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11/16
Corsicana native's clothing line a big success
Corsicana native and Dallas-based clothing designer Ricky Talkington wears his heart on a sleeve -- literally -- when he discusses his passion. Talkington, sporting a blue and gold Sista Hoops hooded sweatshirt, converses with high optimism about the potential of his third and what he believes is his most promising clothing line venture: Sista Hoops, a women's sportswear line that ranges from hats and sweatshirts to beanie caps and T-shirts, shorts, backpacks and sports bags, all with intricate designs. "Having a clothing line is like anything you do on your own," said Talkington, who will introduce his apparel in February at the Magic Apparel Show in Las Vegas. "You got to have a heart and a will for it. I have a lot of people coming up to me saying they want to start a line, but they do not do much. With me, this is all I do. This is my job. I do not have a 9-to-5. I have this. "This is my dream. It is my job so I push it hard. You got to have a good product. You have to get it in front of as many people as you can. Anytime I have an opportunity to get in front of anybody, I do it. I design every day, every night. I am always thinking how I can make something a part of my line. "It is hard. I believe if you want to do anything you got to set goals in your life and you have to be a big dreamer. That's what I am ... a big dreamer. I think everyday given to me is a gift, every day is another opportunity for one of those dreams to come true. I've been blessed to make what I love and do my job." Talkington describes Sista Hoops as the AND 1 of women's basketball gear. The clothing line offers women something they can identify with. "The girls have just needed something out there," Talkington said. "The reason I started the line is that I felt sports, music and fashion were kind of all teaming up and becoming one more than ever. Each one influences the other one. I knew I wanted to create a sports line, and I wanted it to be hip-hop ... a cool sports line." Talkington said he did his homework by researching other athletic clothing lines and decided he wanted to created women's basketball apparel. "I felt a void for women," he said. "I was like, 'You know what? That's what I am going to do. I am going to do a women's line.' I told myself I am going to create the AND 1 for women's basketball apparel. ... "To me, women are great athletes and they want something they can all their own, something that represents them. If they have to buy a shirt, they have to buy a shirt that is Nike or AND 1 with a guy on it. If does have a girl on it, it usually has flowers or something too feminine. These girls ... you get them on the court and they are athletes and ladies when they step off the court. But on the court they are out to win." Roger Longoria and Gilbert Gonzalez are "two guys that really help me put it together," said Talkington, who wants Sista Hoops to appeal to all types of women -- and crossover to guys -- not just female basketball players despite the name of the line, which came from the music group Sister Sledge. Talkington said he came up with every word that he could think of when he was thinking of a name for a new apparel that would represent women. Talkington wrote down Sister Hoops from Sister Sledge, and liked the idea. A friend suggested he put some attitude in it, like Sista Hoops. Once Talkington said it, it stuck, and the rest is history. "I know that was a hit right there," said Talkington, a 1983 Corsicana High School graduate and a member of the 1982 state finalist football team. "Now it was up to me to develop it and make it an apparel line." Talkington has done that, and women from the Dallas-Fort Worth area to Inglewood, Calif., would agree that Sista Hoops is a hit. Jane Landwair, owner of A Big Fan girl's basketball store in Inglewood, Calif., said she and her customers have loved Sista Hoops. "Ricky has been great to work with," Landwair said. "I contacted him because of one of his shirts. I told him of my particular needs for my store. He was willing to make the sizes I needed for my customers. I am absolutely thrilled with his clothing. He is very creative and wonderful to work with." "His clothes are great, but beyond that he cared enough to know what I need for customers, particularly in larger sizes. The bigger women love his stuff. He made some shirts for me, and I told him to put his logo on the back of the shirt. Everything he's done has been perfect. I couldn't ask for anything more." Talkington also met former Duncanville High School and University of Tennessee standout Tamika Catchings, now a WNBA All-Star for the Indiana Fever and joined her Texas Tour this past summer and plans on teaming up with Catchings at the Catch the Fever Youth Holiday Basketball Camp Dec. 29-31 in Indianapolis, Indiana. "I have been extremely impressed with Sista Hoops, and the gear that Ricky T. has brought to me," Catchings said via e-mail. "He's a top-of-the-line businessman, who has some great ideas that I loved! I wish him nothing but success, and I've already let him know that he can sell his gear anywhere!" Talkington's respect for Catchings is mutual. "She is a great person," Talkington said. "She works well with the kids. You can see it in her eyes she loves her sport and loves helping young girls learn the sport. I've worked with a lot of athletes and it is good seeing an athlete that wants to work with kids. ... I've had a chance to meet her family and they are all great ... all nice." Talkington calls Sista Hoops his third hit. The University of North Texas graduate started a clothing line called Masterpeace with former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro wide receiver Michael Irvin and created a Christian clothing line called 24/7 Christ, which continues to go strong today. Former Cowboy Alfredo Roberts, now a coach for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, said he is not surprised in Talkington's success. "I thought Ricky had a lot of talent," said Roberts, a former business associate. "He has an eye ... a gift for that kind of stuff." Talkington, who has his bachelor's degree in fine arts, said he has always been an artist. "I started in college designing shirts for fraternities and sororities, Homecoming, football games," Talkington said. "It was cool because everywhere I went, especially if it was a big Greek event, I could see that was my shirt. That kind of got me started into fashion. ... "I started the Masterpeace line with Michael Irvin. Once I got into the stores like Dillard's, J.C. Penney and Gadzook's it made me want to create more." The main thing Talkington said he has loved about the Sista Hoops line is that it has brought him back to high school sports and a chance to get involved with different high schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. "I get a chance to see the kids at a young age that have nothing but love for the game," Talkington said. "They might not have all the talent in the world, but they play the game because of the love, not for money or anything else. I think I get the biggest joy out of that. ... "The coaches I have worked with in the Dallas-Fort Worth are have been great. They have been real supportive." Keller girls basketball head coach Sharon Driver and Heart of Texas Hoops Center's Michael Clouse greatly appreciates Talkington and Sista Hoops, which helped sponsor shootouts at Keller High School and the Heart of Texas Hoops Center in Midlothian last month. "Ricky has helped promote things we are interested in," Driver said. "He has been very supportive and gets along great with the kiddos. I am hoping to work with him more in the future. We just love his Sista Hoops gear." Clouse agreed. "Ricky is a very nice guy," said Clouse, who runs the basketball training facility along with Joey Simmons. "We carry his line. Tamika did a couple of things here, and Ricky's stuff sold well. All of the girls were flipping over it. We were impressed enough to get a whole corner for Ricky T. "He also did a private label for Heart of Texas Hoops. The girls do love it. A big thing is that it is affordable. In the world of $100 Air Jordans, Ricky makes quality stuff that is affordable." Affordable and great looking. Not a bad combination at all. ---------- Chris Smith may be contacted via e-mail at csmith@corsicanadailysun.com |
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