The Academy, local apparel artisans and friends of the site, has been featured in the latest American Express small business commercial.

I recently spent some time with The Academy at the Unique LA show in downtown Los Angeles. The motif of the show was locally manufactured, one of a kind product, art, food, and drink. The Academy's forward thinking garment stylings coupled with in-booth manufacturing embodied the essence of the show and stood out from the rest. The company's frontman, Vizal Samreth, could be found hammering rivets to construct one-off belts for customers on the spot.

Witnessing the show gives one hope for the return of artfully crafted, high quality, designer manufactured products. With all that in mind, please enjoy the American Express small business commercial featuring The Academy and Vizal Samreth himself (the commercial ends with a shot of him):

Visit The Academy store in Long Beach at 429 E 1st Street and visit their website for updates and their product selection.

-Benjamin Denzinger

My friends at The Academy in Long Beach always aim to defy the norm of apparel design and manufacturing. With locally sourcing materials, manufacturing in Los Angeles, and always working on unique, culturally significant projects; The Academy stands out.

Staying consistant with this philosophy, below are the details on their latest release:

World Peace Day Shirt by The Academy

Celebrating the September 21st observance of World Peace Day, The Academy is releasing our tropical prints inspired World Citizen Shirt series.

The indigo blue floral prints celebrates humanity's unity by incorporating the world's flowers into an updated version of the classic 'Hawaiian Shirt'.

The camouflage floral iteration turns the notion of disguise on its head. Originally designed for clothing of war, this camouflage design blends the world's flowers together in an ironic acknowledgment of Peace.

World Citizen, made in Los Angeles by The Academy. $68. More information on the shirts and purchasing information can be viewed on The Academy website.