Ohio University alum Ryan Vesler ’05 gave the Bexley High School graduation address, reported the Bexley News.
Vesler is the founder of vintage-style apparel company Homage. He earned a B.A. in Spanish from the College of Arts & Sciences at Ohio University.
Vesler, a 2001 graduate of the Columbus Academy, started his T-shirt and apparel company as a way of communicating with people, and as a means of telling a story.
From Bruce Lee to Larry Bird, Homage’s clothing aims to focus on both the triumphs and tribulations of society, old and new.
Vesler, who normally shies away from public speaking, will bring some of that story-telling to students at the graduation ceremony, set for 4 p.m. in Carlton Smith Stadium.
Each year, the leaders of Bexley High School’s senior class nominate and choose their own commencement speaker. Vesler is one of the youngest to address the tassel-turning crowd.
Vesler, who also is a graduate of Ohio University, started Homage in 2007 in his parents’ basement. He built the apparel startup driven by online commerce, but also has two retail locations in the Columbus area — with another slated to open in Cincinnati soon.
“Philosophically, clothing is a reflection of our attitudes and our beliefs,” he said. “Homage is something I take great pride in. It’s a conversation; it’s not just a transaction.”
Vesler studied Spanish in college and chuckles about where his interests have landed him today. At 31, he’s doing exactly what he wants to do, but admits he still has a lot to learn, he said.
“Homage is a personal labor of love. I don’t design the clothing, but I’m the storyteller,” he said.
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