Born In Detroit Apparel unveils two University of Michigan T-shirts
Born In Detroit Apparel has partnered with the M Den and the University of Michigan to bring fans an apparel collection that will allow for team and city pride at the same time.
Michigan-based Born In Detroit, which started in 2015, launched two T-shirts Friday: a Valiant University of Michigan Born In Detroit Block “M” T-shirt and a Valiant University of Michigan T-shirt with a football helmet. The T-shirts are available in maize and (navy) blue.
The collection is not exclusively for those who are born in Detroit, said Anthony Tomey, co-owner of Born In Detroit and CEO of The Tomey Group. He said people tend to have pride for Detroit in the way that people have pride in the University of Michigan, even if they didn’t attend the school.
“It’s not about being born in Detroit necessarily, but Detroit being born in you,” Tomey said. “That brings that blue-collar grit ethic, work ethic, all those kind of things. And that’s how we want this to be, as well. Yes, obviously, the University of Michigan is in Ann Arbor, but it was born in Detroit and the school started downtown. And it’s just kind of getting back to the roots.”
The brand also partnered with Valiant for the collection. The apparel line is available online at MDen.com and launched Friday at the M Den Detroit store at 55 Columbia St. But the collaboration doesn’t stop there. The collection will expand in July. It will feature clothing for men and women and it will be available at more M Den locations. There also will be a party in downtown Detroit. A date has not been determined yet.
“We want it to be like a sneak preview, and grow this relationship partnering with the University of Michigan,” Tomey said. “It means a lot to us. We’re all Michigan fans anyways . ... So we’re just super proud to be a part of this and see where this can lead everybody.”
The Born In Detroit brand and its sister company, 8 Mile Vodka, are owned by partners Tomey, Michael Tomey, George Bourkoulas, Alex Bourkoulas and Michael Shumaker, who are all Detroit natives. The company trademarked the “Born In Detroit” phrase in 2015. The Tomey family also owns and operates The Tomey Group, which owns 45 Jimmy John’s locations and a Chicken Guy restaurant.
More information about the brand itself can be found online at bornindetroit.store.