Not Sorry Blog — community investment

We're so excited to share that we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with the Detroit Free Press about our new store in Ferndale! 

Chanel Stitt wrote: "The sewing machines are constantly running at Not Sorry Goods in Ferndale, where you can purchase apparel and accessories customized just for you. Textile reconstruction, patchwork and stitching are a few services this store offers, in addition to hosting at least 12 other local brands and artists in the retail space. Store owners Dy-min Johnson, 30, of Detroit, and Jess Minnick, 31, of Ferndale, said inclusion-focused and unique stores like this should exist in the community."

Thank you Chanel & Mandi for visiting and sharing our story. Check out the rest of the article here.

Check out Part I of our interview with multi-talented artist India Solomon and our co-founder Dy-Min Johnson below. 

We commissioned India Solomon to create a mural in our new store and with her help we were able to create an inviting, fluid space. 

Watch to learn more about her and the inspiration behind her art!

We're so grateful we got the opportunity to sit down with Sadie Quagliotto from Hip in Detroit! Hip in Detroit is a positive space that features the people, places, and things that make the City of Detroit and the surrounding suburbs special. Sadie wrote:

"Clothing and culture are changing. Fast fashion is finally being called out for the waste creating, capitalistic money grabber that it is and people across the board are being called out on their bullshit. Post pandemic, no one is willing to waste a second thinking about what anyone else says about who they are, who they choose to love, what sex they identify as, what size body they are occupying, or how they choose to dress it, and no brand captures this sentiment better than Metro Detroit's Not Sorry Goods."

 Check out the rest of the article here. 

We were featured in Second Wave Meida's Metromode! Metromode is a digital news magazine focused in the metro area of Michigan! MJ Galbraith wrote:

"With a retail presence in Ferndale’s Rust Belt Market and a production studio at the Ponyride Detroit maker space, Not Sorry Goods made the most out of their shared workspaces. Now the sustainable lifestyle retailer is ready to make another leap forward: Not Sorry Goods is prepping for the grand opening of their flagship store along Woodward Avenue in downtown Ferndale. A celebration is planned from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 30."

For any confusion, we will still have a booth Rust Belt Market! We are only a couple minutes away from Rust Belt and will still have product available to shop on the weekends. In our new store you can catch new upcycled products in stock and watch clothing being customized and worked on.  

Check out the full feature here.

Affirmations is a LGBTQ+ community center that was founded in 1989, their mission is to provide a welcoming space for everyone to express themselves as they please. All gender identities, sexual expressions and cultures are welcome and can find support, socialize, will feel safe and have unconditional acceptance. Affirmations is more than just a building, they are authentically bringing love, inclusivity, hope and dreams to their youth and seniors.

We are so excited to be teamed up with them & Gathering Coffee Co to donate profits from our Pride goods! Profits will go towards supporting this amazing community center and the great work they do.

Here's a bit of what they do:

Offer resources for the youth like development and leadership programs- where they help mold the youth into becoming young adults with skills such as resume writing , mental health, racism, and much more.

Affirmations Angels is a senior program that help with the needed care of individuals that were affected by the HIV.AIDS crisis in the late 90's. In partnership with SAGE, Affirmations Angels provides non-medical assistance such as transportation, grocery shopping, light meal prep and other daily needs to the often marginalized members of the community. With COVID taking place they have zoom meetings frequently to check in, stay connected and complete grocery deliveries. 

Affirmations also provides support and discussion groups. These are free and intended for anyone who needs support, connection and community. Some of the different groups they have are coming out discussions, disability, gentle yoga, LGBTQ+ parents, mens discussion, LGBTQ+ people of color, and transgender and nonbinary discussions. These are all held virtually at the moment and can be found on their website. 

Other services they have include inclusion training, advocacy and health & wellness. If you are looking to volunteer, support, give or donate to this amazing center that wants to help individuals thrive in life you can do so right on their website under the get involved and support tabs.