Lauren Moshi

If you want a graphic tee that's genuinely a piece of art rather than a mass print, Lauren Moshi makes a strong case. The whole brand is built on original, hand-illustrated artwork by Lauren Moshi herself, so you're buying her drawings on a shirt, not a stock graphic. For fans of that LA, art-led aesthetic it tends to feel worth the premium.

Lauren Moshi is positioned as a premium LA label, and its appeal rests on the originality of the hand-drawn artwork as much as the fabric. Owners who love it tend to be repeat buyers, though a few flag that embellished styles need gentle care. Buy it for the distinctive artwork and treat any crystal or detail work kindly and most people are happy.

They're two sides of the same house. Lauren Moshi is the graphic, hand-illustrated line, while Michael Lauren is the brand's brother label of basics, offering essential tanks, tees, hoodies, pants, dresses, skirts and accessories. Many people wear the Michael Lauren basics as a foundation and layer the artful Lauren Moshi pieces on top.

Lauren Moshi is a Los Angeles-based apparel and lifestyle brand created by the brother-sister duo Lauren and Michael Moshi in 2006. It's best known for its line of graphic t-shirts. The whole collection grows out of Lauren's original artwork, which makes it a genuinely family-run, artist-driven label.

Every design starts as original, hand-illustrated art by Lauren Moshi, who began as an artist working in watercolor and ink. She graduated from Otis College of Art and Design before teaming up with her brother Michael to screen print her drawings onto clothing and accessories. That art-school origin is the heart of the brand's identity.

Plenty. Notable names who've worn Lauren Moshi and Michael Lauren include Alessandra Ambrosio, Kate Hudson, Emma Roberts, Gigi Hadid, Bella Thorne, Jessica Alba, Kourtney Kardashian, Cara Delevingne, Selena Gomez and Mila Kunis. The label even appeared in Beyonce's 2013 Blow music video, where she wore the Frankie Wonder Woman Baseball Tee.

Lauren Moshi has paired her illustrations with some big names. She collaborated with Disney Couture in 2011 on graphic tees reimagining Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and with Warner Bros in 2013 on a super-hero themed line that retailed at Bloomingdales.com. A 2013 Flywheel collaboration carried her signature 'diamond lips' print. The brand has also licensed music artists like the Grateful Dead and Def Leppard.

Lauren Moshi is sold in department stores and specialty boutiques worldwide, so it's widely available through stockists. The brand also opened its own flagship store on Robertson Blvd in Los Angeles in 2012, after launching a Beverly Hills pop-up that doubled as an art gallery in 2011. Lauren's artwork is now sold in that flagship as well.

Think art-forward LA cool: hand-drawn illustrations, expressive graphics and motifs like the 'diamond lips' print, applied to t-shirts, tanks and lifestyle pieces. Because the art comes straight from Lauren's own watercolor-and-ink practice, the look is more personal and illustrative than a typical logo tee. It's wearable artwork with a relaxed Los Angeles attitude.

Yes. In 2019 the label was accused by Los Angeles local artists and designers of copying their designs without permission. It's worth knowing as context for a brand whose entire identity is built on original, hand-illustrated artwork. Beyond that, its reputation rests largely on the distinctiveness of Lauren's own drawings.

Because some Lauren Moshi pieces carry crystals or other embellishments on top of the printed artwork, gentle handling goes a long way. Wash with care, avoid harsh agitation that can loosen detailing, and let pieces dry flat rather than tumbling them. Treated kindly, the hand-illustrated graphics tend to hold their color and character well.