Redbubble and American Apparel’s Wholesale Imprintable Division Partner to Inspire Artists and Designers

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Apparel’s Wholesale Showroom – At the LA1 art show, Redbubble Pty. Ltd., a global online marketplace that facilitates the sale of authentic, amazing design on everyday products and canvasses, and American Apparel, Inc. (NYSE Amex: APP), the vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles, today celebrated local design and talked a bit about their long-term, five year partnership. Over 25 Redbubble Los Angeles artists and designers showed their authentic artwork at the American Apparel wholesale showroom, many for the first time. In addition, Redbubble announced the winner of its “Los Angeles in the 80’s” t-shirt design contest.

“Supporting up and coming designers, artists, and product lines have always been a fundamental base for American Apparel’s wholesale imprintable division”

“Supporting up and coming designers, artists, and product lines have always been a fundamental base for American Apparel’s wholesale imprintable division,” says Elyse Bonner, Wholesale Showroom Manager for American Apparel. “We understand that nurturing the brand from the start will only reap substantial benefits for both sides. Our partnership with Redbubble is a true testament to this statement. This event allows us to celebrate this union while honoring talented individuals.”

American Apparel and Redbubble have been working together since 2007 when Redbubble first approached the clothing company for the rights to print on their popular fashionable basics, starting with t-shirts. Redbubble was attracted to American Apparel’s brand commitment to “Made in the USA” goods and overall quality of products. In addition, American Apparel also promotes a number of progressive policies including immigrant rights and labor policies which the company dubs "sweatshop free." Redbubble was likeminded and consequently the two brands have been working together for the past five years to bring unique design, printed on American Apparel t-shirts, to people in over 150 countries worldwide.

“As a leader in popular culture and self-expression, American Apparel was a natural partner for us,” said Martin Hosking, chief executive officer of Redbubble. “Today, we sell thousands of American Apparel items each day including t-shirts and hoodies for men, women and children. Those numbers continue to grow at a rapid rate. Our design show today was the perfect celebration of our love of design.”

LA1 Event Details

American Apparel and Redbubble celebrated the work of their Los Angeles based designers by hosting a free art event at the American Apparel Showroom (747 Warehouse Street) from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Attendees enjoyed appetizers and cocktails as they mixed and mingled with some of L.A.’s hottest up-and-coming designers.

“LA in the 80’s” Design Contest

The event showcased winning designs from the Redbubble “LA in the 80’s” t-shirt design challenge, including:

1. “Triangles,” by The Space Monkey, graphic designer in Barcelona, Spain who is new to Redbubble since August 2012: http://www.redbubble.com/people/thespacemonkey/works/9683109-triangles

2. “LA STYLE-1980s,” by griffinpassant, website designer and freelance graphic designer from a small town in Massachusetts: http://www.redbubble.com/people/griffinpassant/works/9672605-la-style-1980s

3. Honorable mentions went to "LA1 comp entry" by YayzusInsectus, "Los Angeles in 80s" by nidahasa and "Get Down 80s Style" by scoundrel.

Redbubble and American Apparel also led discussions on the inspiration and process of t-shirt design.

ABOUT AMERICAN APPAREL:

American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and retailer of branded fashion basic apparel based in downtown Los Angeles, California. As of October 31, 2012 American Apparel had approximately 10,000 employees and operated 251 retail stores in 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, South Korea and China. American Apparel also operates a global e-commerce site that serves over 60 countries worldwide at http://www.americanapparel.net. In addition, American Apparel also operates a leading wholesale business that supplies high quality T-shirts and other casual wear to distributors and screen printers.

ABOUT REDBUBBLE:

Founded in 2006, Redbubble is a global platform for artists and designers to sell their work more easily and more often. Redbubble’s mission is to disrupt the mass market shopping experience, creating a marketplace that is synonymous with creative individualism. The site offers a diverse selection of more than nine million pieces of everyday art that have personality, wit, soul and meaning including apparel, photographic prints, canvas prints, posters, tech accessories, wall decals, tote bags, stationary, and more. Topping one million orders, Redbubble offers more than 225,000 around the world artists a means to connect with people in over 150 countries who are interested in art and design. To date, Redbubble has raised a total of $6.5 million from a range of angel investors and founders. The company headquarters are located in Melbourne, Australia with a U.S. base in the Bay Area.