As a former urban planner who tells stories about makers, the Shinola brand has been on my radar for some time, so I was really excited to be able to visit their design studio and factory floor to build out a story for the Detroit Stories for Lincoln.
Shinola was actually established in 2010 by the founder of Fossil watches as a way to bring a combination of craftsmanship and manufacturing back to Detroit. They make watches, bicycles, and leather goods that are gorgeous yet practical keepsakes, but they are also helping to bring a sense of pride and artistry back to the community. In my mind it's the ideal model for bringing elevated manufacturing back to the States, and putting communities with the necessary skills back to work.
For this story, we profiled a watch assembler named Lakishka Raybon, whose portrait had been illustrated by our partners at Wildsam. She showed us around the plant and the design studio, and then we joined the morning shift for lunch and a game of shuffleboard in the cafeteria.
PUBLISHING
With written content, photography, and illustrations, we published Raybon's story across Lincoln social channels, targeting audiences particularly interested in makers, craftsmanship, "Made in USA" stories, Detroit, and Shinola, among others.
PHOTO ESSAY FOR LINCOLN NOW
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
