History / Inspiration
Consider the long history of Oakland. A city on the edge of the known universe, last stop before the ocean. Think about what those early Oaklanders must have felt like. Every one of them from somewhere else, here to work in some way to build a whole new city. On a particularly spectacular piece of land quite conveniently located inside one of the world's greatest seaports.
They had to have been brave to leave their hometowns for this new boomtown. They must have felt proud to be a part of this incredible experiment being created in the still new state of California. They must have felt lucky to have made it here, and they must have gotten stuck. Stuck maybe on the natural beauty, the opportunities to make a living, the friendly weather, or the exciting diversity. Surely they knew that the chance to live in a brand new city in the oak land meant they had to strive to make it worthy of this fortunate positioning. Maybe it didn't happen like that. Maybe those people didn't feel like that, but we do.
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About the designer
This product is designed by Oaklandish. Everyone we work with is involved in creating artwork, choosing colors, or selecting fabrics. It's a detailed process that doesn't end until the shirts are folded and ready to represent Oakland.