Small business owner gets big job making bedazzled t-shirts for RNC

TAMPA - A local woman with a small t-shirt business has a big role at the RNC, and she’s adding a whole lot of sparkle to the RNC convention.

Angela Gard started Couture That Rox five years ago, making Gasparilla shirts.

Eventually,  she started making kids clothes and even trunks for WWE wrestlers. Her designs are a unique glitter and rhinestone embellishment style.

“This is one of my favorite elements to use the combination of the glitter and rhinestones, because it has a lot more pop appeal than the typical rhinestone designs alone,” she said.

Last year,  she approached the RNC about selling her shirts. She eventually ended up with a much larger role.

“In addition to purchasing my merchandise for the convention, they offered me a position of merchandising manager for the convention retail stores,”

So not only is she selling her own designs, Angela is in charge of the two stores inside the forum, and all the kiosks selling merchandise at the hotels.

“It’s been a huge undertaking, we're looking at 40,000+ shirts, hats, mugs, tote bags. It’s a lot of merchandise. ”