Makena Masterson, GSB ’19, said she does not know anything about fashion. That would come as a surprise to anyone who has seen her new clothing line, Chicken Over Rice – a name inspired by Rams Deli Plus’ famous meal.The clothing line consists of shirts, sweatshirts, hats and beanies that draw inspiration from the Fordham community. The apparel bears witty sayings, such as “Fordham is my school, New York is my campus, Rams Deli Plus is my bodega,” “You’ve got to be Keating me,” “FMH? More like FML” and “thank u, best.”

Masterson, a marketing major, said that she became interested in starting the line from a marketing perspective.“I love social media and managing the website, so this has been a really fun experience,” she said.

However, this is not Masterson’s first venture into the fashion world. In high school, Masterson founded SNOX, a company that sold socks and donated 100 percent of profits to charities. Masterson aimed to raise money for organizations including Teach For America, Water Aid, Rotary International, Action Against Hunger and Hope For the Warriors. “I had that on the running but then I kind of wanted to do something that was a little more fun,” she said.

Although Chicken Over Rice’s website only launched on Feb. 2, 2018, Masterson’s talent in marketing has helped the brand become well established through its social media and online presence. In preparation for the company launch, Masterson had a bunch of her friends over and took photos to use as advertising.

In creating the line, she said she was hoping to add a little humor to university apparel on campus. Masterson also thought that the line would be an inexpensive alternative to the clothing offered in the university bookstore.“There is always the Spring Weekend Tees and there’s also obviously the [bookstore attire] that Fordham sells but they are really expensive and they are not something that’s really funny,” she said. “I wanted to do something that was just more punny and joke-y.”

Masterson said that the project really just started as a fun thing to do with friends, possibly even a way to get grocery money. However, she is single-handedly running the website, social media and online orders.

Masterson said she has collaborated with local businesses, however, such as the popular Rams Deli Plus on East Fordham Road.
“I have one shirt that has Rams Deli Plus on it and so I split profits with them. I just walked into Rams, and I sent them photos of what I was thinking of doing and so they agreed,” she said.Masterson said she is hoping to create new apparel in collaboration with other local businesses frequented by Fordham students. She said that working together would be a mutually beneficial business deal. “They don’t have to do anything,” she said. “I cover the cost of the website, and it’s free marketing for them,”

Masterson said that she is also open to collaborations with fellow students. On her website, she suggests that anyone with a clothing idea can send her a direct message on Instagram. Masterson said that because she generally is more interested in the business aspect, she is excited to work with people in the future with a talent for art and fashion. “I know nothing about graphic design, so I am always [welcoming] to people that want to get involved,” she said. “But I would definitely put them on a shirt and split profits with them, and it can be a cool little thing for Fordham students.”

Although Masterson graduates this semester, she said that she thinks she will continue to sell apparel online in the future.
“As long as I can cover the cost of what I am doing, then this is absolutely something I would want to continue,” she said
For any inquiries, check out the Chicken Over Rice website at https://chickenoverrice.myshopify.com/ or follow Masterson’s Instagram account under the handle @chicken.over.rice.

By Helen Stevenson