Abigail Collins: Redefining Collegiate Fashion For Women

Abigail Collins: Redefining Collegiate Fashion For Women

Penn State graduate Katie Collins and her business partner, Abigail Thomas, set out to create collegiate clothing that is more chic, stylish, and tailored to better fit women.

Collins graduated in 2000 from the College of Health and Human Development with a degree in Health Policy and Administration. She then began her career in medical research, gaining experience in biotechnology from a business perspective. Despite advancements in her career, one thing always stuck with her: there was never any Penn State gear that fit her style.

“I have had a desire to elevate Penn State collegiate wear for a long time, because there just wasn’t anything out there that I wanted to wear,” Collins said. “I’d end up wearing the same t-shirt.”

Collins’ frustration sparked an idea to create clothing that was true to Penn State while also being flattering for women.

Collins’ business partner, Thomas, studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she shifted focus from fibers to fashion. After graduating, she moved to New York City, working in design, production, and Fashion Week, learning the ins and outs of running a fashion brand.

After Thomas’s mom introduced the two, everything seemed to fall into place.

“We decided to talk through, you know, where she was, what she was doing, and she had a fashion degree, and she totally understood the need and the idea,” Collins said.

The pair launched their apparel brand Abigail Collins in September 2024 and haven’t looked back since. 

Collins bleeds blue, bringing the Penn State spirit to the brand. On the other side, Thomas contributes her creative expertise and design perspective.

“It’s a perfect synergy between us,” Collins said. “She has a completely different perspective than I do, and then bringing it together, it’s like the perfect world”.  

The brand’s identity is tied to Collins’s memories of being a student at Penn State, the camaraderie, gamedays, and strong sense of community.

“When I’m back at State College, I glow,” she said. “I love being back there. I love the whole memory of it all, not just specific pieces.”

Collins continues to connect with the Penn State community through Penn State’s women’s athletics initiative, Teammates for Life. As the program’s swimming ambassador, she has strengthened the Penn State swimming community, reconnecting alumni across decades through mentoring and shared experiences. 

The same spirit of connection carries into her work with Abigail Collins, extending beyond Penn State Athletics. The brand’s impact has been noticed by Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi.

“She’s been very supportive of the brand, and she also would like to have, as we were told by licensing, that she’d like to have something more than a hoodie to wear at a press conference,” Collins said.

In just a year, Collins and Thomas have reached many women within the Penn State community, from current students to alumni, widening the community and making people feel seen. 

Thomas and Collins approach each collection with intention, starting with how they want women to feel while wearing the clothes.

“Bringing in confidence and elevated everyday essentials, but also gameday and trying to shift that mindset of gameday, open up the possibilities for that,” Thomas said.

Each design starts with a need and evolves through sketches, fabric selection, fittings, and countless samples before going into production. Their process blends their creative vision with market research, ensuring that each piece aligns with the brand’s message.

Recently, they’ve been creating a capsule collection, an interchangeable wardrobe of Penn State-inspired pieces that can be styled together for a preppy, elevated look. This collection reflects their mission to expand what gameday style can be, offering different outfits that feel stylish and meaningful, or as the pair likes to say, like being “hugged by Penn State”. 

Social media has been a key component in promoting the brand. In addition to their Instagram account, Abigail Collins has a team of brand ambassadors consisting of students, athletes, and coaches.

“We’re reaching out to, you know, these young, ambitious women who kind of give the brand more life and showcase who the Abigail Collins customer is, and who the Abigail Collins woman is,” Thomas said.

In their next steps, the co-founders plan to expand to other colleges beyond Penn State.

You can shop Abigail Collins online or visit their collection at Harpers Varsity Club in downtown State College. The two will also host a Pop-Out event at Harpers on Friday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., to commemorate the launch of the company’s new AC Fall Arrivals.

Emily is a sophomore from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Digital Media Trends and Analytics. Outside of Onward State, Emily enjoys spending time with friends, listening to Noah Kahan, and creating “day-in-the-life” TikToks. You can usually find her in the basement of Irvings, but if not, feel free to contact Emily on her instagram @emily.bonavita or email her at [email protected].



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