Detroit, MI (January 7, 2015) – MyLocker, the e-commerce resource for custom t-shirts, custom hoodies and other apparel, unveiled today a limited-edition collection created in partnership with iconic graffiti artist Antonio “Shades” Agee that celebrates the street art and spirit of Detroit. “Inspired by Detroit: Shades” is a specially-curated collection highlighting Shades’ unique and iconic street art images, which have been designed for apparel via screen printing and embroidery. A quarter of the sales from this collection will go directly to Art Road, a Michigan-based non-profit whose mission is to give Detroit students increased access to art instruction by bringing art back as a regular part of school curriculum.
Shades, who was born and raised in Detroit, has been a fixture in the world of street art for more than 20 years. He has previously been commissioned for spray-painted and airbrushed custom murals and canvases by companies including: Chrysler, Fiat, Ford, Quicken Loans and Universal Studies. Shades also painted custom murals on the walls of the MyLocker headquarters located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit. His work can be seen throughout the Motor City and is archived in the Detroit Institute of Art.
“Detroit is my muse and my canvas,” said Shades. “Now it’s time to expand that ‘canvas’ into clothing – and help young artists along the way with each sale from the collection.”
The collection includes a graffiti-emblazoned image of the word “Detroit,” Shades’ well-known hand-written signature, his “Lips” and a whimsical character “Blooey.” In addition to the art from Shades, the collection will include images created by Art Road students. A quarter of all sales from the collection will be donated to Art Road, helping the organization as it places art teachers in local public schools whose budgets have been cut. Art education encourages curiosity and problem solving skills, inspiring the next generation of Michigan leaders.
“Our mission is to bring art back into Michigan classrooms and foster creativity, so we are very grateful that MyLocker and Shades are supporting this cause with such a creative, artistic collection,” said Michigan-native Carol Hofgartner, founder and executive director of Art Road. “Proceeds from this collection will help us expand our efforts – and the benefits that come with them – like the clear increase in student attendance on days when our art classes take place.”
To celebrate the launch of this collection, the MyLocker team will host a “Shades Day” at Charles Wright Academy of Arts & Sciences in Detroit on January 7. The collection will be shown to elementary school students who will have the opportunity to create their own art inspired by the collection. The MyLocker team will also speak about creative careers and working in the arts.
The artistic creativity does not end with the collection images. All of the artwork from the collection can be customized to appear on thousands of different apparel items available on MyLocker, including custom t-shirts, custom hoodies, hats, bags and more. Like all products available for customization, MyLocker will use a combination of state-of-the-art full-color printing and automated embroidery technology to create any design in less than a minute, and orders will ship within 48 hours.
“Detroit pride extends beyond those of us who work or live in the 313 area code,” said Robert Hake, founder and chief executive officer of MyLocker. “Although there’s a lot of talk today about the upstart mentality that Detroit embodies, few people understand that success – and struggle – as deeply as Shades. I was blown away when I first saw his work, and now, even if you aren’t close to one of his original canvases or wall murals, you can create original, customizable apparel with these iconic images and showcase your love of art or the city of Detroit.”
A lookbook showcasing this collection can be found here. To shop the Inspired by Detroit: Shades collection and support the mission of Art Road, please visit: http://www.mylocker.net/my/shop/inspired-by-detroit/index.html.
About MyLocker
Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, MyLocker is the premier e-commerce provider of custom apparel and gear. MyLocker offers everything from custom t-shirts, to custom hoodies, to custom laptop sleeves, to custom hats and custom blankets. Shoppers can design their own gear in as quickly as 30 seconds. State-of-the art printing and embroidery technology paired with excellent customer service allow almost all orders to ship within 48 hours. MyLocker operates in a 120,000 square foot office and manufacturing space in the heart of Detroit’s oldest neighborhood, Corktown. Founder and proud Michigan native Robert Hake started making custom t-shirts in high school and channeled his passion and entrepreneurial spirit into a thriving e-commerce business that has experienced upwards of 100% year-over-year growth.
About Art Road
Art Road Nonprofit is the only 501(c) (3) Nonprofit in Michigan actively bringing art class back into schools for the entire school year as part of the regular curriculum. Art Road’s Mission is for children throughout Southeastern Michigan to have access to art instruction. Currently, Art Road is providing art class to 1,500 students that lack art in their curriculum.
