Skip to content

Food & Drink

Meet Macklemore’s T-Shirt Guy

Graphic designer Sam Bledsoe’s eclectic style is catching the attention of hip-hop’s heavy hitters

By Andrew Hoge July 17, 2018

1-lead_34

This article originally appeared in the July 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.

This article appears in print in the July 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.

If there were ever someone who embodies the Seattle “cool kid,” Sam Bledsoe would be it. The graphic designer applies his artistic eye to his work at Seattle-based clothier Tommy Bahama and credits his creative outlook to growing up in the Seattle rap and graffiti communities. Bledsoe calls his personal style “Garth Boi,” a look that combines Garth Brooks’ rock country swagger and the emo rap stylings of Goth Boi Clique. In Bledsoe’s closet, you’ll find an eclectic mix of vintage statement pieces and skater essentials (think black Levi’s and Vans), accented with unexpected high-fashion elements. “Gucci is my favorite,” he says. “And they are designing some of their pieces to look more bootleg, so it fits me.”

What’s in a Name
In December, Bledsoe launched his own T-shirt company, Samborghini, a play on his first name and the luxury car brand. The shirts feature colorful pop music lyrics and in-your-face graphic imagery. Shortly after launching, the brand received a celebrity nod on Instagram from Seattle rapper Macklemore, whom Bledsoe has known since high school and calls a friend. The post resulted in an order spike, and in the short time since, Bledsoe has received further celebrity attention, including from the hip-hop trio Migos, whose fashion merchandise he ended up designing.

Thrill of the Hunt
Bledsoe was a fan of baggier clothing in his youth, but his style has evolved since attending Nathan Hale and Roosevelt high schools and working in the fashion industry. He finds inspiration in the oddness of things, such as an imperfectly drawn image or the details of old packaging. The vintage flare favored by Seattle’s underground rap community also influences his creativity. “It’s totally acceptable to wear something you found in a vintage store, and people will think that’s cool,” he says. “Because it’s all about ‘the hunt’ when looking for special pieces, which makes the find even more unique.” His favorite places to hunt? Hall of Fame Vintage in Tacoma, Vintage Ty’s booth in the Fremont Vintage Mall and Value Village in Lake City (some of the same stores where Macklemore filmed scenes for his video, “Thrift Shop”).

Island Life
A self-taught graphic designer (“I learned a lot on YouTube,” he says), Bledsoe currently designs the familiar tropical prints of Tommy Bahama.

“My favorite technique I’ve learned is gouache [a method of painting with opaque watercolors] that gives the prints that flat, classic Tommy Bahama look.”

WEB EXTRA: See more photos from our shoot with Bledsoe below. Photos by Alex Crook.

Follow Us

Costco Limits Gold Bar Buys

Costco Limits Gold Bar Buys

Issaquah warehouse retailer began selling the bars two years ago

If you’re thinking of adding gold to your financial portfolio during a time of economic uncertainty, don’t plan on making a big buy at Costco. The popular Issaquah-based warehouse retailer just put a limit on gold bar purchases. Costco began selling gold bars in 2023. It’s estimated that the company sells more than $100 million…

Support Local, Savor Global Right Here in Seattle

Support Local, Savor Global Right Here in Seattle

Intentionalist looks to ‘Amplify’ businesses in the Chinatown-International District

A number of iconic and longstanding restaurants in the Chinatown- International District (CID) have closed within the last year. Social entrepreneur Laura Clise is looking to stem the tide collaborating with community partners to launch Amplify, a campaign to support and sustain 35 small businesses in the historic neighborhood. The campaign kicks off in the throes of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific…

A $670,000 Mattress? Really?

A $670,000 Mattress? Really?

Swedish brand Hästens will open a showroom in Bellevue this July

If you’re in the market for a $670,000 mattress, mark July on your calendar. That’s when Swedish mattress maker Hästens will open a showroom in Bellevue. The brand previously opened a store in downtown Seattle in 2007. It closed a year later. The company says each bed is made from “the finest natural materials,” including…

PCC Sets July Opening For Downtown Seattle Store

PCC Sets July Opening For Downtown Seattle Store

Small-format store was first announced last year

PCC Community Markets has cemented plans to open a small format store in downtown Seattle. The store, called PCC Corner Market, is the Seattle-based co-op’s first small format store. It will open in July at Fourth Avenue and Union Street in a portion of the footprint of PCC’s former traditional store that closed in January…