DRIP WITH DEPTH: LA COMMONS X SOLE FOLKS DROP MORE THAN MERCH
Photo credit: Momodu Mansaray
What happens when two arts and culture powerhouses come together to celebrate and empower Black leadership and local creatives? Authentic joy and undeniable energy! LA Commons is a long-standing, beloved nonprofit dedicated to uplifting voices from disinvested neighborhoods via story gathering that gets turned into public art (if you’re picturing the Heart of Hyde Park mural on Crenshaw & Slauson, you’re right!). Sole Folks is a Leimert Park icon, a retail incubator and evolving third space where designers and entrepreneurs get to take part in valuable co-op retail and community-rooted economic development experiences.
This year marks LA Commons’ 25th Anniversary, and to celebrate that, they teamed up with Sole Folks to create limited-edition merchandise. The designs are set on solid vintage grey crewnecks, and they are popping with color and vivid imagery. We needed to know more about the powerful design, and learned that every year, LA Commons throws an unbelievable celebration (Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks) in Leimert Park that honors ancestors throughout South LA. The vibrant designs pull from the beautiful masks and procession dancers from the event. This is what a merch collaboration is all about – putting meaning into your drip, and repping the power of community!
Last Sunday’s launch party at the lively Sole Folks storefront was more than a merch drop, it was a heartwarming space where guests found themselves inspired by the words of LA Commons founder Karen Mack and Sole Folks founder Akil West. Their conversation resonated with us all, speaking on uplifting youth leadership, Black artistry and entrepreneurship, and how these intersections shape the future of South LA. The empowering vibes in the room were strong! Karen and Akil are true advocates of our community, and this clearly shows through the lasting impacts of their organizations. These leaders are making change and showing us that we can too.
After the energizing panel conversation, guests were free to enjoy the rest of the evening, whether it was dancing to a live DJ, sipping on delicious mocktails or diving into a hands-on crafts workshop. Upstairs in the Art Lab of Sole Folks, Tara James of The Blk Craftsroom, led a lively session in embroidery and patch-making. It was fun and powerful to be in this space – moving from Karen and Akil’s reflections on community collaboration to actively being and experiencing it. This maker space welcomed party attendees of all experience levels to embrace their inner artists through embroidery and patch-making. If you went in alone, you probably left with some new friends. What started as an arts workshop quickly transformed into a communal experience. That vision of creativity as a tool for building community, which was passionately expressed during the panel, came to life in that room.
Thank you LA Commons and Sole Folks for hosting this amazing gathering. Events like these are cultural moments we can’t miss out on. Whether it’s through music, artists or launch parties, we want to highlight more of the cultural experiences that strengthen our community and shape our future.
