Gripped Threads: A Formal Introduction

GT | 3/2/25 | anouncements

We recently launched our e-commerce store after 4 long months of work, and exactly one year since the first commit to a code repository that would become Gripped Threads. Building a storefront - even a digital one - from the ground up is no small endeavor. From concepting and creating designs and sourcing the garments to building a product catalog and managing everything that comes with operating a store, to say little of the technical challenges, the Gripped Threads story is still coming together, but so far it has been every bit as epic as the apparel we aspire to create.

The idea to sell graphic apparel online is not by any means unique, and the room is loud and the margins narrow, but the arena doesn’t have to be zero sum. There’s space for authenticity and clever ideas and something approximating bespoke design - a model that prioritizes scaling down, producing to order, self-expression and experimentation as freedom to evolve.

We are attempting to formulate a brand concept that has identifying qualities, but our brand is not our identity; no brand should be. You are not the labels that adorn your t-shirts, sweaters, shoes, or anything else. Your persona is much more vivid and complex and nuanced. We don’t want to identify or brand you; we want to accompany you.

Our sense of purpose in what we do is reflectory - our designs hold a mirror to our life’s craft, our aspirations and passions and fixations. These are perennial, yet evolving; they are rooted, yet adaptive. As our creativity is a reflection of who we are and want to be, we present our clothing to you as a complement to your own journey, replete with ambitions, beauty, imagination, and craziness all your own.

Many brands want to co-opt you; to replace you with them; to influence you to do something for them. We just want you to live your most expressive life, wearing comfortable clothes! Don’t overthink it all; its just apparel and we’re just some people who came up with a name for a store. Here’s to holding the thread together for a little while longer!

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