Legacy

Whats with the Brad Pitt for mayor movement? What happened to “Who Dat?” What does Storyville mean?

Josh Harvey, LSU graduate and co-founder of the popular custom T-shirt boutique, Storyville Apparel, gives Legacy the answers. Storyville has locations in New Orleans, Austin, Texas and on 236 W. Chimes Street in Baton Rouge.

Find out more about Storyville at www.wearyourstory.com.

Q: How did you come up with the idea to “wear your story?”
A: My siblings and I grew up wearing tee shirts made by local designers like Mojo Ware in West Monroe. We wanted to create a shop that was dedicated to celebrating local culture and individual spirit.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the ‘Brad Pitt for Mayor’ shirt?
A: A Tulane professor named Thomas Bayer brought the idea to us. He though the “Brad Pitt for Mayor” campaign would be a good way to get some good press for the city of New Orleans, and to raise awareness about the upcoming mayoral election. We agreed.

Q: Did the NFL do anything to pull the “Who Dat?” shirts?
A: We received a “cease and desist” letter from the NFL in early January 2010. We held firm that the NFL – or anyone else for that matter – could own “Who Dat.”

Q: What’s the strangest things you’ve put on a T-shirt?
A: We’ve put lots of animals on shirts. There was an “apple giraffe” one time –half apple, half giraffe (a girapple?). That was odd. We also have a dinosaur sending text messages – a “Tyannosaurus Text.”

Q: What was your favorite shirt you’ve sold?
A: We’ve had a lot of success with “Brad Pitt for Mayor” and “Who Dat Nation,” but one of my all time favorites is “Beign-Yay” (a dancing beignet) because it was one of our earliest hit tees – and it features our original artwork.

Q: What made you decide to expand Storyville?
A: We think the formula of locally-themed apparel and custom tee shirts can work in markets all over the country. And each shop that we open will be a reflection of the community in which it rests.

Q: Where does the Storyville name come from?
A: It comes from the historic red light district in New Orleans, which existed from 1898-1917. It was an early place of experimentation, which included that performance of jazz and racial integration.

Q: What’s the most popular shirt ever sold from Storyville?
A: “Who Dat Nation” recently passed “Brad Pitt for Mayor” as our all-time best selling tee shirt. But we’ve got lots of hot new designs coming out in 2010.

Q: What’s it like working with all of your siblings as the owners and managers?
A: It’s awful. That’s why we have to spread out among so many cities… Just kidding. It’s fun (most of the time). We fight amongst ourselves sometimes, but we mostly get along. We all want to see Storyville succeed.

Q: Who’s the most famous customer you’ve had come to the store?
A: Kevin Spacey, Nicholas Cage, and Adam Yaunch (aka “MCA”) from the Beastie Boys have all shopped in Storyville. MTV Real World filmed there yesterday. We’re still waiting on Brad Pitt to come by.

Q: What did you do before Storyville?
A: I was a lawyer in Manhattan. And before that, I went to LSU. Geaux Tigers!