LiVE FRESH

MEET THE ARTIST BRUNCH FT. OLIVIA BRUCE

Chris Cardi Inc. and Sospeso invite you to join us for our Meet The Artist Brunch featuring Olivia Bruce hosted by BeMo!

Olivia is a watercolor painter and mixed media artist based in Maryland. A self proclaimed color enthusiast, experimenting with earth tones and natural plant dyes. Olivia's goal is for viewers to see the beauty and unique use of color amplifying the humanness and intimacy of her subjects in each body of work.

A 2013 graduate of D.C.’s renowned Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Olivia went on to study Studio Art at Instituto Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence, Italy, and later earned a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Marist College.

Olivia has now set her sights to take on new opportunities, commissions, and collaborative projects. In addition to being an independent artist Olivia is also a partner and lead artist of “the KOPi room”, a production house that develops marketing campaigns. 

This brunch serves as an opportunity to meet the artist ahead of her 2023 exhibition. We look forward to hosting you as we celebrate our creative community this Women’s Small Business Month. 

Complimentary mimosas and baklava will be served during the reception hour. To secure brunch seating, early arrival is strongly suggested. View the Sospeso brunch menu here.

Meet the Artist Brunch with Olivia Bruce, is a Chris Cardi Inc. Community + Culture + Commerce event. Click here to RSVP! 

This edition of our Community, Culture, Commerce newsletter is chock full of great events happening in Washington, D.C. this weekend. From Congressional Black Caucus Week events, innovative activations by D.C. creatives, ways to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, and of course, our first in a series of H Street NE ‘22 capsule releases, we have so much to share with you! 

COMMUNITY

 The Creator House by creative advocacy organization Take Creative Control in collaboration with No Kings Collective, is a space centered by Black ingenuity focused on policy issues impacting historically marginalized communities aligned with the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference 2022. The multi-day activation is happening now  through Sunday, October 2. RSVP for events here!

SONIC SURPLUS 

This weekend, Sonic Surplus opens on H Street NE! Sonic Surplus is a short term retail, art and entertainment experience from the creative minds of Studio Sonic. Find out more by following @StudioSonic.co on Insta. 

CULTURE

Celebrate Latin culture and Hispanic Heritage Month on H Street NE at the CLANDESTINO pop-up located in Maketto. The pop-up features a menu of Banhez mezcal and tequila craft cocktails by Pedro Tobar and Daniel Sanchez.  Find out more here!

LA MANPLESA 

This Hispanic Heritage Month the documentary film La Manplesa invites us to reflect on a societal flashpoint impacting D.C.’s Latino community. The University of the District of Columbia invites everyone to attend the free premiere on Thursday, October 6. This film details the 1991 protests in Mount Pleasant spurred by the police shooting of Salvadoran man Daniel Gomez. Part of the PBS documentary series America ReFramed, this film tells the story of one of DC’s first barrios. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers. Follow the film on Instagram @lamanplesafilm for more updates.

COMMERCE

H Street Northeast Life t-shirts from our latest capsule are now available at our online shop. More styles from our H ST. NE ‘22 capsule pop-up will drop over throughout October. Limited quantities will be available for each so be sure to act fast when they do. Shop the drops here!

We’re celebrating Labor Day with the gift of music by sending you to the MOON! The last couple of years have truly been a labor of love serving our community and we thank you for rockin’ with us! 

We couldn’t have done it without your support, and to say thank you, we are giving away 2 tickets via our Instagram contest to Kid Cudi’s “To the Moon” concert tour on Thursday, September 8, 2022 at the Capital One Arena ft. @070shake and @Strick!

COMMUNITY

Chris Cardi, DC Vote, and Art Enables invites you to join us Monday, August 29th at the D.C. landmark, Atlas Performing Arts Center for Art Drives Statehood!

Art Enables is an art gallery and vocational arts program dedicated to creating opportunities for artists with disabilities to make, market, and earn income from their original and compelling artwork. In addition to earning income from art sales, artists build the skills, relationships, and experience necessary for a successful career in the arts.

The artists at Art Enables are pleased to partner with DC Vote for the “Art Drives Statehood” project, which seeks to more intentionally include messages about equality into the arts and culture of the District of Columbia. The event aims to uplift the unique arts and culture of DC in activism spaces. Artists from Art Enables have been asked to interpret the iconic “Statehood” license plate that has been used for years as a symbol of the fight for equality. Artist works will be on display and available for purchase, with proceeds staying with the artists and Art Enables.

To purchase tickets visit: Art Drives Statehood

CULTURE 

D.C. Walls is back! We are excited to be a participating vendor for the festival’s opening day of celebration.

NPR and NoMa Bid are sponsoring this year’s multi day  event bringing together 15 local, national, and international artists creating live installations, murals, and other works.

We will be there to kick things off with a special capsule collection release using our platform of fashion to advocate for D.C. statehood and the equal representation of its residence.

Save the date; Friday, September 9, at Alethia Tanner Park.

This is an event that the entire family can enjoy and an amazing opportunity to meet the artists creating D.C. newest murals beautifying our amazing city! 

For more information visit: D.C. Walls Festival.

COMMERCE

Ahead of our special capsule release in September we are dropping our Bastards Football Team t-shirt online today! The washed gold t-shirt features the graphic “Washington Bastards” in retro font and a football helmet with the number “51” to draw awareness, advocacy, and the advancement of D.C. Statehood. Those purchasing the t-shirt online will also receive a commemorative sticker and button of the graphic on the right.

More to come with this capsule but grab the t-shirt early as we expect the initial drop’s limited supply to sell out quickly.

Shop early: Bastards Football Team t-shirt

Last spring, we proudly introduced the Juneteenth “Freedom Day” flag tank top — commemorating the day in 1865 when more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas learned of their emancipation by the arrival of Union troops.

With the holiday now federally recognized, we are excited as a Black-owned business to provide a fashionable form of symbolism for celebrating and bringing greater awareness to the significance of this day in American history and to the cultural fabric of our nation. 

The Symbolism Breakdown:
The Juneteenth flag was devised by activist Ben Haith in 1997. The flag features a number of symbols - each with their own meaning - including the historical date of “June 19, 1865.”

The star at center has dual meaning representing Texas and also the freedom of Black Americans in all 50 states.

The bursting outline around the star, inspired by a nova, a term used by astronomers meaning new star represents a new beginning for Black people of Galveston and America.

The curve that spans the width of the flag represents a new horizon: the opportunities and promise that lay ahead for Black Americans.

The colors of red, white, and blue represent the American flag and the commitment that America has to live up to the ideal of liberty and justice for all.

The struggle for true Black liberation continues.

Happy Juneteenth!

Click here to shop: Juneteenth “Freedom Day” Flag Tank Top

Note: We strongly encourage you to order by Monday, June 13 for guaranteed delivery by June 18.

It’s the unofficial start of summer and we are here to help you have summer fun in style! Represent by shopping our full selection of U.S. State flag tank tops here!

Check out Chris’ top picks for the season below and get his thoughts about what each one means to him and how he hopes it inspires activism, advocacy, and advancement of a more progressive America and a more perfect union.

Washington, D.C. has been home for a decade now and advocating for full representation of its 700,000+ residents in our democracy is intrinsic to our progress as a nation. It’s a sense of pride for us who call D.C. home of course. It’s my hope that it creates greater awareness of the push for statehood.

I first became aware of Juneteenth as a teen while visiting my father in D.C. One summer in the late 90’s my dad brought my brother, cousin, and I to a Juneteenth cookout at Andrews Air Force Base. I gained a greater awareness and also historical context of what the holiday has meant specifically to Black military service members and the role they played in Black Liberation during the Civil War and the period of Reconstruction.

Juneteenth to me is a holiday about American accountability; a report card on the progress forward for equity in our democracy, for equal justice, socio-economic opportunity, access to resources from health care, education, to fair housing - all of which Black folks have been disenfranchised in the history and present of this country.

As a Black-owned brand, this is our way of commemorating America’s 2nd Independence and a continued fight for racial equity.

As an iconic symbol of freedom the American Flag to me is both a beacon of hope and homeland as well as a point of protest to bring greater awareness to issues in which we as a nation have fallen short of our ideals.

As a son of a Navy sailor and an immigrant mother, I know my experience as both a Black and Filipino American is a unique one that is as dynamic and complex as the history of this country. I also know my experience is as American as any other. This is what I represent when I wear it; my unique American story.

June 14 is Flag Day in the United States and the Smithsonian Institute compiled some interesting facts, timelines, and art about the evolution of the American flag: Facts about the United States Flag.

Join us for the 2nd Annual DRYY RUN ‘22 5K & 10K! Chris Cardi is proud to announce we are co-sponsors again this year, teaming up with title sponsor - DRYY Garment Care as a part of Union Market’s “Rise and Thrive” April fitness activations. 

COMMUNITY

Join us for the 2nd Annual DRYY RUN D.C. 5K & 10K! Chris Cardi is proud to announce we are co-sponsors again this year, teaming up with title sponsor - DRYY Garment Care as a part of Union Market’s “Rise and Thrive” April fitness activations.

 This year’s event is in support of Congress Heights Arts + Cultural Center (CHACC). The goal of this year’s DRYY RUN event is to raise $5000 in funding and bring greater awareness of CHACC’s initiatives, all while promoting an active healthy lifestyle.

 Come out for a morning of fitness, fun, and philanthropy. Meet Keyonna Jones, Founder and Executive Director of Congress Heights Arts + Cultural Center, and walk, run, skate, bike, and roll with us for a great cause by registering here: Dryy Run ‘22 DC.

CULTURE

The April Issue of District Fray magazine is about everything vintage! What’s even cooler is our friend, fashionista, and fellow creative Tiarra Chameleon takes the cover. Tiarra shares her creative vision, approach to style,  and more about her vintage brand 1984V.

Check out the full cover story here:

Also featured in the April issue is our friend Matt Talley talking vintage vinyl, coffee, curation and brand building of Cool Kids Vinyl.

Check out the full story here:

COMMERCE

Today, shop new releases from our Bastards Capsule - a protest by design raising awareness and advocacy for equal representation of Washington, D.C.’s citizens in American democracy.

Protest in style and join us in the push for statehood!

Shop the new releases here:

Bastards Tournament Capsule Spring ‘22