Sometimes, the universe hands you a typo just to test your creative problem-solving. 😅
Last week, I had the incredible honor of collaborating with the Chinatown Storytelling Centre and Lululemon on a custom sweatshirt design. The goal was to raise funds, shine a light on Vancouver’s historic Chinatown, and reconnect with my roots.
We launched with a bang. Sales went strong well beyond Vancouver, and I was riding high.
Then, everything went sideways. The next day, I realized I had accidentally left out the second ‘v’ in “Vancouver.”
I was devastated. I had been working on this project for weeks. We did a photoshoot. The sweatshirt was even featured on CTV News! Yet, somehow, the missing letter flew under everyone’s radar.
As a designer, it’s embarrassing, but you have to own your mistakes and make them right. So, I’m turning my unintentional “Easter egg” into a custom experience.
Tomorrow, I’ll be personally hand-painting the missing ‘V’ on every single sweatshirt that comes my way.
Where: Chinatown Storytelling Centre
When: Tomorrow, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM PST
The beautiful irony in all this? Vancouver Chinatown’s current campaign is called ‘Vitality,’ and the subtext reads ‘Hidden Stories.’ I’d like to think this was all meant to be, just a hidden story waiting for its ‘V’ (though mostly, I’m just trying to redeem myself 😉).
I’d like to think these hand-corrected Lululemon sweatshirts might just become a rare collectible in the future.
Here’s your chance to pick one up, even if you don’t live in Vancouver:
BONUS: I’ve dug into the vault and brought back my Applied Arts award-winning Chinatown Tales illustration series from a decade ago!
These prints bring the stories of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown to life.
Grab an 8.5” x 10” print at @foohungcurio
All proceeds go directly to the @chinatownstorytellingcentre