Chickens performing yoga. A grinning manatee doing the backstroke. A grumpy-faced grouper.
These unique but instantly recognizable images are but a few of the designs created by Hogan Made, a year-old Tampa business that celebrates local neighborhoods and Florida themes. The images are cropping up on t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, baby clothes, dog kerchiefs, and zippered pouches throughout the bay area – and in tourists’ suitcases across the globe.
Born of creativity, inspired by the sunshine state, and buoyed by the excitement of customers (many of whom are determined to collect all the designs), Hogan Made is all about “Florida gifts y’all will LOVE!”
From Apollo Beach to Seminole Heights and everywhere in between, Hogan Made’s designs are one-of-a-kind and inspired by iconic images and landmarks from area neighborhoods. Every item is designed and handcrafted by Hogans. Red and Ellen (Dad and Mom) are not native to Florida, but Meghan was born and raised in Tampa.
It all started when Ellen said, “Ybor needs a shirt with a rooster on it!” Since Ybor City has wild chickens roaming around, it was a given the feathered friends should be the icon for the historic neighborhood. Meghan researched the highest quality shirts and was soon designing and silk-screening them by hand (so each has minor variations that distinguish handcrafted items).
Hogan Made began selling the shirts and other products, such as onsies and dog “fashions,” at Ybor City Saturday Market in April 2016. The rooster shirts were an instant hit, and the company quickly created a design for South Shore depicting the four (now three) stacks at the TECO power plant and one with Winky, the gleeful manatee. Other neighborhood motifs now include Bayshore Boulevard, Seminole Heights, Hyde Park, and Sulphur Springs, with more on the way. Watch for tees celebrating YOUR community!
Meghan is not the only one in the family with talent. Ellen is a seamstress, potter and writer. Her pottery is fun and light and her sewing projects are whimsical and handy. She makes ceramic dishes, cups, containers and bowls, plus fabric bags and pouches. Red is a wood turner, sculptor, welder, and just about anything else you can think of. His creativity is spontaneous, fun, and serious all at the same time. He creates stunning bowls and containers using different types of wood that can only be called works of art. Individually, they create unique pieces of art and functional items as well; together they collaborate on projects such as wood bowls with ceramic tops.
Visit Hogan Made at the Ybor City Saturday Market October through June, 9 a.m-3 p.m., and at MiraBay Market in Apollo Beach on the third Sunday of every month, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Or visit their online store (hoganmade.com); they ship to anywhere in the U.S. Contact Meghan Hogan Tauber at HoganMade@gmail.com or at 813-928-4510 for custom designs and special orders.
