Founder of THECUBE London, Araceli, asked Philip to share what it is like to be an entrepreneur in Detroit, here is his story -
DETROIT LIVES!
“No doubt Detroit is an interesting place. I think, if anything, that’s something the world can agree on when it comes to forming opinions about the city. “Interesting” can embody the Generation X and older ideal that Detroit is quite possibly a shithole doomed for failure while simultaneously enforcing the Millenial and younger belief that Detroit might just be a fascinating and engaging place to live, work and play. Yeah. Fascinating.
Seriously.
At 27, I’m a Millenial. I belong to the generation of kids in the United States of America that were the first to have the “Baby on Board” stickers plastered to our parent’s Ford Taurus bumper. Then, when we did well in school, they upgraded their bumpers to read “My child is an honor student at… such and such school.” Probably one of the most nurtured and sheltered generations in this country, we were told we could do anything we put our minds to. And hell, in America, we are made to believe anyone can be a millionaire, so we’ve had it cut out for us.
At least partially due to this generational nurture, I can reasonably conclude I started DETROIT LIVES!– a media company that tells the positive story tucked within the innards of Detroit. We make cool design-centric stuff– prints, clothing, films, public art– that conveys, in a lot of different ways, the gripping tale of a city where the industrious types can pretty well find the space, cohorts and means to create community, art and enterprise. DL! is a social entrepreneurship, it’s lifting up the underdog, it’s fighting the good fight. And you know what? It’s really fun and exciting.
As Americans, Detroit presents a thrilling set of opportunities. First, the city has it’s share of problems and therefore needs a lot– local businesses, farmers, artists, visionaries and everything in between. Two, it’s a city devoid of any true industrial or economic identification, and therefore anything flies so long as you can keep it sustainable. Three, because of the first two points, there’s a core of us that are taking it upon ourselves to re-define the city– that is, shift the perception, create new industry, attract and retain people and mostly just make shit happen. Four, and most importantly, nowhere else in the country can you really innovate at this level. In most cities, the plan, the means and the routes with which you can proceed have all been defined. You simply sign on the line and hop on for the ride. Not in Detroit. You build something in this city or you sink.
DETROIT LIVES! tries to push that story of re-invention, hope and the inherent excitement with a brand that encompasses all those ideals. Prints and apparel are tangible billboards spreading the message. Films go viral on the web and change people’s mindsets. Murals have messages that commuters drive by every day and think twice about. Slowly, these various forms of media have a larger multiplier effect that’s geared towards shifting the perception of a city. It’s a weird manifestation of social branding, but so far it seems to be effective. Give people something to be hopeful about and slowly their minds change. And that’s why I do what I do. I want people to believe in this city, take part in the fun, and then be a beacon of success themselves.
Quite honestly, the company started with a drawing in a notebook and about $500. It was December 2008 and I was rambling through the Australian bush on vacation after getting laid off and redeeming some airline miles. On a trip to the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney with an old friend, I was sitting passenger side drawing in my notebook and thinking about my move to Detroit when I returned to the States in a few weeks. I was getting so sick of hearing people moan and groan when I would tell them I was moving back to Michigan after working a couple jobs throughout the country. As a result, the phrase “DETROIT LIVES!” was written in varying forms all over the notebook that day, a statement of defense for a city I dearly loved. I was convinced that other people had to see the side that I found so endearing. It seemed criminal for everyone to get the wrong story.
Those notebook drawings morphed in to some conversations with folks once I moved home that led to some larger and more extensive designs. I eventually printed those on some shirts, as I had a modest printing press that I already owned. I did a small batch and sold them mostly at festivals and art shows locally. One thing led to the other– a mural was painted proclaiming DETROIT LIVES!, a documentary short film was made, the blog started grabbing readers and eventually stores picked up the apparel and some revenues started coming in. Now, these days, a handful of stores carry the apparel, I am taking on larger-scale projects that aim to tackle bigger issues in the city and I am forging strong relationships with many area businesses, artists and organizations.
Sure, things are growing.
Detroit is undoubtedly gaining momentum as one of America’s most exciting cities and creating in that environment is thrilling. Meanwhile, countries all over the world are pushing forward in an increasingly globalized economy where nations are taking on entirely new production capacities and specializations to stay afloat. As a result, it is my belief that Detroit’s re-invention will eventually be the model for many other cities that will soon have to re-tool their economies in an effort to re-define the nature of how they fit in the competitive global marketplace. Detroit, having been the first to fall on the chopping block, has this strange grandiose opportunity to lay the path for these places.
So yes, there’s much work to be done, but look out, Detroit has got some tricks up it’s sleeves. Don’t think for three seconds that the city that once stood as a beacon for American progress and ingenuity isn’t ready to do it all again.”
- Philip Lauri
Founder of Detroit Lives!
ABOUT THECUBE
Collaboration is never through isolation and we feel it important to expose our members to vast variety of information both from local and international sources. Detroit is a fascinating city and it will give way to interesting and innovative solutions. The people of Detroit are going back to the roots of economy and commerce – we are bound to learn something.
Bravo to you, Philip, for your determination, devotion and passion!
I grew up in Detroit, attended it’s schools, my father patrolled it’s streets, my grandparents shared their love of Belle Isle and the markets… and I fervently hope to see this city reclaim it’s glory.
The people that have a positive and faithful outlook like yourself
are just what Detroit needs.
A heartwarming Thank You for your efforts.
As someone originally from the Detroit area, as well as someone who has worked in several cities across the country as well as in London, I can not even begin to express my excitement for what’s currently taking place in Detroit right now…About to apply to graduate schools, I had all of the major cities on the list…almost as an afterthought I applied to CCS just in case…however the more research I do into the life of Detroit right now, the more convinced I become of the immense opportunity for designers there.