Karen Alava | Staff Writer
Julien Halley, an 18-year-old marketing freshman at Florida International University, has transformed years of schoolyard side hustles into Holy Beliefs, a faith-driven clothing brand.
Guided by his father’s advice, Halley launched the brand last fall with just four custom hoodies printed via DTF transfers on a $200 heat press, setting the foundation for what he hopes will become a national and eventually global clothing label.
Long before Holy Beliefs, Halley was putting his business instincts into practice during middle school and high school. “I was selling candy, pencils-anything I could get my hands on,” he recalls.
He even explored real estate, but none of those ventures felt like his true calling. When his father suggested a clothing brand, Halley immediately focused on merging fashion with faith.
“I go to church every Sunday,” he explains, “and I wanted to put my faith on my shirt.”
Holy Beliefs merch by Julien Halley | Karen Alava
Drawing on free design platforms, Halley sketched his first mock-up at the end of 10th grade. With limited funds, he ordered an initial run of four hoodies, invested in a $200 heat press, and learned direct-to-film printing himself.
Without a big marketing budget, Halley turned to his friends. He enlisted his “homegirls” to model and photograph the collection in a backyard shoot. Although he lost about $400 in his first round, he quickly recovered $800 in sales.
He credits his early wins to understanding “good debt versus bad debt,” meticulous planning and having mentors.
“If I had to tell someone to do what I did, I’d say start with more of a plan or have at least someone to guide you,” he advises. Today, he’s drafting new designs daily and applying FIU marketing lessons to scale his brand’s reach.
Holy Beliefs website’s main page | Karen Alava
Looking ahead, Halley plans a spring capsule drop featuring tees, hats, and fresh hoodie designs, and hopes to launch international shipping with adjusted pricing structures.
Beyond Holy Beliefs, he envisions his own corporation, a marketing firm that teaches younger entrepreneurs how to build businesses from scratch.
About Post Author
