Sophomore kinesiology major Antonio Holloway said he was inspired to incorporate more colors in his wardrobe after attending Iconic Impressions’ Fashion Fundamentals, which taught students how to dress professionally.

Jacob Clayton, CEO and founder of Iconic Impressions and president of Black Male Initiative, and his business partner Christopher Williams used motivational speaking to give advice on style at the Fashion Fundamentals event Thursday at Stevenson Hall, Smart Classroom.

“It may sound cliché, but I honestly do have a passion for fashion,” Clayton said. “… I combined my passion for fashion [with] my gift of public speaking and started my own business as a motivational speaker.”

Iconic Impressions offers one-on-one image consulting, event styling and photography, Clayton said.

Holloway said he bought his first suit after joining Black Male Initiative and now wears a suit twice a week.

Clayton and Williams seek to motivate and inform junior high to university level peers on the power of image, first impressions and how to dress professionally, Clayton said. They have spoken at five schools since October.

“The experiences have been amazing,” Clayton said. “I never thought that I would be traveling the country in any way, shape or form, and the fact that I’ve been so many places in such a short period of time, it’s been a blessing.”

Iconic Impressions started a GoFundMe to raise $1,000 to give ties to young men in Chicago and teach them how to tie them. They have raised $635 as of April 10.

Clayton said he cannot create jobs to fix the high unemployment rates among black youths in Chicago, but the least he can do is make sure they are prepared for the workforce by dressing professionally.