Made In Detroit

Apparently I'm on a Detroit T-Shirt kick, or maybe I always am, but a quick review of the old school Made in Detroit brand was in order. I remember the Made in Detroit brand from when I was younger and I believe they used to carry it at the store Changes in Birmingham. Then, over the last ten years or so, the entire brand seemed to be completely gone. If it was around, I don't remember it.

Recently though, the brand has made a come back. About two years or so ago, the brand began showing up again. I know I have multiple Made in Detroit shirts that were bought within the last couple years. The interesting part about this story is that apparently the brand had been on the brink of bankruptcy and then Kid Rock bought the brand because he couldn't bear to see it go away. I don't know the whole story, but bottom line is that Kid Rock owns the brand now and it is much more visible these days.

The Made in Detroit brand is a perfect Detroit brand. Nothing says Detroit or at least the perception of blue collar Detroit like the Made in Detroit logo, which features a guy dressed in work clothes and carrying a wrench. The Made in Detroit brand carries t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, 5950 hats, and baseball hats. Many of the products have the logo on them or some variation of the logo, some of them say Detroit on them in the pattern of a gear shifter, and some of them have a "Detroit Muscle" logo on them.

Personally, I find my self as a traditionalist and prefer the traditional Made in Detroit logo. I also like the black shirt with just the words Made in Detroit across the chest and a print of the "blue collar Detroiter holding the wrench" standing near the bottom the the shirt. Also check out the 5950 hats with the Made in Detroit Logo on them, it's nice to be able to purchase fitted hat made with a little more quality than the usual baseball caps that companies which are not affiliated with a sports team usually only have.

I don't know where the Made in Detroit company went for that decade, but I'm glad that it has made a comeback recently. Say what you want about Kid Rock, but the guy promotes Detroit at any chance he gets, and I can respect that.

You can buy Made in Detroit gear at stores around Metro Detroit, but they also have a website.

www.madeindetroit.com

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downwithdetroit.com

I find very few T shirts with slogans or catchy phrases on them funny, but I have recently found the site www.downwithdetroit.com. I have no idea who runs this site or creates the prints, but a good portion of the T shirts on this site are worth looking at. The prints include connections to Kwame, the state of Michigan, Boblo Island, Belle Isle, Jim Leyland, the "fist" statue, the people mover, tiger stadium and the olde English D, among others. Of course, as all witty t shirt stores have, some prints have themes or slogans that are just plain stupid and uncreative, but those are in the minority.

Many of the prints are available on other items such as sweatshirts, hoodies, and long sleeve t shirts. You can even get an olde English D on a thong if that's your cup of tea. Moreover, with whatever item of clothing you choose, the site provides a plethora of colors for you to pick from.

Whether you are nostalgic about old Detroit institutions, want to show off your Detroit pride, or are just trying to rep your city, www.downwithdetroit.com probably has something you will be interested in.

www.downwithdetroit.com
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The City of Detroit Joins In on The Dream Cruise...Kindof

Seems that things have been somewhat slow lately, and not being in town right now doesn't help my ability to report on events, restaurants, neighborhoods and stores. Anyway, one thing that did catch my eye was the news that the city of Detroit will be somewhat participating in the Dream Cruise this summer. Apparently a one day carnival type event will be held during the week before, which will be auto themed and have entertainment and food.

The event is all fine and dandy, but I still can't believe that the city of Detroit's involvement in the Dream Cruise is so minimal. The Dream Cruise' traditional route is from Pontiac through Ferndale on Woodward. Before the cars hit 8 mile, they turn around. Why exactly can't the city be a bigger part of the festivities? Why can't the festivals organizers provide some structure so that the cars can go as far down Woodward as they want?

Or maybe cruisers don't have any interest in driving past 8 mile. According to Paul Schubring, 45, of Berkley, who has participated in the cruise for 8 summers,

"In general, I don't like being down there," he added. "It's not like I'm totally snubbing Detroit but I am, sort of."
Source: Detroit News

Is this guy the norm? Would cruisers really not drive past 8 mile on Woodward if organizers made it part of the festival? It's something to think about...

Detroit joins Dream Cruise with charity event

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John Kao on Detroit

The "D" brand summit was held on February 1, 2008 at Lovett Hall on The Henry Ford campus in Dearborn. To summarize, the summit was to inform business owners and entrepreneurs how the "D" brand, Detroit's official tourism and community development brand, could help with their brands and initiatives while promoting a positive image of our region. I wasn't able to go, nor do I know anyone who went, so I'm not writing this post as a review. I did however, catch a blog entry written at huffingtonpost.com by the keynote speaker at the D brand summit. His name is John Kao and he is considered a master innovator, entrepreneur and expert in corporate transformation. His entire blog post is at Huffington Post. He has an interesting perspective, if not an obvious one, about the state of Metro Detroit. He writes about our troubles, our reliance on our laurels and our stubborness regarding change. He also writes about the recent positive steps we have made to align ourselves with the 21st century economy.

John Kao finished his blog entry with the following paragraphs. His thoughts struck a chord...

"Predictably Detroit has a number of initiatives to look at the future of the city that are as yet somewhat scattered. The city needs a strategy, it needs a vision of how it can turn itself into a 21st century city, attractive to talent, with a critical mass of R&D and a revitalized approach to education, fresh thinking. It needs to go for the brass ring — incremental innovation will not save it — nor will the four casinos and other tourist amenities that have been put in to make the city a tourist destination. Only a fresh re-thinking of the strategy, the sources of future wealth and the willingness to make the investment of time, treasury and effort will see the city through.

And herein lies the full drama. If Detroit can effect its transformation, then there is hope for the rest of us. I see three scenarios — continued decline, middle of the road via tourism and entertainment, or the high road — nurturing the roots of a true Detroit Renaissance. Much food for thought."
Source: HuffingtonPost

In the end it is up to us. It's a new age and we have all the tools for success. This town was built on efficiency and innovation and there is no reason why we cannot forge down that path once again. We hold the key to our future.
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'I am on an assignment from God'

Kwame: 'I am on an assignment from God'

Sounds about right...
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