This Women's History Month, we're featuring some of the women behind some of our favorite local businesses. Learn more about the papergoods designers and illustrators whose work we can't get enough of below!
Hazel & Dolly
Inspired by the lost art of letter-writing, Hazel + Dolly founder Rachael Barlock named her stationary business after her two grandmothers who lived during a slower-paced time, while adding a modern twist to her designs.
Barlock utilizes antique letterpress equipment to hand-make each of her prints, cards, notepads, stickers and more out of her Ferndale, Michigan studio. All materials are locally sourced and eco-friendly, and certain items donate proceeds in partnership with local community organizations and non-profits, including ACLU Michigan, Planned Parenthood Michigan, the Belle Isle Conservancy, and WDET: Detroit's Public Radio Station.
With blunt phrases and honest expressions of love and gratitude, Hazel + Dolly products help you say just the right thing, whether on one of their fun enamel pins or sending a note to a friend.
Keep up with Hazel & Dolly on Instagram @hazel.and.dolly, and shop our products below!:
Marissa Rose Johnson
Detroit-based artist Marissa Rose Johnson has been a central designer for City Bird for years, illustrating images that have been translated to prints, glassware, pins, cards, tote bags, and more.
Drawing inspiration from the natural world and with a fine attention to detail, her designs celebrate local flora and fauna as well as explore playful patterns. Using a blend of handmade as well as digital techniques, her artwork seeks to draw attention to the greater world around us.
For more of her work, follow her on Instagram @marissarosejohnson.
To shop her designs at City Bird, see below!:
Emily Linn - City Bird
Photo by Jacob Lewkow for Crain's
City Bird began as a way for co-owners and siblings Emily and Andy Linn to honor the city that they love, as well as to showcase talented local designers and artisans, opening their flagship store in 2009. Emily, an artist herself, has illustrated a popular line of giclée prints for City Bird, highlighting some of Detroit's best-loved buildings, restaurants, stores, and landmarks in fine detail, such as the Spirit of Detroit, Buddy's Pizzeria, and Michigan Central Station, to name a few.
In addition to the giclée prints, Emily's illustrations can be found within the pages of Belle Isle to 8 Mile: An Insider's Guide to Detroit, a comprehensive, thorough guidebook to every mile of Detroit researched and written by the Linns. Emily's drawings highlight several favorite hotspots and help to capture the unique architecture and landmarks of the city.
With Emily's guidance, City Bird has ushered in and showcased hundreds of Detroit and Michigan-based designers and artists, making the store the ultimate destination for discovering countless local artworks.
To see more of Emily's work on Instagram, follow us @citybirddetroit, and to shop her giclée prints, see below!:
