Cena Barhaghi and Neima Khaila run an international streetwear line, Pink + Dolphin, out of a Glendale warehouse. The company, which launched as it is today in 2011, has two flagship stores selling its fashions and an additional 350 retail outlets worldwide carry the brand.

Six years ago, Barhaghi was a Bay Area high school student who thought the street clothes his classmates wore looked too bland.

“We were sick of what all the other clothing lines were putting out and we wanted to put out what we thought we liked it,” Barhaghi said. “That’s how it started.”

Barhaghi and a friend pooled $400 from their savings accounts to print 100 T-shirts they had designed and put them up for sale online. They sold out within a couple of weeks. He reinvested the profits and printed a new line of shirts after recouping their costs from sales of the previous line.

He continued like this until childhood friend Khaila, who had just graduated college with a finance degree, approached him about turning it into something bigger.

“Neima would see me wearing the clothes and one day he called me and was, like, ‘What are your plans with the clothing line?’” he said. “We weren’t taking steps to grow the business. He came in and helped.”

With the money Barhaghi had saved from his T-shirt profits and a little more from savings, they moved to Los Angeles in 2011 to launch Pink + Dolphin out of a downtown L.A. warehouse.

Barhaghi was still in college in San Jose and traveling between there and Los Angeles twice a week to attend classes. After several months of that, he dropped out of school to pursue the business full time.

Two weeks later, the company’s big break came at the 2012 Magic apparel trade show in Las Vegas.

“There was so much buzz,” Khaila said. “That was really when we realized this was going to be crazy. After the trade show, the wholesale side expanded.”

Success at the show led to their clothing line being sold in 50 stores nationwide. As the business continued to grow, they began hiring more employees, moved the warehouse from downtown to Glendale and opened a retail shop in L.A.’s Fairfax District. They recently opened a second store in San Francisco.

But it hasn’t been easy. Neither of them had a background in fashion or much experience with manufacturing and marketing. They were forced to learn most things as they went.

“Thankfully, there is the Internet,” Khaila said.

They work nearly around the clock and say it’s difficult to relax, but the pace suits them nonetheless.

“It’s definitely a blessing,” Khaila said. “I don’t take it for granted and I’m glad we control our own fate. It’s really fun.”

– Jacquelyn Ryan

NEIMA KHAILA, 26

CENA BARHAGHI, 23

Pink + Dolphin, streetwear line, Glendale

Employees: 35

Financials: Profitable.