Student designs skate, surf clothing

Communication senior Jay Bonadio’s new T-shirt line gains a reputation

By Sarah Locke | gargoyle@flagler.edu
Photo by Shaun Devine

Whether you know who Communication senior Jay Bonadio is or not, one thing is for sure, you’ve probably seen his artwork.

We’re not talking about colorful canvases hung on walls or even modern sculptures here. Instead, Bonadio’s preferences for art are graphic designs prominently displayed across articles of clothing.

Bonadio is the creator and owner of Jbon Clothing Co. He started the company, along with Enetix, his surf and skate line, eight months ago. Enetix has been plastered around campus and around town ever since it took off. The line has caught on and spread so quickly since its debut, that it’s hard to ignore.

The line is versatile, offering men’s and women’s apparel and running in all sizes and colors. The range of people who wears it is also versatile. Young kids, teens, adults and even celebrities are representing for the line.

People Magazine posted online pictures of Benji Madden, a band member of Good Charlotte, wearing Bonadio’s “city of angels” shirt alongside Paris Hilton in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Understandably, Bonadio was excited when the pictures were posted. He met the band back in August when they played a show at the Amphitheatre.

It was there that he introduced Madden to his Enetix line, and Madden immediately ordered 12 shirts from him.

“It was so cool,” Bonadio said.

“I gave him the shirts on the first of the month, and he was already wearing it on the fourth in Denmark.”

What he enjoys most about making and designing clothes is seeing his art put to good use.

“It’s cool to see your hard work put into action and being worn on the streets,” he said.

“That people like what you’ve created is an awesome feeling.”

Bonadio is a broadcasting major with a minor in advertising. He never planned on starting a clothing line or anything of the sort really. Actually, he says it kind of all just fell into his lap.

Being so close to graduating, Bonadio had been thinking a lot about his future.

“I never wanted to be an office rat,” he said.

“I really don’t want to work for someone, so I figured, why not just work for myself.”

He thought of different businesses or services that he could create, things that there would always be a need for, whether the economy was up or down.

“People are always going to need clothing, and screen printing services are just one way to cater to that need,” he said.

And that’s when Jbon Clothing Co. and Enetix were born. Bonadio says that the name Enetix is a combination of ethics and genetics. He says that everyone holds their own ethics, and that he feels that, at times, they can be genetically passed down. Therefore, these ethics define you.

“Basically, whatever you wear defines you,” he said.

So far the entrepreneurial route that he’s chosen to take has worked well for him.

The Closet, The Pit and the Vilano Surf Hut all sell his clothing. There is also a Facebook group called Enetix Movement that sells his apparel.

Recently, Jbonclothing.comwas created, an entire Web site devoted to his apparel.

He certainly has had a successful start and hopes that it will continue to be that way for years to come.

When asked what his future plans are with the company, he doesn’t hesitate to explain specific goals.

Bonadio says that he doesn’t see himself stopping anytime soon because he comes up with new ideas every day. “Enetix is just my surf and skate line. Now I’ve started working on a hip-hop line, and plan on doing even a dressy, sort of South Beach style line later on,” he said.

When he’s not working on his own creations, he’s at work, helping others at American Crossroads Apparel Company, a screen printing shop on State Road 312.

Bonadio has got a lot going on. He works two jobs and is a full time student, soon to graduate. With all that work going on, does he ever have time to play or just to relax?

“You have to pick and choose your battles, and I got shirts to make,” he said.