Oaklandish store delivery

It’s been two weeks since Oaklandish – the hometown favorite t-shirt brand/community cheerleader – opened their brick-and-mortar shop in downtown Oakland. It’s on Broadway across from the Rotunda Building, just where Telegraph branches off.

The space reminds me of the design ethic at Drift Denim (a former Old Oakland shop) with reused wood boards patterning walls. It is a perfect place to be able to touch and feel the shirts we’ve been buying for years online and at farmers markets. I love looking at all the inspired designs, and discovering Oakland artists I would otherwise have never known about. Local pride T-shirts are definitely a cool souvenir.

I’m honored to have been asked to join in. It’s not my books, or even the shirts Daniel designed for There There, Oaklandish’s national offshoot brand, but … my necklaces!

On my travels I pick up old necklaces, charms, and interesting beads and make them into fabulously-remixed jewelry. This isn’t something new for me – I started when my parents wouldn’t pay for a trip to the amusement park as a kid so I attacked my Grandma’s unwanted costume jewelry and sold my creations door to door. I even gave myself the name Ear to Ear and used my allowance for business cards. Needless to say I had an amazing day at the amusement park.

I haven’t stopped my habit. Oaklandish is the only store currently carrying my Ear to Ear line locally, so when you’re downtown check it out!  You never know who will be there… Mayor Quan came out for the opening party on July 1st, and I hear there have been more than a few artists and musicians to stop by, even give an impromptu performance.

Here are a few of the necklaces I delivered to Oaklandish. (I have an older website for my jewelry, but most of the necklaces are sold out so I’ll have to update it soon!)