Why Forty Four?

As we start getting the word out about LOI, many have been curious about the pricing of our tees. There are three main factors that go into how we assign value to our products:

Authenticity

Every image that shows up on an LOI tee is hand drawn by an artist, and is carefully prepared and printed. We take pride in the fact that each tee is a piece of art.

Sustainability

We make sure that our tees are sweatshop free and that our vendors are complying with fair labor standards. We invest in our local community by printing our tees right here in Portland, a practice that we love and will continue as we expand our line. 

Environmental Stewardship

Currently, all of our tees are printed on 100% organic cotton. We respect the environment and do our best to use environmentally friendly methods and materials every step of the way.

These are principles we firmly believe in and which give our products their value and integrity. Equity, environmental responsibility, building community, and providing you with product that is thoughtful and unique is what makes our tees more expensive than the average t-shirt. So when you wear an LOI tee you can rock it without feeling guilty. 

Original Don Dada Carp Fishin'

Last week I got a chance to kick it with Olivier, my friend/coworker/LOI model, on the east bank of the Willamette in Portland. He was posted up under the Burnside bridge, and had already caught four fish by the time I arrived. Olivier grew up hookin bottom feeders along the Sienne river in Paris. About a year ago he moved with his family from France to Oregon, and his unique style has already won him lots of attention among Portland's fishing community.

If you dun know about Paris style carp fishing, lemee tell ya a bit. First of all it's for sport...not for eating.  You use hooks without barbs so that the fish can be put back without being harmed.  This method increases the challenge cause the fish often times are able to unhook themselves.  You weigh and measure the fish, and most importantly, take pictures to document the catch.  In some ways it reminds me of graffiti, you only have a flick to prove what you did.  Olivier is an artist in his own right, it is amazing to watch him fish...he is super in tune with what goes on deep down in the murky waters. On the day these pictures were taken he hooked a 6 ft sturgeon and battled it for a couple of hours before the fish got loose.   But never fear...he'll get that bad bwoy.  For live action you can catch Olivier most mornings on the east bank esplanade....make sure your tell him ca va! from Blakely

You Know My Steez...

One of our all time favorite past times is people watching. Whether we're in NYC, Portland, or San Fran,  we love to see everyday people express their own personal style. With help from blogs like "The Sartorialist", we keep up with what's happening on streets around the world. Here we share a few photos from our archive that have been inspirational and important in defining LOI style...

Conceived in Brooklyn....born in Portland

One wintry afternoon while riding the Q train to Manhattan, we were inspired with a vision. As we sat waiting for our stop, an awareness of the cultural diversity surrounding us came into focus. We recognized the fact that we live in a land of immigrants, and that ours is a culture of cultures. At that very moment we were compelled to celebrate the heritage of our neighbors and friends, and to explore their individual stories through our own work. 

It's been two years since that train ride, and we are more than excited to finally see our vision begin to take form. A million thanks to all of our friends and family, who helped us get started with their encouragement and support. In particular we'd like to thank Tyler for making LOI legit, Matt for being a super talented photographer, and the Andy's, Daniel and Wess for working their website wizardry. Stay tuned for more immigrant style...

Respect, 

Blakely & Viviana

-LOI cofounders