When Justin Tarman tries to get a job in the fashion industry, he'll have an advantage over many of his competitors.

The Ball State University senior and fashion merchandising major has already helped develop, produce and market a product.

Tarman is just one student in Paula Sampson's fashion manufacturing and wholesaling class who helped develop Eco Fashion's Inc., which produces an eco-friendly Roll-a-Tote in green, black, plaid and animal print.

 "For me, this is a really beneficial class," said Tarman who is the finance officer for the company but, like every member of the class, has worn multiple hats throughout the project.

The 17 members of the class are all involved in securing investors, and marketing, selling and producing the product. Since they started selling the totes last week, they've already surpassed their goal of selling 170 and have had to scale back marketing so they can keep up with production, said class member Davin Testerman.

The Roll-a-Totes are a convenient way to minimize the use of plastic bags that aren't bio-degradable, said Sunny Ordas, who designed the product. The students hope people will carry the totes to grocery stores and the shopping mall -- anywhere plastic bags are given out. .

"This can be rolled up and put in your purse, and it's always there so you don't forget," Ordas said.

And at $12 for prints and $9 for solids, the totes that role and snap together are an affordable way to be environmentally friendly.

In addition to minimizing waste, the proceeds from the product -- other than the 25 percent that goes to investors -- will go to the World Wildlife Fund, an organization that aims to conserve nature. But most of all, the project has given students practical experience.

"It's astonishing how much you learn in this class," Ordas said.

For more information about Roll-a-Totes, e-mail Nikki Trickler at nrtrickler@bsu.edu. .

Contact news reporter Kelly Day at 213-5827.