ABOUT
Artist Statement / Lonnie Lardner
Creator, [Urban Artwear]
I guess you could say I’m obsessed. My heart starts pounding explosively the moment I catch a glimpse of any city’s aggressive street art, graffiti, and unexpected textures found in urban decay. These patinas and layers of "street energy" inspire every design I create. Like the streets and walls of Los Angeles and New York, each work of wearable art is a hand-painted original — no two pieces are alike.
My background is in local and network TV news. I’ve had opportunities to cover powerful news and feature stories for ABC, CBS and FOX-owned stations in Los Angeles, Nashville, Chicago and New York. In a way, I’ve come to realize that storytelling comes in many forms, and creating art is just another fresh visual way to express ideas.
With a lifelong passion for art, ten years ago I started a series of Creativity Workshops for corporate executives and leadership teams — in an effort to spark the creative superpowers critically needed in today's competitive marketplace. (For more on Creative Voltage Workshops, click here: www.creativevoltage.com.)
Back in the day, I studied painting in the South of France at L’Ecole Des Beaux Arts, and the University of Denver. In 2013, I began to curate, purchase and place extraordinary sculpture, paintings and photography in the private and public spaces of numerous corporate headquarters on Wall Street, midtown Manhattan, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
OUR PLEDGE
Every piece of clothing we select becomes a canvas for an original work of art.
Each one is hand-painted — no two pieces will ever be alike. We are super passionate about street art and urban decay, and we incorporate their raw textures and vibrant colors in all of our collections. We guarantee that you will own — and wear — a unique, stunning, distinctive work of art.
UPCYCLE - UPLIFT
We care about overconsumption. So every painted piece we make is “upcycled" from gently worn clothing, and carefully hand-selected from Southern California thrift shops.
We like the idea of giving these clothes a second chance, a new life. And when you wear an
[Urban Artwear] piece, you’ll feel the same way.
WOMEN ROCK!
We believe that using our creative entrepreneurship can inspire others and ignite the artist within. It’s why we are proud to be a woman-owned and operated enterprise. We hope to set an example for young women to follow their hearts, passions, and natural instinct to create.
GIVING BACK
We Love It!
We live for art, and love to share it. For years, our volunteers have sponsored art workshops for hundreds of inner-city children in South Los Angeles. It brings us joy, and moreover, it allows children the space for creative expression, and an opportunity to meet gifted local working artists. Our hope is that they will take these hands-on artistic experiences and build on them for a creative future.