus getting my finals done,” Scott said.

Scott admits juggling his responsibilities can sometimes become overwhelming, but it won’t stop his business ventures.

“I don’t really want a backup. I decided I should just go for it,” Scott said about deciding to pursue his dream. 

Prior to the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, Scott earned his Associate’s degree in Business from Moberly Area Community College, but he did not feel successful in his online classes. So the Columbia native knew he wanted to go to MU.

“I came back and did Nutrition and Exercise Physiology,” Scott said. 

However, he quickly made the choice to switch his major to Textile and Apparel Management on the Apparel Retailing and Digital Merchandising track.

“I wanted to really learn the inner workings of selling clothing and marketing,” Scott said. 

TAM’s Apparel Retailing and Digital Merchandising track was exactly the switch Scott needed in order to further develop his dream. While his brand is still in the early stages of establishment,  Scott hopes to eventually open a storefront. 

Through his TAM classes, Scott learned what would help him accomplish his goal of opening a brick-and-mortar version of his currently all-online shop.

Classes like TAM 2400 Global Consumers inform Scott’s strategies for expanding his brand to a wider audience. With a curriculum centered around understanding the diverse needs of a global marketplace, Scott believes a sensitivity towards other cultures is necessary to be successful in the US.

“I learned you have to work with [different] cultures and do what is appropriate for them. It’s the same when you’re selling to the US market. I try to apply that [to my business],” Scott said.

Scott believes downtown Columbia would be the perfect location for Johnson & Scott’s first storefront. Scott works with local artists to design the pieces he sells, supporting his business and the Columbia community. He enjoys working with diverse voices in the community and gains inspiration from local community members.

Scott has several ideas for future designs, including multiple collaborations with fellow TAM students. His most recent collaboration is with TAM senior Sydney McClintock. They are planning to design a hybrid garment. Currently, the design includes a detachable lower leg, so the pants can convert to shorts and three color options.

“This would be the first thing we’re designing from scratch,” Scott said. 

McClintock met with Scott to discuss all of his ideas and the pair started designing from there, trading ideas on colorways and different mockups. McClintock had the opportunity to create the Tech pack for the pants, which involves how the garment will be designed, which fabrics will be used and measurements.

“Doing this as students gives us great experience of what it’s actually like in the industry [and] a great connection once we’re graduated,” McClintock said. 

As Scott prepares to enter the industry, he feels confident that fashion will remain at the forefront of his ambitions.

“I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else,” Scott said.

Edited by Scout Hudson | shudson@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Sam Barrett and Lauren Courtney