Profound Aesthetic

Profound Aesthetic — a name that conjures up images of something grand and meaningful — is in fact a T-shirt company, started up about one year ago by 24-year-old Rutgers alum Faraz Zaidi.

Zaidi graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts in May 2008 with a double-major in environmental business economics and visual art. During his years at the University, Profound Aesthetics was an idea that he always had floating around in his head. It was not until last September that Zaidi brought his vision to life.

"I've always had a strong interest in fashion and art, so I figured, why not create my own brand?" Zaidi said.

With some help from his cousin and sister, as well as with the support of his family, he began the process of taking his images and transferring them onto T-shirts.

He uses a local silk-screen company to produce the shirts, which come from American Apparel, a company that prides itself on being 100 percent sweatshop-free. Zaidi feels that it is important for Profound Aesthetic to not only look and feel good, but to also be a responsible brand. That is why the message behind Profound Aesthetic is "Design for the Conscious Mind," an idea that is apparent on the shirts. Each shirt has its own meaning and message, like the "Weapon of Mass Destruction" tee, which features a microphone up in smoke, swinging like a cannonball. Another T-shirt, "The Universal Symbol," features a peace sign made with a hand, and reads, "you can bomb the world to pieces but you can't bring peace with bombs."

"I wanted to create a brand with substance. I think the key was to keep the designs visually appealing, but at the same time attach meaning to them, which in essence makes people appreciate it more," Zaidi said.

One of Zaidi's own personal favorite tees is a shirt called "Peace by Piece" — a black shirt that is minimalistic and features just the text, reminding people that world peace happens in pieces.

Recently, business has picked up significantly, especially with the release of a Michael Jackson tribute shirt. Their fan base has even expanded internationally to places like Indonesia and Malaysia. The designer is also in talks with a few retailers, such as Metropark and Urban Outfitters, who may possibly carry the label in the near future. He is also working to strengthen Profound Aesthetics' message by partnering with a charitable organization.

"We have been overwhelmed with the responses that we got from people, including retailers wanting to sell Profound in their stores," the designer said. "I think we've come a long way in one year, and it is just a whole lot of hard work and dedication from here."

Profound Aesthetic clothing can be found on their Web site, ProfoundAesthetic.com, and prices range from $20-$30.