Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew and Lydia Pelosi.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Our brand was born in Venice, California and was founded by two California natives with a shared love for the Golden State.
It started with a premise: how do we express pride in our city and state that isn’t necessarily tied to a sports team?
We worked with local artists and thought leaders while giving back to the community. The brand started with our printing 150 sweatshirts featuring the work of local artists. The sweatshirts sold out in two weeks and the buzz began.
We didn’t have a website or a business plan. Simply a passion for creating rad products with our friends and expressing our gratitude for the Golden State.
Three years later, we are extremely grateful to be working with good people doing inspiring things in our community.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been a fun road which is of most importance to us. We have had plenty of challenges along the way, but have been able to learn from them and evolve. Building a brand from scratch has required patience, particularly as most everything takes longer than you think it will (e.g., sourcing, printing, etc.). As long as there’s passion behind what you do, you can get through anything.
Please tell us about Gracias California.
We are a community first brand that locals love and visitors feel encapsulates the experience they’ve been fortunate to share.
We specialize in super comfortable sweatshirts and t-shirts, made locally in downtown LA.
We are most proud to work with creative artists who inspire us. Our mission has always been to celebrate the diversity and creativity of California.
It’s also fun to build a brand that our kids can enjoy. We have a five year old boy, Claxton, and two year old girl, Bailey, and many of our kid’s designs are inspired by them. We take them with us to our manufacturing facilities and retail partners and discuss different decisions we make along the way. Ask them and they will say, “Gracias California is our company.”
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Waking up super early to skateboard in places where I wasn’t supposed to be skateboarding. Exploring the California streets when they are empty allows you to feel the cities in a whole new way. These days, 6am bike cruises are a fun way to explore LA with our family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://graciascalifornia.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/graciascalifornia/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gracias
Image Credit:
1. Lydia and Carter Pelosi, wearing hats 2. Andrew and Bailey Pelosi (camo sweatshirt with girl on top) 3. Gracias hat (Douglas Caballero) 4. Beverly Hills Skateboard Association (Renee Samms) 5. Gracias Logo (Vera Jimenez) 6. Beverly Hills mom and baby (Tracy Kuaea)
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