Vendor Interview- Tender Loving Empire
Tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your work.
Tender Loving Empire is a Handmade Consignment shop in Portland, Oregon, as well as a Record Label and Screenprinting shop focused on supporting independent artists and musicians. At UCU, we bring our own signature line of screenprinted tshirts and hoodies and the cds and vinyl albums we release through our Record Label. We usually bring one or two of our favorite items from the shop with us too. So when you buy items from us at UCU you're indirectly helping hundreds of artists get paid for what they love to do!
What are some sources of inspiration for your work?
Our community keeps us inspired to continue the hard work it takes to run a small business. We love to be able to help support our friends and neighbors through Tender Loving Empire. We try to be a reflection of what's going on around us. Out tshirt designs, the music we release and the items we choose to carry in our shop all follow this general concept.
What was the best thing you did with your summer?
We made a baby! She'll be here in March. :)
Are you showcasing anything new at the winter UCU show?
Last year, our most popular item was our hand-silkscreened, annual music compilation that features over 45 songs by 45 bands from our record label and beyond. This year, we're bringing our brand new comp, Friends and Friends of Friends, VOL. 4. It's silkscreened in 3 colors, and had cool pop-up features. It's only 15 dollars for 2 discs (47 tracks!) and makes a great gift or stocking stuffer for your music-loving friends. We also have a couple new tshirts and hoodies that we're really proud of.
What are you most excited about for UCU?
We always get a great response to our music at UCU and are excited to bring a couple new releases up to our Seattle friends. We also definitely use the show as a chance to scout out items that might be a good fit for our Portland shop year around. AND we're super pumped to eat at our favorite Thai Restaurant on Capitol Hill. It's a yearly tradition.
