When Abigail Thomas went home to North Carolina for Christmas in 2022, her mom insisted that she meet a neighbor who, she promised, had a great business idea. Thomas got drinks with the neighbor, Katie Collins ’00 H&HD. The two shared their work backgrounds and life goals and agreed to work together on Collins’ idea: designing fashionable Penn State clothing for women. 

“For years, I’ve looked for more flattering and higher-quality Penn State wear,” says Collins, who competed on the Nittany Lion swim team. Classic options like the “ubiquitous polo” work fine for men, she says, but “women need more than a graphic tee for all the worlds in which we function—work, family life, socializing, networking. I’m now 46, and I want more than just sweats to show off my Penn State pride.”

Collins and Thomas launched their brand, Abigail Collins, in fall 2024, leveraging Collins’ experience in business development and operations, and Thomas’ experience in building and marketing e-commerce brands, as well as her fashion degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Abigail Collins offers collegiate clothing options with Penn State branding—a plaid “shacket,” a V-neck varsity sweater, button-downs, collared blouses, and a sporty dress—that fashionably show off school pride. One of Collins’ favorite pieces is the white button-down, which she styles with jeans for game day or pairs with a blazer for business meetings. “Every piece has been created with intention, with special design details,” she says. “We make small runs with our U.S.-based manufacturing partners and do our best to incorporate sustainable practices and materials.”

Collins began her career in the biotech field and lives in Charlotte, N.C. She and Thomas are thinking about moving their business model forward by reimagining logo wear for female executives and staff across all business segments. —Parizaad Khan Sethi