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Business & Tech

Denise Ilitch Designs Debuts One-of-a-Kind Detroit Apparel Line

The graffiti-inspired clothing collection is designed to shed positive energy on the city's rebirth.

The movement to rebuild Detroit’s image and breathe new pride into the city is getting a little assistance from Denise Ilitch, a local designer with a significant involvement in the community.

Ilitch’s Birmingham-based clothing company, Denise Ilitch Designs (DID), has launched the Detroit Apparel line, designed to showcase the city.

Inspired by colorful graffiti art seen on the streets of the Motor City, DID has partnered with local artist Julie Istvan to bring the images to life through the urban clothing line.

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All of the vibrant pieces are made in metro Detroit and consist of a metallic or rhinestone graffiti paint splatter which proudly spells out the word “Detroit.” Made for men and women, the DID collection currently includes T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, sweatpants, baseball caps and yoga pants priced between $21-$70.

The brand will soon expand to include special Detroit-inspired jewelry. Silver-toned necklaces containing representative charms of the Old English “D,” the octopus mascot of the Red Wings and even a Coney Island hot dog will make their way into the DID showroom.

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Having collaborated with Istvan on the Detroit Pillow collection last year, the company is hoping that the apparel will achieve the same optimistic reception and motivate customers to want to take a little piece of Detroit pride into their homes.

“We have worked on a project that will hopefully give positive branding to the city of Detroit and create an energized environment that will better the area,” said Rachel Prinstein, director of social media at DID.

Talks to eventually launch a children’s line of the apparel are under way.

“Every aspect of the journey of my life has always been interspersed with Detroit, so it’s really a part of my fabric,” said Ilitch. “I want to be a strong advocate for our community; lifting people up and motivating them, all the while having a little fun with fashion.”

DID’s Detroit Apparel line will also be featured in the pages of upcoming issues of the fashion-based Ambassador Magazine, of which Ilitch is co-publisher.

The collection was launched two weeks ago.

“It has a classic, stately look, yet at the same time is fun and can be worn to all types of occasions and events,” said Nancy Schostak, a Bloomfield Hills resident. “My favorite piece is the black boyfriend tank, and I plan on purchasing one for my adult daughter, too.”

The apparel is currently being sold at the Detroit Shoppe inside the Somerset Collection as well as at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Motor City Casino and the DID showroom in Birmingham.

“We hope to inspire others in the area to want to be creative,” adds Ilitch. “We want people to know that they don’t have to go to New York or Milan to get great fashion. They can also find it here in Detroit.”

Denise Ilitch Designs is located at 2253 Cole Rd. in Birmingham. To shop the collection online, visit the DID website. For more information, call 248-203-6789 or visit the DID Facebook page

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