Art From the Street From Your Head to Your Feet

By Monica Sabella

Originally published for Michigan Journal

You pass the colorful displays spread across walls of abandoned buildings in Detroit. Street art is the living breathing spirit of the city, but have you ever wanted to carry that artwork with you? Or perhaps thought how cool it would look on a t-shirt or a poster? Well, Artwear Detroit has the solution to that problem.

Only a few years old, Artwear Detroit incorporates the art from Detroit artists coming from various backgrounds and specialties, creating prints for Michigander art lovers to enjoy. According to their official website, their goal is to “celebrate regional artists, promote their work, support a living wage, and highlight their valuable contribution to Detroit’s cultural legacy.”

Artwear collaborates with a host of artists to create one-of-a-kind designs. Each and every item is not complete without a tag which provides the customer with a brief bio of the artist, their other works and their passion for Detroit’s art scene. Artists include photographers, graphic designers, well known and esteemed production managers, painters, muralists, sculptors as well as a host of others. They open their doors to art students to publish some of their work and share their love of art.

This shop could be a one-stop gift shop for the fashion forward, with designs laid out in every possible form of wearable medium you could imagine. The company offers prints in apparel, purses, hats, jewelry, cufflinks and watches, scarves and lighters, as well as posters among others. The website also offers a contact page, so custom designs are a possibility.

Artwear Detroit takes the blue ocean strategy to a new level with their innovative and progressive strategy, certainly capturing the rising millennial influx and growing art community in Detroit effectively. With a presence in over 25 locations, Artwear is well on its way to becoming a go-to for art lovers all over southeast Michigan.