Annie Hoyt ’25: Bringing Her Dreams of Entrepreneurship to Fruition

Annie Hoyt knew she wanted to be a fashion designer since she was little. She started her first business in high school, making and selling clothes for little girls. After graduating high school, Hoyt decided to try her hand at starting her own company, DENI, rather than go straight to college.

DENI is a womenswear brand that incorporates adjustable sizing designs. Their foundational product is a wrap skirt made of comfortable materials and designed to move with the wearer. Hoyt’s goal is for her customers to not have to worry about whether the clothing they bought last season still fits and flatters.

“I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to have clothes that just kind of stayed with us through changes and life stages?” Hoyt says.

Hoyt got her products into a few stores around Raleigh prior to her time at NC State. In the process, though, Hoyt realized she didn’t have the necessary expertise to run a business.

“I was doing everything from building my website to trying to market, making all the products and shipping them out, talking to customers. It was definitely extremely ambitious and I just kind of went for it, as opposed to really thinking it through. And then once I was in it, I realized that there was a lot of stuff I didn’t know,” Hoyt says.

As she was already working and living in Raleigh, the Wilson College of Textiles was the natural choice for Hoyt. As a student studying fashion and textile management with a concentration in fashion development and product management (FDPM), Hoyt took a mix of textile and business classes.

She has continued to progress DENI through class projects and faculty mentorship. Hoyt also took advantage of the many entrepreneurial opportunities at the Wilson College. Read more about her experiences as a student business-owner below.

What was your favorite class?

Senior Studio class, FTD 479. It’s an elective course for FDPM students. We just had that studio space and free rein to work on our collections in preparation for the Threads: Senior Collection Showcase in the fall. 

I got there every morning around 7:30, even though class started at 10:30, just to be alone in the studio for three hours. The teacher, Emily Law, is super flexible and wants you to work the best way you work. 

It was a learning experience to figure out what was the best way that I work. So it was very free in the sense that I could really make whatever I wanted to and do it however I wanted. It was definitely a big confidence boost. Going into it, I wasn’t very confident, even as a senior and a business owner. After that fashion show, I can say that it definitely helped me feel good about my work.

What was your experience like during the Flex Factory Summer Innovation Program (SIP)?

I participated in the summer of 2024, which was the first year of the program. Basically, students applied to work in the college’s labs and studios to develop and prototype a business idea. It was me and Julia Handley, who was in fashion and textile design. She did amazing work as well. 

I think the one-on-one mentorship was the most valuable, learning from other entrepreneurs’ experiences. Also, the willingness of the staff at Wilson to be a resource to me.
Whatever vision I wanted to bring to life, they wanted to know how they could help me do that. 

The entrepreneurial nature of the program prepared me to compete in the Pitch to the Pack event. There were round tables, a judges’ panel and 12 contestants all competing for monetary awards to support their businesses. That was my first time pitching in a very formal event. I learned those foundational skills, like how to create a good pitch and what my business model looked like. It was very helpful because they are skills that aren’t easy to teach in a class. I ended up earning a nomination to the NC State Andrews Launch Accelerator for my pitch about DENI.

What’s next for you after graduation?

I am focusing on DENI. That’s my number one priority. I’m communicating with a manufacturer based out of Austin, Texas, right now. The next step is going into manufacturing this winter and then hoping to have some pieces ready to sell by summer 2026. That way, I don’t have to sew everything anymore, and that’ll cut down a lot on the production time. 

I am currently in the process of hiring an intern, so I can get some help and so other students can gain experience with social media marketing. Those are really the next two big steps: marketing and production. 

What advice would you give your first-year self? 

My advice to myself would be to slow down. When I started school, I was very stubborn and I wanted to graduate in three-and-a-half years. I just wanted to learn what I could and get out. 

Most of my life, I’ve wanted everything to happen as soon as possible. Now. It must be now. I think that’s part of the reason why I started my company in 2020 and was ready to do everything myself from the start. I just want to make it happen, which I think is a good thing. However, it’s also important to slow down and enjoy everything else that’s going on.