by Taylor Baird
Broken Necks is a clothing company that is the brainchild of four Sewanee students. Curtis Johnson (C’14), Charlie (Chaz) Powell, De’Nard Ford, and Quillan Snyder (C’15) have all poured themselves into this innovative company. The idea for such a clothing company came from Johnson during 2011. He wanted an outlet to express his creativity in a way that gave something back to the community. He also wanted to display his talents in a lasting way.
The idea developed into reality when the four students met here at Sewanee. As their website states, “It all started on the campus of Sewanee: The University of the South. Curtis, Co- Founder and CEO, is currently majoring in Art, with aspirations of entering the design industry. Quillan is on the same path. Chaz is pursuing a degree in Economics and International Global Studies and De’Nard is expecting a degree in Economics. While balancing being both students and athletes at the University, we decided to pursue an opportunity we all have interest in. For Curtis and Quillan, Broken Necks is a chance to express some of the constant ideas floating in the right side of their brains. For Chaz, who has always held a desire for different business ventures, Broken Necks is an outlet to display his talents in the business world. De’Nard just happened to be the final piece of the puzzle; that recognized the potential and had the desire to take the initiative in putting our thoughts into action.”
The name of the company comes from the concept of someone walking into a room, capturing everyone’s attention, making them turn their head in a double take, and causing them to “break their neck.”
Broken Necks was officially established in June 2012 and has been going strong even since. Recently, the company designed custom shirts for the Sewanee Athletic Department as a fundraiser after being approached by Ray Knight. All four of the men say they were grateful for the experience and look forward to their spring release, which is coming soon. Check out their website or stop one of these talented guys around campus to keep up with all that they are doing.