Handcrafted to perfection

Today, your average elementary-school teacher wouldn’t be caught dead wearing the latest… Today, your average elementary-school teacher wouldn’t be caught dead wearing the latest trends and fashions. While many school teachers have a knack for style, not many are able to transform an ordinary T-shirt into a work of art.

Meet LeRoy Hall, a young, urban designer whose clothing designs scream originality. Always standing out from the crowd, Hall’s brightly colored, hand-painted shirts are for both the young and old.

Now a teacher, although formerly zealous about hip-hop and rap music, Hall has managed to concentrate on his clothing line while still recording music.

Hall’s talent debuted in 2002 when he gave a rap performance in Station Square. Not only did the audience enjoy his performance, but they were enamored by his T-shirt that displayed his artistic name, 2Face.

Initially only wanting people to remember 2Face, his performance was two-fold; his audience not only enjoyed the show, but they received a shirt as well.

From then on, Hall’s request for shirts has unimaginably escalated. Receiving six to 10 orders a week, he knows his success can only go straight to the top.

A proud Christian, Hall named his clothing line Nema — “amen” spelled backwards. But the name Nema is not only attributed to his spiritual side; it was also the artistic name of his late mother, who owned various art stores in Florida.

So what is it about Nema shirts that makes everyone want one?

Nema is not your typical, boring painted T-shirt; Nema has characteristics that demonstrate true unique talent.

Nema is what Hall refers to as the umbrella of his clothing line. Under Nema are several collections that exhibit the individual style of its wearer.

Nema’s Points collection is an assortment of painted dots that create images and shapes in the fabric. Similar to pointillism, the Points collection is sure to grab every artist’s attention.

Want to showcase your heritage? Try Nema’s Gates collection, which showcases culture and identity. Within this collection, Hall displays images that are exclusive to clients’ nationalities and backgrounds. Country flags and area zip codes are the most popular illustrations included in his Gates collection.

Although painting shirts is Hall’s primary passion, his abilities don’t end there. He also paints shoes, sweatshirts, jackets and accessories — virtually anything his customers want.

Filled with an assortment of bright oranges, blues and reds, Nema shirts are not your average apparel.

“I look at other designers and learn from their mistakes. I also look at designers and try to get ways to improve my original designs so that at the end of the day, my product will speak for itself. My product will separate itself from everyone else,” Hall said.

With a drive to move forward, Hall’s plans for Nema are enormous.

“Nema has the potential to be huge. If it’s what God wants me to do, and I stay on the right track, eventually everything will fall into place, and I’ll be successful.”

With plans underway, Hall’s Web site will debut in the upcoming month. There, Nema customers will be able to learn more about what the collection can offer its Pittsburgh clients.

For more information, e-mail Hall at Nemacollection@hotmail.com or contact him directly at (412) 657-7994.