Khisha Asubuhi printed her first T-shirt more than a decade ago, thus launching Originalitees, her local clothing line that specializes in creating apparel boasting state, city and neighborhood pride. What started as an online operation became a brick-and-mortar last year when Asubuhi opened a storefront in Walnut Hills. Originalitees has always been dedicated to paying homage to Midwestern states and local Cincinnati staples. In 2018, Asubuhi became the first locally owned clothing brand to collaborate with the Cincinnati Reds by creating an exclusive T-shirt design for African-American community night. You may also know Originalitees for their “Cincinnati Believes Black Lives Matter” T-shirts, which benefited Beloved Community Church’s Cincinnati Bail Fund and the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance; their “Product of Public Schools” pridewear, which benefited Cincinnati Public Schools; or their “Unity within the Community Design,” which helped support the Freestore Foodbank during the middle of the COVID-19 crisis. “My vision for Originalitees has always been a community brand. Part of our mission is paving the way for others. Whether fellow Black women in business, public school graduates or community activists. We want to be a contributor to the community that has fostered our growth over the last decade,” Asubuhi says. originalitees.com.
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