As we spotlight local creative businesses, we're thrilled to also include local artists and designers! Berkley-based Artist Liz Frankland is inspired by vintage photos and classic pop culture images – and it shows through her work.

This holiday season sure looks different. Last year here at the Detroit Center for Design + Technology was buzzing with artists and designers selling their wares for Noel Night. We met all of those artists through the creative empowerment company, Embrace Creatives including Liz Frankland and we wanted to share a bit about her story with you this year.
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Liz Frankland is an artist residing in Berkley, MI who's work is inspired by vintage photos and classic pop culture. In addition to her studio work, she teaches painting classes at Articipate in Berkley, MI as well as the Grosse Pointe Artists Association in Groose Point, MI.  Let's learn more about Liz, shall we?

Anjali Purohit is passionate about sustainability and her brand, Studio Variously, is proof of that.

​With the holidays looming, the Detroit Center for Design + Technology is dedicating this space to highlighting local business owners who make the holiday season bright. As creative director and founder of Studio Variously in Bloomfield Hills, Anjali Purohit works with third and fourth generation master artisans to create her textile-based and sustainable collections.
 
“Studio Variously explores minimal design elements by combining environmentally-friendly materials and ancient techniques,” Purohit said. “I seek beauty in slow-made textiles that bring people and their cultural stories together. I believe good design comes in small batches and is made responsibly.”
 
Studio Variously retails at more than 50 lifestyle stores in the United States, collaborates with established interior design studios and ships globally. Here’s how she’s preparing for the coming months at Studio Variously.

During the holiday season the Detroit Center for Design + Technology typically partners with local designers and business owners for events like our Noel Night Sustainable Pop-up.

Because 2020 has us all working from home, we’re spotlighting some of our favorite businesses here. And one of our longtime collaborators is Not Sorry Apparel, a Women-, Black- and Latinx-owned Detroit-based business that specializes in upcycled and sustainable goods.

Owners Dy-Min Johnson and Jessica Minnick say their customers “are some of the most authentic people we’ve ever met. They inspire our work.”

Find out what’s new at Not Sorry Apparel this season and let’s get shopping.

DCDT: How are you preparing for the 2020 holiday season?
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DJ: “We're prepping to launch our new website www.notsorrygoods.com! With our new site we'll be expanding our offerings to include sustainable home and lifestyle products that help reduce waste. We're bringing our bold message to reusable kitchen towels, beauty cotton rounds and more.”

We’re right @Home with… Gabrielle Larkin who is in the midst of her fifth year at Lawrence Technological University (LTU) in Southfield, Mich.

Brighton resident Gabrielle Larkin is in her fifth year studying industrial design at Lawrence Technological University (LTU). She brings products to life that are focused on human-centered design. And she sees so much more beyond the auto industry here in Detroit. Her work involves creating office spaces that work in a COVID-19 world. She told us more about it.
 
 
DCDT: What brought you to LTU and what has been most inspiring about the education you’re receiving there?
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